Ho Chi Minh City: Establishment of Con Dao National Park Special-use Forest Ranger Department

(NLDO) - The Con Dao National Park Special-Use Forest Ranger Department was established on the basis of receiving the original functions, tasks, and personnel from the Con Dao Forest Ranger Department.

The decision to establish the Con Dao National Park Special-Use Forest Ranger Unit helps restore full authority to the ranger force, meeting the requirements of resource management in the context of increasing conservation pressure.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a decision to establish the Con Dao National Park Special-Use Forest Ranger Unit, under the Con Dao National Park Management Board. The new unit was established on the basis of receiving the original functions, tasks and personnel from the Con Dao Forest Ranger Unit (Forestry Sub-Department, Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City) before, in order to enhance the effectiveness of management, protection of forests, biodiversity and marine resources in the conservation area of ​​special importance.

Con Dao National Park Special-use Forest Ranger Department, under the Con Dao National Park Management Board.

The Special Use Forest Ranger Unit has legal status, its headquarters is located on Ma Thien Lanh Street (Con Dao Special Zone). The unit is responsible for advising the National Park Management Board on forest protection, forest fire prevention and fighting, nature conservation, biodiversity and aquatic resources protection. At the same time, the Unit also supports the People's Committee of Con Dao Special Zone in managing forests outside the national park.

Regarding organization, the Director of the National Park Management Board is also the Head of the Department; the Department has 1 Deputy Head of the Department and 7 Ranger Stations: Co Dong, Hon Ba, Dam Tre, Dat Tham, Hon Bay Canh, Hon Tre Lon and Hon Cau. The stations patrol, protect forests and seas, check violations, handle acts of resource encroachment and coordinate with functional forces.

Forest rangers are the core force in conserving nature, biodiversity and protecting aquatic resources in Con Dao.

Previously, the Forest Protection Department of Con Dao National Park was established in 1993. In March 2025, the unit was merged into the Forest Protection Department of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (formerly) and renamed Con Dao Forest Protection Department. This caused the forest protection force to no longer have the authority to handle fisheries violations in the 14,000-hectare marine reserve and a shortage of patrol personnel on the small islands belonging to the 5,890-hectare forest conservation component of Con Dao.

Faced with urgent resource management requirements, the Con Dao National Park Management Board has developed a proposal to re-establish the Special-Use Forest Ranger Unit, a specialized force with full authority to protect forests and aquatic resources. At the same time, it has proposed to receive back previously handed-over equipment, vehicles and weapons to ensure the capacity to perform its tasks.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tp-hcm-thanh-lap-hat-kiem-lam-rung-dac-dung-vuon-quoc-gia-con-dao-196251130124908511.htm