Preserve the border forests.

- With border forests accounting for over 50% of the province's total forest area, the Lang Son Provincial Forest Protection Department has proactively established a regional and inter-provincial coordination network. This close cooperation not only effectively prevents forest encroachment but also creates a sustainable "shield" for green resources.

Forest rangers in Dinh Lap area, in coordination with Thai Binh commune police, patrolled the border forest area.

Border areas are always considered "sensitive" zones, posing many risks of violations of forestry regulations due to their rugged terrain and overlapping administrative boundaries. To address this problem, forestry units in the province have proactively coordinated with neighboring localities.

The Dinh Lap Regional Forest Protection Unit is one of the units managing a large forest area with a total area of ​​over 85,000 hectares, of which approximately 15,000 hectares are border forests. Each year, the unit coordinates with forest protection units of neighboring provinces to conduct joint patrols. The unit also maintains regular contact and exchanges information on forestry matters with units managing and protecting border forests to effectively carry out forest fire prevention and control (FFPC) and avoid overlooking acts of forest encroachment.

Mr. Pham Cong Phong, Head of the Dinh Lap Area Forest Ranger Station, said: In 2025 alone, the unit conducted two inspections and patrols of the border forest areas with functional units and forest rangers from Son Dong commune ( Bac Ninh province) and the Area V Forest Ranger Station (Quang Ninh province). Currently, the station has also taken the lead in developing a coordination mechanism for forest management and protection, and forest fire prevention and control with the People's Committees of Chau Son, Dinh Lap, Thai Binh, and Kien Moc communes, and other units such as the Area IV Civil Defense Command, Bac Xa Border Guard Post, and Chi Lang Border Guard Post. As a result, no violations related to forestry have occurred in the border areas, and forest resources have been preserved.

In the Chi Lang area, the model of forest rangers closely monitoring the border forest areas has proven remarkably effective. Mr. Hoang Van Trung, a forest ranger in charge of Chi Lang commune (which borders Bac Ninh province), shared: "To effectively manage and protect the forest, I, as the officer directly in charge of the area, have coordinated with relevant forces to conduct regular inspections and patrols in the border area. This has contributed to improving the effectiveness of forest management and protection, and forest fire prevention and control. For many years, there have been no incidents of illegal logging or encroachment in the border forest area under my responsibility."

"The forest protection work in the border area has always been a priority for the sub-department, carried out in various forms, with the main focus being on effectively coordinating with functional agencies and forces inside and outside the province."

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung, Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department

According to data from the Provincial Forest Protection Department, the province currently has over 603,000 hectares of forest, of which more than 361,000 hectares (over 50%) are border forests located in 31 out of 65 communes and wards. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung, Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, emphasized: Border forests between localities and provinces are always identified as key areas with a high risk of violations of forestry laws. The rugged terrain and intertwined administrative boundaries make forest management and protection difficult. Therefore, the department always prioritizes forest protection in border areas through various means, with a focus on effectively coordinating with relevant agencies and forces inside and outside the province.

Specifically, the provincial forest protection force coordinates with the forest protection forces of Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang , Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh provinces and the Regional Forest Protection Sub-Department I (Quang Ninh province) in the management and protection of forests in the border area; regularly organizing inspections, patrols, exchanging information, and coordinating to prevent, apprehend, and handle acts of forest encroachment in the border area. In addition, the Forest Protection Sub-Department maintains and effectively implements the coordination regulations with functional units and forces in the province in the management and protection of forests, forest fire prevention and control, and the management and traceability of forest products within the province. In 2025 alone, the sub-department coordinated with functional units and forces inside and outside the province to conduct 40 inspections and patrols in the border area and detected and handled 10 cases of forest encroachment in the border area.

Besides patrolling and handling violations, the provincial forestry department also pays special attention to public awareness campaigns. Forestry stations have coordinated with local authorities to go down to the villages and hamlets in border areas to disseminate laws to people and forest owners. When community awareness is raised, each citizen will become a "eyes and ears" helping functional forces manage forests more effectively.

Protecting forests in border areas is not just the responsibility of one locality, but a shared responsibility of provinces with contiguous forest areas. When coordination is close and unified, these border forests will truly become a sustainable green belt, contributing to environmental protection, livelihood stability, and long-term socio-economic development. In the coming time, the Provincial Forest Protection Department will continue to strengthen coordination with forest protection departments of other provinces and functional forces to inspect and patrol forests, expanding effective cooperation models to contribute to sustainable forestry development.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/giu-rung-noi-giap-ranh-5077658.html