PM Asks Provinces to Investigate Deforestation Reports in Central Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked authorities of Dak Lak, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces to investigate and determine illegal deforestation activities in their areas, as reported by media. Earlier this month, the People and VOV online newspapers ran articles reporting the destruction of forests in parts of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and the central provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri. Deforestation is becoming “hot” in Dak Lak as the province enters the peak of its dry season, reports said. In Ea Sup District alone, local authorities discovered that illegal loggers had cut down hundreds of cubic meters of wood since the start of the year. More than 190 hectares of forest has been cut down, cleared and encroached upon since early 2016, the provincial forest management department said. In Quang Binh Province, many people were flocking to the forests, particularly in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, to get their hands on h??ng (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), a highly valued timber, VOV reported. In the past few months, the park’s forest rangers have detected and handled 15 cases of illegal deforestation and seized around one tonne of h??ng wood. In Quang Tri Province, several hectares of protected forests in Huong Hoa and Dak Rong districts have been exploited illegally since the end of 2016, the Nhan Dan newspaper said. Many old trees, with trunk diameters ranging from 40cm to 70cm, have been reportedly cut down. The logs were then sawed vertically, into short pieces and moved out of the forest by motorbike. Deforestation was going on despite the efforts of local authorities, the report said. The PM has instructed the people’s committees of these localities to inspect the reported cases and take strict actions against offenders. (VietnamNet Mar 18)