Strictly handle violations to manage and protect forest resources well.

(Baonghean) - The Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee is assigned by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee to monitor and direct localities with forests; units and agencies with the function of managing and protecting forests. In this week's "Party Dialogue" column, Nghe An Newspaper conducted an interview with comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Committee member, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee on this content.

PV:Dear Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee, could you evaluate the current forest management and protection work?

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong: Nghe An has 1,160,000 hectares of forestry land, of which the total forest area is 985,137 hectares with over 200,000 hectares of planted forests. With such forest area and potential, the work of developing, managing and protecting forests in recent times has always been given special attention and promoted by Party committees at all levels, authorities, functional sectors and the people in the province.

By the end of 2015, the province's forest coverage reached nearly 55%, contributing to protecting the ecological environment, enhancing the role of watershed protection, soil protection, erosion prevention, flood mitigation and water resource protection; contributing to poverty reduction and stabilizing people's lives.

Leaders of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Department discuss professional matters with cadres and employees. Photo: Tran Hai

Although forest fires, slash-and-burn cultivation, illegal exploitation, transportation, trading and processing of forest products still occur, overall, forest management and protection are maintained. In the province, there is Pu Mat Biosphere Reserve with an area of ​​1,303,285 ha, Pu Huong Nature Reserve with an area of ​​40,127.7 ha, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve with an area of ​​85,641.8 ha. Obviously, these things are not accidental.

PV:However, in the past year, there have been many forest-related cases brought to light by law enforcement agencies, in which the forest encroachers were those assigned to manage and protect the forest. What is the opinion of the Internal Affairs Committee on this issue?

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong:Forest management and protection is an extremely important, difficult, complicated and dangerous task. In recent times, the province has directed the relevant agencies, directly the Provincial Forest Protection Department, to advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct specialized agencies and communes to develop plans and strategies to strengthen propaganda and education, fight against and prevent violations in order to reduce the number of violations and damage to forest resources. At "hot spots", relevant units have sent experienced staff to the grassroots, propagate and mobilize people to protect forests; at the same time, coordinate with organizations and local authorities to strengthen inspection and control measures.

Environmental police caught red-handed deforestation in Con Cuong

However, deforestation and resistance to law enforcement officers are still complicated; illegal logging is mainly concentrated in natural forests, border areas, border areas, nature reserves, and special-use forests. In particular, recently, in some mountainous districts such as Thanh Chuong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, etc., there has been a situation of "forest bandits" brazenly destroying forests for timber. What is worrying is that in some areas where forests are being destroyed, there are functional forces stationed and guarded day and night.

Faced with this situation, the authorities promptly advised the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee to issue a decision to establish inspection teams in localities where deforestation occurred, and assigned relevant agencies to strictly handle units, localities and cadres who showed negative signs, failed to fulfill their duties, and allowed forests to be illegally exploited. The province's guiding viewpoint is to strictly handle violations, regardless of who committed them. The recent prosecution of 3 cases with 12 defendants, including 1 cadre; disciplinary action against 5 cadres has demonstrated the province's resolute attitude towards cadres who violate the field of forest management and protection.

PV:Dear comrade, to direct agencies and units in charge of forest management and protection to effectively carry out their tasks, we must closely grasp the actual situation. So what methods does the Internal Affairs Committee have to do this?

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong:The monitoring, management, protection and development of forest resources has been identified by the Internal Affairs Committee as one of its key tasks. In recent times, the Committee has focused on urging sectors and localities to regularly report monthly on the implementation of their tasks; in addition, through the channels of the Internal Affairs Bloc's meeting; reflections from the press, public opinion... it has assigned staff to directly grasp the situation in key areas.

Nghe An Electronic Newspaper reporter recorded the scene of deforestation at Pu Huong - Tuong Duong Nature Reserve.

In 2015, the staff of the board went to verify and participate in the interdisciplinary inspection team to inspect deforestation cases in Pu Hoat Nature Reserve and deforestation cases in Quang Phong commune; forest fires in Nam Dan, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, Hung Nguyen, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong districts. In addition, many cases that arose quickly and accurately, such as the illegal transportation of timber across the border in Nong 1 and 2 villages in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, etc.

For issues that arise under the jurisdiction of the sector and locality, the committee immediately discussed them so that the units and localities can take the initiative. For complicated cases, the committee reported to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee for timely and decisive direction, especially so that the relevant sectors can coordinate closely with each other for effectiveness.

PV:Forested areas are often remote areas. There, a large number of ethnic minorities have their lives closely linked to the forest, but their awareness of forest protection is still limited. This has made forest management and protection more difficult. So what solutions does the Internal Affairs Committee have to help localities with forests and agencies and units with forest management and protection functions perform their tasks better and better?

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong: The Internal Affairs Committee has proactively advised the Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Committee to focus on leading and directing functional branches, Party committees and local authorities to focus on a number of specific solutions.

Defendants in the trial of the deforestation case in Que Phong.

Firstly, strengthen the dissemination of the State's policies and laws on forest management and protection to people in remote areas and ethnic minority areas so that people can grasp and raise their awareness and consciousness of forest development, management and protection.

Second, pay attention to developing the forest economy to improve people's lives, in which, prioritize investment in building infrastructure, supporting economic development models, opening vocational training classes on forest planting, improving household economic management capacity for people, creating close connections between 4 houses (managers, entrepreneurs, scientists and farmers) to create output for agricultural and forestry products...

Third, there are appropriate support policies for people in localities with forests, especially in remote areas, such as support for seedlings, loans, forest protection contracts, and rice subsidies for reforestation to replace slash-and-burn farming...; creating for people the habit of using alternative products to traditional products that have long been taken from forests, while creating sustainable development in terms of both environmental ecology and economy, helping people benefit from forests in a long-term and scientific way.

Fourth, it is necessary to closely combine national defense and security with socio-economic development. This is a very important content to concretize the Party's guidelines and policies. In particular, clearly define the responsibilities of relevant levels, sectors and agencies; focus on promoting the development of afforestation with sedentarization, settlement, building solid political bases in mountainous and border areas...; closely combine the army and people to effectively exploit the potential of land and forests, to develop diverse sectors in agriculture, forestry and fishery towards industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

Fifth, focus on inspection and control work, promptly grasp and process information, detect and combat acts of deforestation, exploitation, illegal trading and transportation of forest products.

Developing, managing and protecting forests not only has immediate benefits but is also a long-term socio-economic development strategy. Therefore, this is not the task of any individual. Finally, I would like to affirm that no matter how many cases of illegal trading and transportation of forest products we increase inspection and control, or how many violators we handle, if forest trees continue to be cut down, forest protection will be meaningless. This means protecting the forest at the root.

PV:Thank you comrade!