Increasing number of violations
On March 15, 2024, the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team coordinated with the Tuan Giao District Forest Ranger Department to patrol and control forest products in the area of National Highway 6, in Hang Tau village, Toa Tinh commune, and discovered a subject on a motorbike with suspicious signs of transporting forest products. The working group stopped the vehicle, and when the subject saw the working group, he immediately ran away, leaving behind his motorbike and 3 sacks. Upon inspection, the forest rangers discovered 10 round, chopped ironwood logs, group IIA, with a volume of 0.057m 3 inside the bag. The working group drew up a record and brought all the evidence and vehicles back for verification and clarification according to regulations.
This is just one of many cases of violations of forestry laws detected by the authorities. According to statistics from the Provincial Forest Protection Department, in 2023, the forest protection force detected 390 cases of forestry law violations, an increase of 32 cases compared to 2022, and handled 313 cases (269 administrative cases and 44 criminal cases); confiscated 138,395m3 of various types of wood. The total amount of fines and payment to the budget is 1.837 billion VND.
In the first quarter of 2024, the province detected 102 cases of violations of the Forestry Law, an increase of 39 cases (up 61.9%) compared to the same period in 2023. Of which, 82 cases of illegal deforestation (up 203%); 5 cases of illegal forest exploitation (up 25%); 2 cases of violations of regulations on protection of wild animals (up 100%); 1 case of violation of general regulations of the State on forest protection (up 100%). 59 cases were handled, an increase of 16 cases (up 37.209%).
Mr. Tran Duc Quyen, Deputy Head of Forest Protection Management Department (Forestry Sub-Department) said: The reason for the increase in the number of violations is that many people do not have stable jobs, their lives are difficult, so they illegally exploit forest products and encroach on forest land for farming. In addition, the economic value of forests is increasing, so some people secretly exploit them to sell for profit. On the other hand, due to limited awareness of some residents, they cannot clearly distinguish between forest types, so they encroach on land to grow forests. Meanwhile, the local forest rangers are thin, the forest area is large, so the detection of violations is sometimes not timely. Some local authorities are interested in and closely direct the work of forest protection and management.
Strictly handle violations
In order to limit violations of the Forestry Law, recently, the authorities have increased strict handling of violations (from administrative to criminal sanctions). Typically, in 2023, Mr. Ly Lo Lu, Ca La Pa 1 village, Leng Su Sin commune (Muong Nhe district) destroyed over 1,400m2 of production forest. Afterwards, Mr. Lu was administratively fined 20 million VND. Although his family's circumstances were still difficult, deforestation was illegal, so Mr. Lu complied and paid the administrative fine according to regulations.
A number of cases have been prosecuted and tried in mobile trials. Typically, on March 19, 2024, at the People's Committee of Ta Sin Thang commune (Tua Chua district), the Provincial People's Court held a mobile trial of the criminal appeal case on the charge of forest destruction against the defendants Giang A Chu (born in 1977) and Giang A Xa (born in 1980), both residing in Lang Sang village, Ta Sin Thang commune. Specifically, Giang A Chu and Giang A Xa destroyed 10,000m2 of forest (Chu destroyed 6,000m2 , Xa destroyed 4,000m2 ) belonging to the family's old fields that had been abandoned for 10 years, the trees had grown into forests and were planned as protective forests, and were paid for environmental services in Lang Sang village, Ta Sin Thang commune and Lau Cau Phinh village, Lao Xa Phinh commune. The jury sentenced each defendant to nine months in prison for forest destruction.
In addition to strict handling, recently the forest rangers have strengthened propaganda work, mobilizing people to manage and protect forests and detect and denounce forest encroachments. In the first quarter of 2024, the provincial forest rangers organized forest patrols with 1,396 rounds and 8,043 participants, focusing on areas at risk of deforestation, forest fires, and forest exploitation. Directed the Forest Ranger Departments to regularly propagate to households and individuals to raise people's awareness of forest management and protection; organized 382 propaganda sessions with 20,639 participants; propagated on loudspeakers 427 times with a total of more than 507 hours; organized for 17,614 people to sign a commitment to protect forests.
In the coming time, the Forest Protection Department will strengthen coordination with localities to disseminate laws to raise people's awareness of forest management and protection. At the same time, it will thoroughly handle detected violations of forest protection laws, ensuring the strictness of the law in forest management, protection and development.
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