Impressions from the numbers
According to the Gia Lai Provincial Forest Protection Department, by 2025, the province aims to plant and restore 16,240 hectares of forest, including production, protection and special-use forests. By the end of September, Gia Lai had planted 8,520 hectares, reaching more than 52% of the yearly plan.
Along with that, 996,000 scattered trees were planted in residential areas, farms, and along inter-commune roads, contributing to increasing the province's forest cover to more than 45%.
Not only expanding the area, the province also focuses on improving the quality of forests by converting small timber plantations into large timber plantations with an area of 41.5 hectares, bringing the total area of large timber forests in the province to more than 10,290 hectares. This is a necessary step towards the goal of improving productivity, quality of plantations and increasing economic efficiency from sustainable timber exploitation and processing.
Along with that, the Program "Planting 1 billion new trees" in the period of 2021-2025 is being implemented synchronously, helping localities plant more than 3.4 million trees of all kinds.
According to Mr. Truong Thanh Ha - Deputy Head of the Gia Lai Provincial Forest Protection Department, in the last months of the year, the forestry sector will continue to direct localities to speed up the progress of forest planting; at the same time, strengthen inspection of seedling quality, fire prevention and fighting work and forest resource management.
"We not only aim to complete the area target but more importantly, ensure the quality of planted forests, creating a foundation for sustainable forestry development, linked to people's livelihoods," Mr. Ha affirmed.
In fact, in localities, the afforestation movement has spread widely, becoming a bright spot in socio-economic development. Many forestry socialization models have been formed, attracting the participation of businesses and communities; thereby creating more jobs and stable income for workers, while reducing pressure on natural forest exploitation.
One of the typical units is the North Sea Lake Protection Forest Management Board, which was assigned to plant nearly 112 hectares of concentrated forest. Right from the beginning of the rainy season, the unit proactively implemented the plan simultaneously; by August 2025, it had completed the entire assigned plan, ensuring technical standards and a high survival rate.
Mr. Nguyen Tat Thanh, Director of the Bac Bien Ho Protective Forest Management Board, said: "Afforestation work faces many difficulties due to steep terrain and slippery forest roads, making it difficult to transport seedlings.
Most of the work is still manual and lacks supporting equipment, but the unit has overcome this by organizing open bidding, selecting capable businesses, and mobilizing human resources from many places to ensure progress and quality.
At the community level, the movement of planting scattered trees is also taking place vigorously. In Ia Mo commune, one of the areas with the largest forest area in the province with nearly 24,000 hectares, people have planted more than 15,000 scattered trees, far exceeding the target of 11,000 trees assigned at the beginning of the year. However, when assigned an additional 22 hectares of concentrated forest after the merger, the implementation encountered many obstacles due to the changing weather.
Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Vice Chairman of Ia Mo Commune People's Committee - shared: "The soil here is not footed, it is soft in the rainy season and hard in the dry season. If planted during the long sunny season, the trees will have difficulty surviving, so we plan to postpone it to 2026 to ensure effectiveness."
According to the assessment of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, the progress of afforestation this year is slower than the same period mainly because most of the area is concentrated in the Eastern region and highlands, where people and businesses can only plant in the rainy season. It is expected that in the fourth quarter of 2025, when the weather is stable, localities will simultaneously accelerate afforestation to complete the planned targets.
Towards green value chain and sustainable development
Not only stopping at new planting, Gia Lai is strongly shifting to in-depth forestry development, focusing on quality, productivity and economic value of forests. The province has assigned the Forest Protection Department to preside over the development of the Large Timber Forest Planting Project for the period 2026-2030 to form a forest-processing-export value chain, combining carbon credit business, creating a stable and sustainable source of income.
According to Mr. Truong Thanh Ha, this orientation not only helps improve economic efficiency from planted forests but also creates a foundation for localities to develop green economies and adapt to climate change.
“Gia Lai aims to develop forests in an economic direction while maintaining their ecological role. The project for the period 2026-2030 will be the foundation for the province to form a sustainable forestry value chain, from seedlings, planting techniques, processing to consumption and export,” Mr. Ha emphasized.
Along with key forestry programs, many local businesses have proactively participated in linking large timber plantations, investing in deep processing technology, creating wood products that meet export standards. This is an important direction to help Gia Lai increase the value of planted forests, while opening up opportunities to access international markets with strict requirements on legal origin and sustainability certification.
These efforts are contributing to shaping a dynamic forestry picture in the province. Each new green forest not only has ecological significance but also symbolizes Gia Lai’s determination in the journey of sustainable development.
Every drop of sweat on the mountainside, every young tree taking root today is part of a long-term strategy to green bare land, inspiring faith in a green-clean-sustainable future for the Central Highlands.
With a systematic, scientific approach and the cooperation of the whole society, Gia Lai is making steady progress to achieve the goal of more than 16,000 hectares of new forest by 2025, paving the way for a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly forestry industry.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/gia-lai-tang-toc-trong-rung-huong-toi-muc-tieu-hon-16000-ha-trong-nam-2025-post569008.html
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