The "green shields" to protect the forest

>> Mu Cang Chai strives to keep pine forests "green"

>> Mu Cang Chai strives to "cool down" the risk of forest fires

>> Mu Cang Chai preserves forests in the dry season

>> Mu Cang Chai strengthens handling of violations in the forestry sector

Mu Cang Chai district has over 60,000 hectares of natural forest. While the forest rangers and specialized forest protection officers are still quite small, promoting the role of forest protection mass teams in villages and hamlets is important. They are considered the "extended arm" of the local government and forest owners in management and forest protection. In villages and hamlets, forest protection shock teams are elected by the people themselves.

Coming to Mu Cang Chai today, we were amazed by the transformation of this place because of the well-invested infrastructure and beautiful villages. In particular, the vast green forests stretching across the district act as "green lungs" that create fresh air and bring many benefits to the people.

Among the vast primeval forests in Mu Cang Chai, there are people who silently stick to the forest day and night, protecting the forest. They are members of the BVR shock team at the grassroots level - the silent but extremely important "green shields" in management and BVR.

To prevent forest fires, especially during dry weather, households in Hang Cuon Rua village, De Xu Phinh commune, together with the village's Forest Protection Team and officers from the Mu Cang Chai District Forest Protection Management Board, have organized inspections of areas at risk of forest fires. This is a regular activity to raise people's awareness of forest protection as well as limit forest encroachment.

Hang Cuon Rua Village, De Xu Phinh Commune has 95 households. The village is contracted to protect over 395 hectares of various types of forest. To effectively carry out forest protection, the village has established a forest protection shock team with 15 members. The team regularly coordinates with the forest owner, the Mu Cang Chai District Forest Protection Management Board, and the people in the village to patrol and inspect the forest area, especially during the dry season. Thereby, the village's forest protection shock team promptly detects and prevents acts that may harm the forest, such as deforestation, encroachment on the forest for slash-and-burn farming, and illegal exploitation of forest products. Thanks to that, the forest area of the village has not had a forest fire for many years.

Mr. Ly Bua Sang - Head of the Forest Protection Team of Hang Cuon Rua village said: "The Forest Protection Team regularly propagates to raise people's awareness of forest protection. By the end of the year (around December), the team mobilizes people to distribute fire-stopping tapes. In particular, the Forest Protection Team requires each person to patrol one day, 15 people for 15 days, then repeat as before. The time to carry out the task is mainly from January to June when the rainy season begins. In addition, the Forest Protection Team also propagates to children and people not to bring fire into the forest and not to illegally exploit wood; focus on forest protection to have drinking water and production water, and at the same time receive payment for forest environmental services (DVMTR)".

Currently, the Mu Cang Chai District Forest Protection Management Board manages over 54,000 hectares of protective forests and production forests in Mu Cang Chai District and two communes of Nam Bung and Nam Lanh in Van Chan District; of which, Mu Cang Chai District alone has over 48,000 hectares. In 2023, the Management Board paid over 251 million VND in forest environmental services to 93 households.

To protect the forest area well, the District Forest Protection Management Board has organized the signing of forest protection contracts with 105 contract owners with 13,068 households participating in forest protection; signed forest protection commitment to villages and contract owners; repaired and renewed propaganda boards, fire-break lines, and plot boundaries.

In addition, the Mu Cang Chai District Forest Protection Management Board also closely coordinates with the District Forest Protection Department and local authorities to focus on implementing drastic and synchronous measures and solutions for forest management, protection, development, and fire prevention and fighting. In addition to patrolling, the shock team is also present promptly when there are signs of forest fires, encroachment on forest land, or illegal logging.

With the motto of prevention as the main, the work of forest protection and development management has had positive changes, helping to significantly reduce the number of forest violations in the area. Mr. Nguyen Anh Phuong - Deputy Director of the Mu Cang Chai District Forest Protection Management Board said that the Board coordinated with localities to effectively implement management, forest protection, replacement forest planting, and payment for forest environmental services associated with creating livelihoods and increasing income for people in forested areas. At the same time, the Board coordinated with communes to establish shock troops to work with the people to do a good job of protecting, caring for and developing forests. Every year, the Management Board regularly advises the People's Committees of communes to improve the shock troops of villages and hamlets for forest protection. Over the years, this has been shown to be the core force participating in patrolling and propagating forest protection to households. Forest protection and development has contributed to raising people's awareness of forest protection, helping people to be attached to the forest.

In the coming time, Mu Cang Chai district will continue to integrate support programs for forestry development, especially forest protection; continue to mobilize households to participate in forest area allocation, attaching the responsibility of each individual and organization in preserving and protecting the existing forest area.

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/350661/Nhung-la-chan-xanh-giu-rung.aspx