Improving the effectiveness of forest environmental services.

Revenue from the forest environmental service payment policy is helping forest owners in the area sign contracts with specialized forces and delegate forest management and protection tasks to local communities.

Specialized forces from the Duy Xuyen - Hoi An - Dien Ban Forest Protection Team ( Da Nang Protective Forest Management Board) use SMART software in patrolling and protecting the forest. Photo: HO QUAN

Professional forest ranger team

The forest protection team in the Duy Xuyen - Hoi An - Dien Ban area ( thuộc Station No. 3, Da Nang Protective Forest Management Board) has 12 members. This is a specialized force with many years of experience working in various forest areas in the city, and they have been re-contracted and assigned work by the Da Nang Protective Forest Management Board after July 1, 2025.

This unit manages over 8,500 hectares of forest land, scattered across eight communes and wards: Duy Nghia, Duy Xuyen, Nam Phuoc, Thu Bon, Dien Ban Tay, Dien Ban Bac, Hoi An, and Hoi An Dong, with diverse forest ecosystems, bordering planted forests owned by local people. Mr. Tu Ngoc Tan, Head of the Forest Protection Team for the Duy Xuyen - Hoi An - Dien Ban area, said that since its establishment in early 2026, the team has analyzed the strengths of each member to arrange a suitable work schedule. Initial difficulties regarding manpower and geographical area have been gradually overcome through accumulated experience and the serious work ethic of the specialized force.

“The members have intensified patrols in the area, especially in remote and difficult-to-manage forest areas. Training and improved professional knowledge and skills, such as using SMART software, documenting incidents, and forest fire prevention and control, have helped to effectively protect the managed forest area, preventing forest and wildlife encroachment early and from afar,” Tấn shared.

Task force of the Da Nang Protective Forest Management Board patrols and protects the forest. Photo: HO QUAN

Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuoc, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Protective Forest Management Board, said that the unit's managed forest area covers more than 401,054 hectares, located in 76 communes and wards. Of this, the area of ​​natural forest providing forest environmental services is over 231,646 hectares. From the revenue generated from forest environmental services, the unit has signed contracts with 621 specialized personnel, assigned to work in 60 teams under 10 forest management and protection stations to protect 183,449 hectares; at the same time, it has contracted forest management and protection to 93 communities covering an area of ​​48,197 hectares.

“The specialized forces we have contracted have all demonstrated their capabilities through many years of work at forest management units in the city. The majority are young, dynamic, highly responsible, and wish to commit to long-term forest management and protection. In the past, these specialized forces have actively coordinated with contracted communities and local forest rangers to effectively manage the assigned forest areas, especially in disseminating information, gathering local intelligence, patrolling, cracking down on violations, and monitoring forest changes…”, Mr. Phuoc stated.

The task force at Song Thanh National Park "lives in the forest, sleeps in the mountains" to protect the forest. Photo: HO QUAN

Maximizing revenue generation

According to Mr. Ung Duy Ba, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Forest Protection and Development Fund, in 2025, the total revenue from forest environmental services in the city will exceed 306 billion VND, of which over 74.7 billion VND will be allocated from the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund, and nearly 231.7 billion VND will be collected domestically. The total amount spent will exceed 238 billion VND, with the majority (over 221 billion VND) going to forest environmental service providers, namely forest owners.

In the first months of 2026, the unit continued to collect over 57.4 billion VND from hydropower plants and facilities using surface water and groundwater for production and business purposes in the city. The area for which forest environmental service payments are made in Da Nang city is determined to be over 354,836 hectares.

At the Da Nang Special Forest Management Board, the area for providing forest environmental services covers more than 64,117 hectares. Of this, over 36,035 hectares are self-managed and protected; and over 28,082 hectares are contracted out to 17 communities and 19 household groups for forest protection. In 2025, the unit allocated over 32.1 billion VND for forest environmental services, using it appropriately for forest protection contracts and management, contributing to improved forest management and protection efficiency in the area.

Mr. Le Hoang Son, Director of the Da Nang Special Forest Management Board, said that from the forest environmental service payment source, the unit has strengthened resources for forest protection work in the forest area, contributing to increasing income, changing awareness, strengthening the responsibility of people, and creating positive motivation in protecting forest resources. At the same time, this is also a legitimate source of revenue for the Da Nang Special Forest Management Board to invest in repairing and upgrading the system of stations, checkpoints, and rest stops; supplementing equipment for work such as chainsaws, GPS devices, camera traps, smartphones, satellite phones, etc.

In addition, the unit also purchases essential equipment and supplies to ensure adequate living conditions for officials and employees, thereby contributing to improving their income and creating resources for sustainable development of the special-use forests under its management.

Mr. Tao Quy Tam, Deputy Director of the Song Thanh National Park Management Board, said that the area under the unit's management covered by forest environmental service payments is over 45,750 hectares. The unit maintains a dedicated forest protection force of over 200 people, of which approximately 80 are contracted to work with the revenue from forest environmental services. The majority of this dedicated force consists of local youth who are healthy, knowledgeable about the area, and play a crucial role in gathering information, disseminating knowledge, and raising community awareness about forest management and protection.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nang-cao-hieu-qua-dich-vu-moi-truong-rung-3336234.html