Preserving rare rosewood populations throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Dak Uy Special-Use Forest Management Board (Quang Ngai province) manages 538.38 hectares of special-use forest, which includes particularly rare and valuable tree species that are being strictly conserved and protected.

Officials from the Dak Uy Special Forest Management Board patrol and inspect the cypress forest during Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Du Toan/TTXVN.

These are Dalbergia tonkinensis trees, with approximately over 1,000 trees counted. During the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, the Board deployed officers to guard the forest protection shelters 24/7 to ensure that no violations of the Forestry Law occurred, especially concerning the rare Dalbergia tonkinensis population.
Mr. A Thoa, a forest protection and management officer at the Dak Uy Special Forest Management Board, has been working in the Dak Uy Special Forest for many years. Living in Duc Nong commune, more than 50km from the forest, Mr. A Thoa has spent the past eight years celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in the forest. In his makeshift hut, with intermittent phone signals, calling his family during Tet is difficult. Furthermore, due to the nature of his work, he frequently patrols and monitors the assigned forest area, especially the valuable rosewood trees.
“I miss my wife, my children, my family, and the Tet atmosphere with them so much, but I have been assigned the job, and I must fulfill my responsibilities completely and not be negligent. On some New Year's Eve nights, sitting in the hut and hearing the fireworks, I feel a pang of sadness, but then I encourage myself to try harder and strive, because my duty is to protect the forest and these precious rosewood trees,” Mr. A Thoa confided.

The population of Dalbergia tonkinensis trees is strictly protected in the Dak Uy Special Use Forest. Photo: Du Toan/TTXVN.

Without watermelon or sunflower seeds, Mr. Thoa uses the Kơ Nia seeds he collects while patrolling and protecting the forest to make a snack during Tet (Lunar New Year). Simply cracking the shells, extracting the kernels, and roasting them over a fire, he can enjoy this gift from the very forest he guards day and night. These things have become familiar to him over the past eight years.
As the head of the specialized forest management and protection station overseeing 17 forest protection outposts, Mr. Nguyen Van Trong has spent eight Tet holidays in the forest. His nhiệm vụ is to coordinate personnel to patrol and protect the forest in pre-determined areas. Especially during the Lunar New Year, forest patrols and protection must be even more rigorous. To enhance vigilance, each outpost has its own dogs, which serve as their "companions" during their duties.
“My family and I have accepted that, in this profession, you have to accept and carry out the tasks assigned by the unit. In the early years, I was also bewildered and homesick, but over time, being on duty protecting the forest during Tet has become a habit. We often joke that during Tet, in the forest shelters, the forest management and protection officers can only talk to the dogs they keep to accompany them on patrol. Although it's a little sad, the ultimate goal is still to complete the task well,” Mr. Nguyen Van Trong confided.
According to Mr. Tran Thanh Tam, Deputy Director of the Dak Uy Special Forest Management Board, the entire forest area has 28 people on duty to manage and protect the forest during the Lunar New Year; of which, the Dak Uy Special Forest Management Board has 10 people, 10 seconded forest rangers, and 8 people from other forest management boards in the western part of Quang Ngai province to support the Board in forest protection.
The Dak Uy Special Use Forest is characterized by its surrounding residential areas and the convenient transportation access via National Highway 14. However, this also poses significant risks and a high likelihood of violations of the Forestry Law within the area managed by the Management Board. In particular, because the forest contains the Dalbergia tonkinensis tree, a rare and valuable species, illegal logging is frequently exploited by individuals taking advantage of loopholes in law enforcement, especially during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year).

The rosewood trees that have fallen due to old age or strong winds and storms are also strictly protected. Photo: Du Toan/TTXVN

“Recognizing this problem, the unit's leadership pays close attention to forest management and protection during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year), regularly assigning teams to patrol and monitor in two layers, inner and outer, to detect early signs of encroachment, take timely and thorough measures, and resolutely prevent any individuals from entering and affecting forest resources. In addition, they deploy personnel to be on duty 24/7 at 17 guard huts and 6 forest guard houses to carry out their duties,” Mr. Tran Thanh Tam added.
Besides strengthening forest patrols and protection, the Dak Uy Special-Use Forest Management Board also promotes coordination with the Dak Mar commune government to organize awareness campaigns on forest protection for communities living near the forest. This helps local people understand the benefits of the forest in protecting water resources and prevents encroachment on forest land for agricultural purposes. Notably, the people have even referred to the Dak Uy Special-Use Forest as a "forbidden forest" to educate future generations in their villages and prevent violations of the Forestry Law within the forest.
“During Tet (Lunar New Year), everyone wants to return home to reunite with their families, but due to the nature of their work, forest protection officers and staff always uphold a high sense of responsibility. The leaders of the Dak Uy Special Forest Management Board also encourage officers to perform their duties during Tet, so that they can work with peace of mind, with the motto 'Completing the main task is the greatest gift to the family.' Thanks to good forest management and protection, even during the Lunar New Year, from 2017 to the present, no forest encroachment has occurred, and the Dak Uy Special Forest has not experienced any forest fires or violations of the Forestry Law,” Mr. Tran Thanh Tam emphasized.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/giu-gin-quan-the-trac-quy-hiem-xuyen-tet-20260219114813979.htm