Protecting protective forest resources associated with improving the quality of planted forests

People of Luan Khe commune (Thuong Xuan) take care of yam plants.

Joining us to visit forests in communes such as Luong Son, Yen Nhan, Luan Thanh (Thuong Xuan),... in early May 2025, Mr. Le The Su, Director of the Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board (BQLRPH) and some board officials, shared: The forest area assigned to the board to manage, protect and use is 13,214.14 hectares, of which 10,121 hectares are protective forests. To protect forests during the hot season, the board has developed a plan for forest protection management, forest fire prevention and fighting (PCCCR). Directing forest protection stations under the board to coordinate with local authorities and related units in the area to propagate policies, laws on forest protection and PCCCR to the people; inspect key forests, control subjects entering and leaving the forest during hot weather and sources of flammable materials in the area. Implementing the motto of “4 on-site”, the unit has annually purchased additional tools for fire prevention and fighting; assigned 24/7 duty during peak hot periods, cleared firebreaks, cleared vegetation and developed a plan to burn flammable materials in advance for fire prevention and fighting. Strengthened inspection, supervision and strict handling of violators of the Forestry Law.

To sustainably manage upstream protection forests, the Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board has assigned staff at affiliated forest protection stations to work with villages and hamlets to survey issues related to protection forest management; regularly patrol to protect the safety of forest areas and forest land assigned for management. Villages and hamlets with forests have coordinated well with forest owners and some subjects who often cut down forests and signed a commitment not to violate forest prohibitions. Although the management area is a key protection forest in Thuong Xuan district, with high hills and mountains, the terrain is fragmented, the average height is over 500m, the slope is steep, and traffic is difficult; the income of people in the area is still low, but thanks to good management, protection and forest fire prevention and control work in recent years and the first 4 months of 2025, there has been no illegal logging or forest fires.

To achieve the goal of safely protecting the assigned forest area, improving the efficiency of exploitation, sustainable use of land resources, forest resources and existing facilities and techniques; forming concentrated, intensive production forest planting areas, large-scale commercial forest products, linking forest planting with processing and forest product consumption markets, improving the efficiency of production and forest use, focusing on planting forests with high-quality forestry trees, tissue-cultured trees to increase income value for forest owners, every year, the Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board has provided technical guidance, production and supply of forestry seedlings and medicinal plants from 2 to 4 million seedlings of all kinds/year. Organizing households to receive contracts for forestry land to plant new and replant exploited forests according to regulations. To increase crop productivity, from 2021 to May 2025, the board has propagated and mobilized households to receive contracts to plant about 230 hectares of tissue-cultured acacia trees. Continue to propagate so that local people know the outstanding advantages of tissue cultured seedlings, mobilize forest owners to overcome difficulties and invest in expanding the planting area after exploitation with tissue cultured acacia to improve the quality of planted forests and increase income for forest owners. Plant forests on all bare land areas, plant rare medicinal plants under the forest canopy, contributing to increasing forest cover and increasing income for people.

Thuong Xuan Forest Management Board has developed and implemented the Project: "Application of science and technology to build a model for planting, processing and consuming some medicinal herbs such as Cat Sam and Hoai Son in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province". The implementation period is from 2020 to 2025. The goal of the project is to change the structure of low-value crops to high-value crops, increasing income and economic development for people. By May 2025, households participating in the project had planted 13 hectares of Hoai Son and 30 hectares of Cat Sam. Annually, the profit from planting Hoai Sam reaches 100 million VND/ha/year. Cat Sam has a cycle from planting to harvest of 5 to 6 years, the estimated income value is 8 times or more compared to planting Acacia trees on a unit area and planting time cycle. In 2025, households in need have invested their own capital to continue planting medicinal plants such as cat sam. Improve the quality of planted forests; develop medicinal plants under the forest canopy, protect the forest at the root, contribute to improving people's lives, and sustainably protect upstream protective forests.

Article and photos: Thu Hoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/bao-ve-tai-nguyen-rung-phong-ho-gan-voi-nang-cao-chat-luong-rung-trong-248280.htm