Preserving the livelihoods of the village.

For generations, the Thai ethnic people in Tan Hiep village, Thanh Hoa commune, Nhu Xuan mountainous district ( Thanh Hoa province) have been closely connected to and considered the forest a precious source of livelihood. Therefore, preserving the forest is not only protecting national resources, but also preserving the "green breath" for future generations.

Mr. Luong Van Bay is well aware of his responsibility in protecting the forest. Photo: Nguyen Chung.

We traveled to the western part of Thanh Hoa province in the middle of a cold winter day. Mr. Luong Hong Tien's house in Tan Hiep village (Thanh Hoa commune, Nhu Xuan district) is hidden behind the forests. Although he is over 70 years old, Mr. Tien still looks strong and healthy. When he learned that we had come to learn about the village's forest conservation efforts, he couldn't hide his pride and enthusiasm, evident in his voice and eyes.

Mr. Tien recounted: From his childhood, his life has been intertwined with the forest. He still remembers the times he followed his father to chop firewood, pick bamboo shoots, and gather mushrooms. During the lean season, the forest provided for the villagers' needs, even when they were sick. Therefore, he and the people of Tan Hiep village have always been aware of the importance of protecting the forest. When the State began implementing the policy of contracting out forest protection, Mr. Tien was assigned to manage and protect over 40 hectares of natural forest in the area bordering Nghe An province. Back then, not only the villagers but even his wife and children called him "eccentric" for taking on the most difficult and remote forest area. But for him, it was different: "Forest protection is not just the responsibility of the authorities, but also the responsibility and love of every resident of Tan Hiep. And when you 'love' something, there's no need to calculate or haggle," Mr. Tien said.

Mr. Tien goes into the forest two or three times a month, each trip lasting 2-3 days. During bamboo shoot season, he often sets up a hut and stays in the forest for a whole week. Before each trip, he has to wake up very early, before the rooster crows. His supplies are simple: a small pot, rice, fish sauce, salt, peanuts, sesame seeds, and dried fish, enough for about 3 days in the forest... Each time he patrols, if he sees any signs of illegal logging or hunting, he immediately reports it to the authorities so that measures can be taken to prevent it. At the same time, he always takes every opportunity to educate the local people about how to uphold the spirit of responsibility in protecting the forest and not harming it.

Forest rangers like Mr. Tien fear the weather the most. During the dry season, the risk of forest fires is very high. He has to constantly stay close to the area, monitor the situation, and educate and remind people to raise their awareness of fire safety when entering the forest, thereby reducing the risk of forest fires.

Now, Mr. Tien is not only happy to see the vast, lush green forests, but also to have found a successor after his long and arduous journey. For Mr. Luong Van Bay, Mr. Tien's son, this is not only a responsibility but also a challenging task entrusted to him by his father. With a forest area of ​​over 40 hectares, he would find it difficult to manage without the experience passed down from previous generations.

"The State's responsibility and support for forest protectors motivates me to follow in my father's footsteps and continue my commitment to the forest," Mr. Bay shared. Recently, he received over 16 million VND from the State's support policies for forest protection. Previously, forest protectors only received support through policies on payments for forest protection contracts and forest environmental services. Now, forest protectors have an additional source of income from Government Decree 107/2022 dated December 28, 2022, on the pilot program for transferring emission reduction results and managing the financial aspects of agreed payments for greenhouse gas emission reductions in the North Central region (referred to as the ERPA program).

Having an additional source of income has helped Mr. Bay, as well as many other villagers in Tan Hiep hamlet, alleviate some of the difficulties in their lives and motivated them to protect the forest. Besides its economic significance, the new policy has also changed the community's perception of the value of forests. From providing non-timber forest products, forests now also play a role in environmental protection and mitigating climate change. This helps people better understand their role in preserving natural resources and the living environment.

Mr. Luong Van Duong, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Commune People's Committee, said: The commune has 787 hectares of natural forest. Of this, 625 hectares are managed and protected by 103 households; 162 hectares are managed by the Thanh Hoa Commune People's Committee. On average, each hectare of forest receives more than 130,000 VND under the ERPA program. Thus, annually, the people in the commune benefit from more than 81 million VND from the ERPA program, and the Commune People's Committee receives approximately 21 million VND.

"Although still in the pilot phase, the ERPA program has shown positive effects in forest protection, environmental protection, and job creation, increasing income for people living and working in the forest, especially ethnic minorities in mountainous areas. Thanks to this funding, it will contribute to improving the quality of life and reducing the poverty rate in these localities," Mr. Duong added.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/giu-nguon-song-cho-ban-lang-10296724.html