The cases of land encroachment and occupation in the 367-hectare area need a common “voice” from the local government, functional agencies and the units assigned to plant forests, to soon restore order here. At that time, the planted forests will gradually spread green across the barren hills not only in Song Binh but also to other localities of Bac Binh.
Origin of the 367-hectare grass-growing project
According to Decision No. 208/QD-CT of Binh Thuan People's Committee, dated January 30, 2004, signed by Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the certificate of forestry land use rights No. T 320261 was granted to Binh Thuan Forestry Company (name at that time) with an area of 1,575.662 hectares of planted forest in Luong Son commune, Bac Binh district; implementation period is 30 years (until 2034). Later, Bac Binh district adjusted the administrative boundaries, forming Song Binh commune, the entire forestry land area of Binh Thuan Forestry Company belongs to Song Binh commune. During these years, the forestry land was assigned for stable forest planting, without any disturbance.
To attract investment in potential areas, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 1160/UBND-KTN dated April 12, 2016, agreeing in principle for Thong Thuan Dairy Joint Stock Company (Thong Thuan Company) to carry out investment procedures for the grass planting, dairy and beef cattle raising project in Song Binh commune. Next, the Bac Binh District People's Committee issued Decision No. 448/QD-UBND dated February 15, 2017 to reclaim land for the grass planting, dairy and beef cattle raising project and the industrial cluster in Song Binh commune, assigning Thong Thuan Company to invest. Later, Document No. 237/UBND-SX dated February 21, 2020 of the district adjusted the above project's area from 479 hectares to 367.79 hectares. The entire project of more than 367 hectares is located within the area of Binh Thuan Forestry Company previously assigned by the Provincial People's Committee. Forestry Company has completed the procedures to hand over land to Thong Thuan Company to implement the project.
It is worth mentioning that in early 2017, when people heard the news that the 367-hectare area had been decided to reclaim land and hand it over to Thong Thuan Company, many people began to take action and clear the encroachment. In the face of the above situation, the Forestry Company coordinated with Thong Thuan Company to inspect, review, and measure the encroached area. Only 12.29 hectares of land had been taken action by new people, and the current status was still vacant land. The enterprise assigned to implement the 367-hectare project had cleared and planted grass. The encroachment of land in the 367-hectare project area occurred on a small scale a few years later, mainly households arbitrarily clearing natural shoots and bushes. Local units (Thong Thuan Company, Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise) coordinated with local authorities to promptly prevent violations, and no further incidents occurred.
Hand over land for forestation
In the developments related to the 367-hectare project, Vice Chairman of the Bac Binh District People's Committee Huynh Duy Khoi signed Decision No. 4047/QD-UBND (dated August 10, 2021) to cancel Decision No. 448/QD-UBND dated February 15, 2017 on land recovery for the investment project of grass planting, high-tech dairy and beef cattle farming in Song Binh commune. The reason is that at the time the district issued the decision to recover land for the grass planting, dairy and beef cattle farming project, there was no legal basis for implementation (effectiveness) according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 6, Decree No. 01/2017/ND-CP dated January 6, 2017 of the Government, and Clause 1, Article 13 of Circular No. 33/2017/TT-BTNMT dated September 29, 2017 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. According to Article 2 of the decision, the district assigned the Land Fund Development Center to coordinate with Song Binh commune to hand over this decision and return documents related to the land plot (if any) to Binh Thuan Forestry One Member Co., Ltd. The decision takes effect from the date of signing. However, according to Mr. Ha Viet Thanh, Director of Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise, "As of April 15, 2022, the enterprise as well as Binh Thuan Forestry One Member Co., Ltd. have not received Decision No. 4047 dated August 10, 2021 of the People's Committee of Bac Binh district!". Then, on April 26, 2022, a representative of the Bac Binh Land Fund Development Center went to Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise to hand over related documents and Decision No. 4047 to the unit. The delay in handing over this decision also affects the coordination work of protecting forestry land in the 367-hectare project area, which has been assigned to the Forestry Company for management and afforestation.
Bold encroachment on forest land
According to report No. 51, dated April 15, 2022 of the Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise, the encroachment of forest land has been complicated since mid-2021, with people rushing to destroy planted forests and illegally occupy land. The subjects took advantage of the thin management and protection force and the loose management organization of Thong Thuan Company in the past to organize people and hire workers to cut down eucalyptus forests, bring in mechanical vehicles to level and destroy planted forests, and illegally occupy land, an area of about 60 hectares. In particular, the subjects rented 20 hectares of cassava to households in Phan Thanh, Song Binh communes, and Luong Son town. After harvesting the cassava, they re-occupied the land. By April 2022, more than 184 hectares out of 367 hectares had been encroached and impacted by encroachment. During the process of forest protection forces of Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise performing their duties, they are often insulted, obstructed, challenged, mentally intimidated, and threatened by people encroaching on forest land; people encroaching on forest land deliberately commit illegal acts. Previously, two forest protection management staff (Vo Trong Nhut, Le Nhut Tan) entered the 367-hectare area to prevent illegal land encroachment and were beaten and injured by some subjects. Affected by the land encroachment, by the end of June this year, the enterprise had only planted 30 hectares of forest out of the company's plan to plant 250 hectares.
Solutions to prevent encroachment of forest land
Thus, currently, the 367-hectare area of Song Binh commune is owned by the owner: Binh Thuan Forestry Company. This managing unit assigns Bac Binh Thuan Forestry Enterprise to plant economic forests according to the annual plan, contributing to greening barren hills and bare land. However, in the face of encroachment, illegal transfer, and challenges to forest rangers by some local people, the forest planting unit needs active support from local authorities at all levels of Song Binh commune, Bac Binh district. Previously, the People's Committee of Song Binh commune issued Decision No. 100/QD-UBND, dated October 3, 2022, establishing an Inspection Team to coordinate in handling the land encroachment situation of Binh Thuan Forestry Company Limited, headed by a vice chairman of the commune People's Committee, with members including: land officials, commune military commander, deputy head of commune police, and commune agricultural officers. Official dispatch No. 706/UBND-NC signed by Chairman of Bac Binh District People's Committee Mai Van Vu on July 6, 2022, requested the Chairman of Song Binh Commune People's Committee to assign forces to coordinate with Binh Thuan Forestry Company to consolidate initial records for areas of encroachment, occupation, and land disputes where the subjects have been identified; on that basis, determine the acts of encroachment, occupation, or land disputes for handling according to the provisions of law. The district also requested the Forestry Company to issue a document identifying the time and area of encroachment to the District People's Committee so that the district can direct the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Police, the Branch of the Land Registration Office, and Song Binh Commune People's Committee to have a basis for appropriate handling. Bac Binh People's Committee warned that land encroachment of projects leased by the State is complicated in the communes of Song Binh, Phan Lam, Binh An, etc.
The cases of land encroachment and occupation in the 367-hectare area need a common “voice” from the local government, functional agencies and the units assigned to plant forests, to soon restore order here. At that time, the planted forests will gradually spread green across the barren hills not only in Song Binh but also to other localities of Bac Binh.
Lesson 1: Growing crops, illegally transferring on forest land
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