Tam Duong District: Protecting forests from strict management and treatment of vegetation

Mr. Nguyen Tien Tai - Head of Tam Duong District Forest Protection Department said: “From the beginning of the 2024 - 2025 dry season, the unit has advised the Chairman of the District People's Committee to organize the signing of a commitment to protect, prevent and fight forest fires (PCCCR) with the Chairmen of the People's Committees of communes and towns. Strengthen the Protection and PCCCR Command Board from the district to the grassroots level; assign specific tasks to members of the specialized forest protection team in the villages. The Department has promoted propaganda and mobilized people and forest owners to strictly manage the clearing of firebreaks and the treatment of vegetation to effectively prevent forest fires".
Studying the reality in some communes such as Giang Ma, Ho Thau, Binh Lu, Son Binh, we learned that many forest areas are far from residential areas, traffic is difficult and dangerous; the current state of the forest is deciduous in the dry season, creating dry vegetation, posing a high risk of fire.
Meanwhile, the total forest area of the district is 33,901.72 hectares, including 32,724.35 hectares of natural forest, 1,177.37 hectares of planted forest, with a forest coverage rate of 50.84%. In 2024, there were 5 violations of forest fire prevention and control regulations in the district, including 4 cases of fires in unforested crops with a damaged area of 15.41 hectares and 1 case of fire under the forest canopy with an area of 0.77 hectares. The hot weather and dry vegetation cover are very flammable, causing forest fires. People have the habit of burning vegetation to make fields and plant forests, which increases the risk of fires spreading to the forest.

Officers of Tam Duong District Forest Protection Department and people of Ho Thau commune clear vegetation to prevent forest fires.

Faced with that situation, the District Forest Protection Department assigned cadres in charge of communes to propagate and mobilize people to plant, care for, guard and protect forests. Coordinate with agencies, units and localities to strengthen inspection and urge the implementation of vegetation clearance, forest regeneration and protection; strengthen patrols and guards, promptly detect and strictly handle violations of forestry laws.
With the motto of “prevention is the key”, forest owners have handled the ground cover safely and properly. People organized to clear firebreaks in areas at risk of fire sources, checked areas at high risk of fire to send forces on duty to handle. Members of the specialized forest protection team in the villages promptly handled information and incidents related to forest fires.
Thanks to that, in the dry season of 2024 - 2025, the communes and towns of the district will clear 39.89 hectares of white firebreaks in key forests with high risk of forest fires in some communes such as: Son Binh, Binh Lu, Ban Bo, Khun Ha...
Every year, Mr. Vang A Sinh's family in Huoi Ke village (Son Binh commune) earns over 4 million VND from paying for forest environmental services. This is the motivation for his family and the villagers to enhance their role and responsibility in managing and protecting the forest. Mr. Sinh confided: "During the dry season, my family actively participates with the villagers in clearing firebreaks in the village forest; doing a good job of forest protection and protection. In particular, I strictly follow the regulations on slash-and-burn; participate in patrolling, controlling, detecting and preventing illegal logging."
Thanks to enhanced management, protection, and fire prevention, Ho Thau commune has a total area of 2,839.5 hectares of forest. People have raised their awareness of participating in clearing and treating vegetation to minimize the risk of forest fires. Mr. Pham Hong Phu - Vice Chairman of Ho Thau Commune People's Committee said: "Every year in the dry season, the commune coordinates with the staff of the District Forest Protection Department to direct the villages to organize forest owners to handle vegetation, reduce combustible materials; clear firebreaks in key forest areas that are prone to fire; organize forces to be on duty 24/7 during prolonged hot days. The commune guides people to control the use of fire in areas near forests; proactively respond to forest fires with the motto "4 on-site", promptly handle forest fires when they first arise. For many years, there have been no forest fires in the commune; the forest coverage rate has reached over 65%; creating sustainable livelihoods for people from more than 2.5 billion VND in payments for forest environmental services".
According to forecasts, in the coming time, Tam Duong district will continue to experience prolonged drought. The district Forest Protection Department has determined that the work of vegetation treatment, forest management and protection must still be focused on. Therefore, it will continue to promote propaganda to raise awareness and responsibility in clearing firebreaks, protecting and preventing forest fires.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/kinh-te/huyen-tam-duong-bao-ve-rung-tu-quan-ly-chat-che-xu-ly-thuc-bi-715046