Awakening the potential of “green treasure”

Bac Kan is the province with the highest forest cover in the country.

Thanks to its rich forest resources, Bac Kan is emerging as a bright spot in the development of the wood processing industry. The province has the highest forest coverage rate in the country, a rapid rate of forestation and is strongly shifting from developing small timber forests to large timber forests with FSC certification.

This is a strategic step to create high-quality raw materials that meet export standards. In Thanh Binh Industrial Park - the first industrial park in the province, most businesses operate in the wood processing sector, forming a closed value chain from forest planting to product processing. Annual output of plywood, flooring and household wooden products reaches tens of thousands of cubic meters. At the same time, more than 200 billion VND has been invested in the forestry road system, helping to reduce exploitation and transportation costs and improve production efficiency.

About 3,000 hectares of planted forests in Cho Don district are being actively implemented by businesses to obtain FSC forest certification.

According to the Forest Protection Department, by 2024, the province's forested land area will reach nearly 400,000 hectares, of which natural forests account for over 264,000 hectares and planted forests account for over 130,000 hectares, making Bac Kan one of the provinces with the largest planted forest area in the country. Within the framework of the agricultural restructuring project for the 2020-2025 period, the province has determined to turn products from planted forests into a national key commodity.

Bac Kan's forest cover rate is currently over 73%, among the highest in the country, which is an important foundation for the orientation of green forestry development.

A typical example of this trend is the branch of Ke Go Bac Kan Company Limited in Thanh Binh Industrial Park, a pioneer in building a sustainable forest management profile, with the goal of granting FSC certification to about 3,000 hectares of acacia and fat forests in Dai Sao, Yen Phong, Yen My and Binh Trung communes (Cho Don). Mr. Trinh Duc Kien, Deputy Director of Ke Go Company Limited in Bac Kan said: “We want people to be able to sell wood at higher prices, while improving the quality of export products. To do that, the forest must have FSC certification.”

At the same time, Bac Kan is also seizing opportunities from the carbon credit market, a green economic trend that is growing strongly. With a diverse forest ecosystem capable of absorbing large amounts of CO ₂ , the province has every basis to participate in this market. From June to November 2024, the Hai Phong Logistics Association coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) to conduct a survey on the potential of carbon credits for the period 2025-2035. The results showed that the province could generate 6.7 - 8.5 million tons of CO ₂ from measures such as protecting natural forests, improving the productivity of planted forests, and zoning and regenerating forests... This is the basis for developing high-quality forest carbon credit programs, opening up new sources of income and contributing to improving people's livelihoods.

In addition to its economic potential, Bac Kan forests also possess great ecological and tourism value. The province has nearly 30,000 hectares of special-use forests, including areas such as Ba Be National Park (over 9,000 hectares), Kim Hy Nature Reserve (over 15,000 hectares), Nam Xuan Lac Species and Habitat Conservation Area (nearly 4,000 hectares)...

These forests not only have rare ecosystems but are also attractive destinations for ecotourism and resort development. The province has approved the Tourism Development Project in special-use forests and currently the Forest Management Boards are carrying out procedures for leasing forest environments according to regulations, combining conservation with economic development.

Bac Kan's planted forest wood has had its value enhanced through export processing.

“Forestry is a key industry of the province, exploiting about 350,000m3 of raw wood each year. To meet the export requirements to markets such as Europe and the US, FSC certification is a necessary condition. It is expected that by the end of 2025, the whole province will have about 20,000 hectares of planted forests with FSC certification,” said Mr. Trieu Duc Van, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.

With a strategic vision and specific policies, Bac Kan is gradually developing a green and sustainable forest economy. The province focuses on protecting natural forests, converting small timber plantations into large timber forests, promoting agroforestry models and encouraging the participation of businesses and communities. This is not only the right direction for economic development but also helps Bac Kan fulfill its international commitments on climate change and environmental protection./.

Quy Phuc - Phuong Thao

Source: https://baobackan.vn/danh-thuc-tiem-nang-kho-bau-xanh-post70071.html