Preserving the precious green color of the forest

With a total area of ​​over 671,596 hectares and a coverage of 47.6%, the forests in Son La are like “green lungs” that regulate the climate, protect water sources for daily life and production, generate revenue from forest environmental services and are a source of livelihood for ethnic minorities in the province. The silent efforts of the Forest Rangers, functional forces, local authorities and people have been keeping the forests green.

Forest rangers from the Thuan Chau Special-Use Protective Forest Management Board and the Nhop Village Forest Protection Team, Nam Lau Commune, inspected the forest in the area.

In recent years, the number of violations of the Forestry Law has decreased, showing that the community's awareness of the role and importance of forests is increasing and there is a sense of forest protection. However, due to population pressure, the demand for residential land and production land is increasing, the lives of people in remote areas are still difficult, and the production practices of a part of ethnic minorities, there is still a situation of clearing into forests, even burning forests to get land for production. On the other hand, due to the profit from illegal logging, subjects ignore the law and encroach on forests. The consequences are negative impacts on the ecological environment, reducing water resources, increasing the risk of landslides and biodiversity imbalance.

Entering this year's coffee harvest, the purchase price is at a record high, along with the joy of a good harvest and good price is the worry of encroachment on forest land for coffee cultivation. Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Huy Tuan, Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, shared: The Forest Protection Force has been stepping up propaganda, combined with patrolling and inspection, promptly detecting and strictly handling violations of the Forestry Law. The unit calls on people to absolutely not clear or encroach on forests to grow coffee or other agricultural crops. Focus on intensive cultivation of existing areas to improve productivity and quality, instead of expanding areas at all costs. Advise local authorities and forest protection groups and teams to increase patrolling, inspection, detection and strict handling of violations. Mobilize the participation of mass organizations, village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people to actively propagate and mobilize people to join hands in protecting the forests, not letting the "coffee fever" sweep away the precious green color of the forests.

In Nhop village, Nam Lau commune, this crop yielded over 35 hectares of coffee, with high prices, bringing joy to most households in the village. In addition, 735 hectares of forest in the village have always been well managed and protected, preventing encroachment on forest land for farming. Because in addition to the benefits of a sustainable ecological environment, the forest also brings the village more than 400 million VND in forest environmental service fees every year. Mr. Luong Van Binh, Party cell secretary and head of Nhop village, shared: Forest environmental service fees are the main resource for investing in construction of works serving the people in the village and for forest protection work. The village has spent more than 800 million VND in forest environmental service fees to invest in building cultural houses, buying materials to make concrete roads within the village and supporting the village forest protection team with a rate of 200,000 VND/person/day of patrol.

Pung village forest management and protection team, Chieng Sinh ward, inspects forests in the area.

Determining that the task of forest protection must be regular, persistent, and long-term, the Forest Ranger force has strengthened coordination with local departments, branches, socio-political organizations, and grassroots authorities to propagate the Forestry Law; mobilize people living near forests to constantly raise awareness and responsibility in forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting (PF&F); guide the development of regulations and conventions on forest protection to each group, village, residential area, and swidden production according to prescribed boundaries, and well implement PCCCR measures. Since the beginning of the year, the Forest Ranger force has coordinated with grassroots authorities to open 861 propaganda sessions in communes and villages with 62,144 listeners. Coordinated with press agencies and the Center for Cultural Communication at the grassroots level to build and broadcast columns on forest protection and PCCCR. In addition, the grassroots loudspeaker system has also been promoted; Organize mobile propaganda using loudspeakers in the areas in 3 languages ​​(Kinh, Thai, Mong).

Every year, the Provincial Forest Protection Department advises the Department of Agriculture and Environment to submit to the Provincial People's Committee for direction to strengthen forest management and protection measures and forest fire prevention and control. Directs affiliated units, Management Boards of special-use forests, protection forests, and nature reserves to strengthen protection and forest fire prevention and control. Advises local authorities and guides forest owners to develop and implement forest protection and forest fire prevention and control plans according to the "4 on-site" motto. Strengthen community forest protection teams in all villages and sub-regions with forests, with each team having 20-40 members. Strengthen local forest rangers, coordinate with local authorities and forest owners to organize patrols and inspections, promptly detect, prevent and strictly handle violations of the Forestry Law. Since the beginning of the year, the provincial Forest Protection force has inspected, detected, and recorded 209 violations in the forestry sector (a decrease of 62 cases compared to the same period in 2024). Decided to handle 202 administrative violations of illegal deforestation, illegal forest exploitation, violations of regulations on forest fire prevention and fighting, causing forest fires, illegal transportation of forest products, illegal storage of forest products, violations of regulations on forest product records in transportation, trading, storage, and processing of forest products. Criminally prosecuted 7 cases of forest destruction. Total confiscated forest products were 17.96 m3 ^of various types of wood. Total amount of money collected for the state budget was more than 2.8 billion VND.

The forest management and protection team of Bay village, Chieng La commune inspects the forest in the area.

The Forest Protection Department of Region X (Van Ho area) manages forests in a large area, adjacent to Phu Tho province. People's lives in many places are still difficult, customs and practices of slash-and-burn farming, and awareness of a part of the people are still limited, so deforestation for farming, encroachment on forestry land, illegal exploitation, trading and transportation of forest products still occur. However, thanks to the synchronous implementation of measures, more than 30,460 hectares of forest in the area are well protected, with forest cover reaching 53%.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hung Chien, Deputy Head of the Forest Protection Department of Region X, the unit has strengthened management and protection of the remaining forest area; prevented and minimized deforestation for farming, illegal exploitation, purchase, sale, transportation of forest products, and illegal hunting of wild animals; minimized forest fires and damage caused by forest fires in the area. Since the beginning of the year, the unit has organized 19 oral propaganda sessions in communes and villages with over 1,089 participants. Detected and handled 8 cases of violations of the law on illegal deforestation, illegal exploitation of forest products, and forest fire prevention and fighting. Administrative sanctions were imposed on 8 cases, with a total fine of 167 million VND.

With synchronous solutions, the participation of the entire political system, the cooperation of each citizen, promoting the core role of the Forest Ranger force, the work of protection and fire prevention and control is always focused on and effectively implemented, contributing to protecting the "green lung" - an important foundation for green and sustainable development.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/xa-hoi/giu-mau-xanh-quy-gia-cua-rung-OOy35rRDg.html