Preserve the green of the forest.

Báo Lào Cai•20/05/2023

Born and raised in the Bắc Hà plateau, a land of vast green forests and majestic mountains, Giàng Văn Hải, a member of the Hmong ethnic group, has had a special love for forests since childhood. While still in school, during an encounter with forest rangers promoting forest protection, he nurtured the dream of becoming a professional forest ranger.

After graduating from university in 2007 and holding various jobs, in 2012, Mr. Hai began working at the Bac Ha District Forest Management Unit. Following his dedication, from 2015 to the present, he has been the Head of the Ban Lien Commune Forest Management Station, responsible for five communes: Ban Lien, Nam Khanh, Na Hoi, Ta Chai, and Thai Giang Pho. This area boasts a large forest and forestry land area of over 7,500 hectares (accounting for one-quarter of the district's total forest area). Because the local people live near the forest and their livelihoods depend on it, there have been instances of illegal hunting, logging, and encroachment on forest land for farming. Mr. Hai has always been concerned about finding solutions to address this situation.

He collaborated with officers in his unit to strengthen forest patrols and surveillance, applying science and technology to monitor forest resource changes and provide early warning of forest fires. Outside of working hours, on weekends, he spent time working in the fields with the villagers, attending village meetings to understand their thoughts and aspirations, and promoting forest development and protection. As a result, the people increasingly understood the role and value of forests and joined hands in protecting them.

Mr. Vang A Cheng, head of Pac Ke village, Ban Lien commune, said: "Previously, villagers rushed into the forest to cut down trees and collect firewood for use or sale. At that time, water for production was scarce, and rice and corn crops were either harvested one year or failed the next. During the dry season, there was little water for daily use, and people had to go to the mountain streams to fetch water in cans. Later, thanks to the commune officials and the Hai Forestry Department's propaganda about the benefits of preserving the forest—protecting the water source and the living environment—the villagers stopped cutting down trees."

Pac Ke village has over 200 hectares of protected forest. This is a natural protected forest with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The village's forest protection team, with 25 members, is divided into 4 groups that take turns patrolling the forest. According to the plan, each group patrols 4 times a month, and in case of emergencies, they will patrol together with local forest rangers. Thanks to this, the forests here remain lush and green…

Upon arriving in Nam Xe commune (Van Ban district), we were struck by the majestic beauty of the special-use forests of the Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve. Surprisingly, whenever someone inquired about Mr. Lo Van Toan, the head of the Nam Mu and Khau Co forest gate ranger station, the locals enthusiastically introduced him, saying, "Officer Toan is a son of Nam Xe!"

If you met him for the first time, you'd think Toản was a native. From his gestures and accent to his way of life, he's exactly like a local. Looking towards the forest, Toản confided: "When I first arrived, I spent a whole month going to the villages, staying with local families, sharing rice to cook meals, and climbing hills with them to plant corn and rice to learn their language, so I could spread awareness about forest protection..."

Mr. Toan is of the Thai ethnic group, born and raised in Lai Chau province. After graduating from university, he was assigned to the Bat Xat District Forest Protection Unit, then transferred to the Provincial Forest Protection Department. In 2019, he was assigned to the Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve and given the responsibility of Head of the Nam Mu Forest Gate Ranger Station, Khau Co.

This is a crucial special-use forest area of Van Ban district and the province, preserving many rare and endemic plant and animal genetic resources, including many valuable trees hundreds of years old. Ancient forests surround the villages and hamlets. The deeper you go into the forest, the more you see its preciousness and beauty, but making the people understand why they need to preserve it is a difficult task, because the awareness of many people is still limited. Many years ago, Nam Xe was a "hot spot" for logging, and at that time, the people depended on the forest for their livelihood.

Another challenge in protecting the forest in Nam Xe is its vast area of 15,341 hectares, bordering several communes in the district such as Nam Xay and Minh Luong, as well as neighboring provinces like Muong Than commune in Than Uyen district (Lai Chau province) and Che Cu Nha commune in Mu Cang Chai district ( Yen Bai province ). This poses numerous risks to forest fire prevention and control, as well as the conservation of valuable timber trees and wildlife. To make forest protection more effective, since mid-2021, the station has established four checkpoints at strategic locations along the forest access routes and cardamom cultivation areas of the people in Nam Xe commune and Than Uyen district (Lai Chau province), thereby controlling almost all people entering and leaving the forest.

Mr. Toan said: After taking up my post in Nam Xe commune for a while, I noticed that many poor and near-poor households live in villages near the forest. The awareness of forest protection among some people is limited, making them easily exploited and incited by unscrupulous individuals to illegally exploit timber in the forest. The forest area is not concentrated but spread out, bordering many communes in the district and communes in Lai Chau and Yen Bai provinces, making forest management and protection very difficult. To preserve the forest, the indigenous people are the most important force; therefore, we must find ways to encourage their voluntary participation in forest conservation. But to harness that strength, we must first help the people have a prosperous life.

Putting words into action, Mr. Toan persistently went to each household to encourage people to use hybrid corn and rice varieties in production. He also encouraged people to convert unproductive corn fields into production forests. He guided people in preparing the land, purchasing cinnamon seedlings for planting, and instructing them on how to care for the trees and control pests and diseases. To date, people in the commune have planted more than 100 hectares of cinnamon, promising a sustainable income.

Speaking with us, Mr. Trieu Trung Phau, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Xe commune and a respected figure in the locality, said: Nam Xe is changing every day. The people have learned to preserve and protect the forest as their common home. Images of people entering the forest to cut down trees, collect firewood, and burn fields have almost disappeared. These changes are largely due to the contributions of forest ranger Lo Van Toan.