Synchronously implement solutions for forest management, protection and development
(Baonghean) - Over the past years, our province has identified forestry development as one of the strategic tasks for socio-economic development and ecological environment protection, ensuring social security for mountainous people.
In carrying out its tasks, the sector has advised the province to perfect mechanisms, policies and solutions to remove difficulties in capital, directed and guided localities and units to overcome difficulties and promote the socialization of forestry, completing 100% of the targets assigned by the Provincial People's Committee at the beginning of the year. Specifically, it has planned to expand the rubber planting area by 6,000 hectares in Que Phong and Quy Chau; planned grass planting areas for the TH dairy cow project with an area of 2,500 hectares in Nghia Dan, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, Tan Ky and Quy Chau; reviewed 150,000 hectares of production forest for 10 management boards of forest protection; planned raw material areas for Tan Viet Trung Artificial Board Company with 6,000 hectares in 5 districts: Quy Hop, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Nam Dan and Nghi Loc; planned special-use forests associated with cultural relics in 9 communes of Yen Thanh district and a number of other activities.
Nursery of hybrid acacia at Dong Hop Forestry Nursery (Quy Hop).
Photo: Cong Sang
Forest management and protection work continues to be strengthened in conjunction with the diversification of forest products and the development of economic forests in the direction of intensive farming. In the difficult conditions of capital sources, the industry has guided the effective promotion of capital sources, especially capital sources of enterprises and people, organized the sowing of 30.353 million seedlings of all kinds, and planted 10,336 hectares of forest. Exploited 1,179m3 of natural forest wood, hundreds of thousands of m3 of planted forest wood, 1,542.2 tons of pine resin and many types of non-timber forest products, serving the production of rattan and bamboo products for export... contributing to creating an export turnover of tens of millions of USD.
To promote the socialization of investment capital for forestry development, Nghe An is one of the first provinces to establish the Forest Protection and Development Fund.
Besides the above results, forestry activities still reveal some limitations: forest fires, slash-and-burn cultivation, illegal exploitation, transportation, trading and processing of forest products still occur, sometimes very seriously. The quality and structure of planted forests are still monotonous. There are many reasons, but mainly because the sense of responsibility of cadres and people is not high; Party committees and authorities at all levels, especially commune authorities and especially commune authorities where forests exist, have not paid due attention and have laxed management; forest rangers, especially local forest rangers, have not fulfilled their responsibility to help the government protect the forest at its roots.
Preparing rubber seedlings for forest planting. Photo: CS
To effectively carry out the task of protecting the existing forest area, in 2013, 12,000 hectares of new forest were planted, bringing the forest cover to 54.3%, the provincial Forestry sector must focus on coordinating and synchronously implementing the following main solutions:
Firstly, promote propaganda and education for officials and people, especially in places near natural forests, remote areas, and buffer zones, to raise awareness and responsibility for forest management, protection, and afforestation, overcome illegal forest burning, and pay attention to promoting economic and protective forest planting.
Second, effectively implement Decision No. 07/2012/QD-TTg dated February 8, 2012 of the Prime Minister, continuously enhance the role of grassroots authorities in forest protection with 7 tasks of the District People's Committee and 10 tasks of the Commune People's Committee; develop plans for forest fire prevention and fighting from the provincial to district and commune levels, organize drills on forest fire prevention and fighting plans;
Third, direct forest owners, especially State forest owners (Protection Forest Management Boards, National Parks, Conservation Areas, Forestry LLCs, Youth Volunteer Force Teams assigned with forests) to carry out measures to protect forests at the root, by concentrating forces on forest patrols, seizing illegal forest products at the root, expelling people from entering the forest to exploit, destroy forests, and hunt wild animals illegally; and concentrate all necessary conditions to complete the forest planting targets of their units.
Fourth, well implement the coordination regulations between forces to protect forests; strengthen coordination between relevant sectors and forest rangers in combating and preventing violations of laws on forest protection and forest product management;
Fifth, further strengthen the state management role of the People's Committees of districts and cities in coordination with functional sectors to plan, invest in forest protection and development in the area, and at the same time mobilize all investment capital sources to support forest protection and development, with special attention paid to implementing the policy of payment for forest environmental services.
Nguyen Tien Lam (Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development)
