Small wish in Pieng Lak valley

Desire…

The province's reforestation work has encountered many difficulties, especially in mountainous districts. So when hearing about it over the past year,Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management BoardWe are very interested in planting acacia trees on an area of ​​20.7 hectares and would like to visit once.

In December 2022, the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board officially took on the task of reforesting the Ban Mong Irrigation Reservoir project with an area of ​​20.7 hectares in the Pieng Lak valley. However, the name Pieng Lak is associated with a remote land in Chau Ly commune, Quy Hop district, bordering Tan Ky district. The entrance to Pieng Lak is rugged with rocky mountains, through some steep slopes, and can only be entered when the weather is sunny, but not if it rains or is foggy. Therefore, after the cold spell at the end of January 2024, we were "scheduled" by the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board to enter Pieng Lak.

“This is the first time Pieng Lak has welcomed guests. Previously, around mid-2023, the National Assembly's Forest Reforestation Supervision Delegation also planned to inspect the Board's forest reforestation work on site, but due to rain, the plan was delayed...” - Head of the Department of Scientific Research and International Cooperation - Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board Tran Duc Long told us.

Arriving in the remote Pieng Lak valley, the first thing that caught our attention was not the rows of acacia trees brought from Vinh Phuc province after 1 year of age and planted in Phu Quy land. But the presence of a Thai stilt house, a fish pond, a barn for raising geese and ducks, and several areas of acacia forests many years old. From our inquiries, we were informed by the staff of the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board that this was the property of Mr. and Mrs. Lo Van Xuyen and Vi Thi Phien, a Thai family in Vuc village, Chau Ly commune. “The two of them have lived here for several decades. The family has its own circumstances, but they are very good. We eat and live with them to carry out the task of planting forests. As for the couple, in the past year they have participated in many tasks in the replacement forest planting work. But they also have their own worries…”, said Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh - staff of the Department of Scientific Research and International Cooperation, Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board.

The concern that Mr. Thanh shared is that in the past, when there was a policy of allocating land and forest to the people of Vuc village, only Mr. and Mrs. Xuyen dared to accept land and forest in Pieng Lak area. Attached to this remote mountainous area, they built a house, established a farm, cleared land to grow corn, cassava and accepted livestock grazing for the people in the area. When acacia trees became a trend in household economic development, they also planted some plots, with an area of ​​nearly 3 hectares. Then, when the State re-planned the forestry land, the forest land that they were assigned belonged to the protective forest area of ​​Pu Huong Nature Reserve. Therefore, the area of ​​acacia trees that they planted, although many years old, could not be exploited due to regulations...

During a half-lunch, half-dinner meal in the mountainous region, we met the representative of the household, Mrs. Vi Thi Phien. Mrs. Phien said that Mr. Xuyen had been granted a green card a long time ago, around 1997. At that time, after being granted the green card, he built a house and a farm, dug a pond to raise fish, herded cows, raised geese and ducks, cleared land to grow corn and cassava; when the season came, he went into the forest to grow bamboo shoots for extra income; later, he planted acacia. There was a period when quite a few people came, but because the couple had “sovereignty”, no one was allowed to do it. Regarding the exploitation of acacia forests, according to Mrs. Vi Thi Phien: “We have long wanted to do this, because we “have to pay the workers”. But because the regulations do not allow it, the Board has been talking slowly. We have listened and let it be. But this year we have to ask for exploitation. We have already said it, if you love us, let us exploit. We are in a difficult situation, our son lost money in business and left his wife and children, and we don’t know where he went…”

Asked Mrs. Phien: The road is so far and difficult, would anyone want to buy acacia? Mrs. Phien replied: “If the Board gives you a permit to exploit, someone will buy it, but without a permit, no one will dare…”. She continued to ask: Do you and your husband want to stay here? Mrs. Phien sighed: “Yes, we still want to stay here and work. We also told the Board, if you love us, let us stay here and work. We can take care of the forest for the Board, and do this and that to earn an income, but when we go home, there is nothing to do…”.

Step by step to solve the problem!

At Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board, we fully understand the situation of Ms. Vi Thi Phien's family. And because we believe that the wishes of this Thai family are legitimate, Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board is also building a roadmap to gradually remove difficulties and obstacles.

Director of Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board, Mr. Vo Minh Son said that in 1997, Mr. Lo Van Xuyen's family was assigned a forest register with an area of ​​over 70 hectares, but later the Pieng Lac area was all included in the protective forest managed by Pu Huong Nature Reserve. Many years ago, this was the grazing area for buffaloes and cows of the local people. When the time came to plan for reforestation, Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board and the government had to work hard to propagate and persuade the people to move the buffaloes and cows to graze in other areas. The Board even had to invest in digging nearly 1,000m of trenches to prevent buffaloes and cows from grazing.

Regarding Mr. Lo Van Xuyen's family, after hearing the explanation, they were very determined and supported the Board's reforestation work. Regarding the acacia forest, Mr. Lo Van Xuyen's wish is legitimate. The acacia forest is 7 years old and ready for exploitation. However, according to regulations, it cannot be exploited, so the Board is coordinating with local authorities to find ways to gradually resolve the issue.

“In 2023, the Board has carried out forest inventory work, so that this year it will establish an exploitation record according to the regulations of protective forests, according to which 20% will be exploited. The Board is very concerned about the wishes of Mr. Xuyen's family, but within the scope of the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board, there are also similar cases that need to be resolved synchronously. After reviewing, the Board also found that there are many shortcomings and overlapping situations. Specifically, people have settled down for a long time on protective forest land, some households have even been granted land use right certificates. Faced with this reality, the Board has also proposed to convert about 290 hectares of protective forest land to production forest..." - Director of Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board Vo Minh Son discussed.