Striving to increase forest cover

Việt Nam•15/09/2023

With the goal of achieving a forest cover rate of 49% by 2025, the province has implemented many solutions to increase forest cover in the past period.

Our province currently has a total forest and forest land area of 200,392.80 hectares, of which 160,423.64 hectares are forested land and 39,969.26 hectares are non-forested land. In recent years, thanks to the attention and involvement of all levels and sectors, forest management and protection in the province have seen many positive changes; well-managed and protected forest resources have contributed to increasing forest cover. To achieve the goal of reaching 49% forest cover by 2025 as set out in the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) has set targets for the province's forest cover rate each year since the beginning of the term. Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has focused on planning forest land areas to serve the reforestation work in accordance with the set objectives. At the same time, it has directed forest management units and localities to strengthen forest management and protection, enclose and nurture natural forest regeneration and restoration, combined with supplementary planting; protect the ecological environment, protect watersheds, increase the water-generating capacity of forests and conserve biodiversity; and limit forest degradation and loss. It has also intensified the dissemination and education of forestry laws to raise awareness and responsibility among local authorities, forest management units, and the people in forest protection, forest development, and forest fire prevention and control. As a result, during the period 2021-2023, the entire province planted 1,712.94 hectares of new forest, protected and nurtured 9,021 hectares, and the forest cover rate of the province reached 47.11%, with an expected rate of 47.25% in 2023.

The forest management and protection force of Ma Noi commune (Ninh Son) regularly

Patrol the forest area under the unit's management.

As the managing unit for over 39,387 hectares of forest land (including 23,711 hectares of forest and 15,676 hectares of non-forested land), to improve forest management and protection and increase forest cover, the Song Sat - Song Trau Headwaters Protection Forest Management Board has focused on reforestation, caring for planted forests, and reforestation. Mr. Hoang Loc, Head of the Song Sat - Song Trau Headwaters Protection Forest Management Board, stated: To effectively implement forest management, protection, and reforestation, during the 2021-2023 period, the unit focused on planting 750 hectares of forest; caring for 630 hectares of planted forest; and reforesting 1,000 hectares. As a result, during the period 2021-2023, the unit's forest area increased from 23,711 hectares to 26,487 hectares, and the forest cover rate increased from 60% to 67%. The unit strives to increase the forest area to 29,100 hectares and the forest cover rate to 74% by 2025.

Although forest development in the province has seen many positive changes in recent years, a practical assessment shows that achieving the target of becoming a mature forest still faces many difficulties. These include a 3-5 year transition period from planting to maturity; the availability of land for reforestation in some units is limited; many reforestation areas are located in remote, inaccessible areas; investment resources for reforestation are limited; deforestation, illegal logging, and encroachment on forest land still occur; and the inventory, monitoring of forest resources, and integration of forest data are incomplete.

Comrade Tran Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: With the determination to strive to achieve a forest cover rate increase of 1.89% in the 2023-2025 period, in 2023 and the following years, the unit will focus on effectively implementing mechanisms and policies on sustainable forestry development. Review, assess, and update the area and targets for forestation of over 3,425 hectares of land with regenerating timber trees; investigate and assess land with regenerating timber trees and barren land with regenerating timber trees in the 2023-2025 period for reforestation with an area of 2,629.780 hectares. Focus on planting 2,817 hectares of new forest from now until 2025 and update the area of natural forest outside the three types of forest already approved by the Provincial People's Committee. Along with that, promote the application of science, technology, and engineering in selecting high-yield and high-quality varieties; Develop policies to support the planting of seedlings for reforestation; build intensive reforestation models; promote mechanization in the production, harvesting, and processing of forest products. Mobilize capital and resources to invest in forestry development from central and local programs, projects, and schemes, ODA funds, and other economic sectors; strive to achieve the forest cover target by 2025 as planned.

Tien Manh

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