TUYEN QUANG: Tuyen Quang province has implemented robust mechanisms and policies to effectively harness the potential of its forests. These initiatives have garnered strong support from the local community, leading to improved forest management, protection and development.
As a result, forest growers’ livelihoods have been enhanced, and their bond with the forests strengthened. This integration of forestry development with other economic sectors has bolstered the province’s socio-economic progress.
With 448,000 ha of forestry land, constituting 76% of its natural land area, Tuyen Quang ranks third nationally in forest coverage, at over 65.21%.
Key strategies such as forest allocation, the adoption of technology for management and heightened awareness campaigns against illegal logging have been instrumental in promoting sustainable forest management.
Mai Thi Hoan, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted the successful implementation of a government decree which links forest protection and development with sustainable poverty reduction policies.
From 2016 to 2020, over 85,000 ha of natural and protective forests were allocated to 4,104 households of ethnic minorities, with a total support fund exceeding 132 billion dong.
This policy has curbed forest violations, raised awareness and responsibility on forest protection, and provided additional income for locals.
Some success stories linked to this decree include Dang Huu Minh of the Dao ethnic group in Chap village, Trung Son Commune, Yen Son District.
Minh has actively participated in forest protection allocation for nearly a decade.
He and his fellow allocated households have formed patrols to effectively monitor the forest. Minh patrols the forest two to three times per week, utilising his deep knowledge of the area to navigate and assess its condition.
A neighbour of Minh, Dang Phuc Hoang, also has four years of experience in forest protection, managing 24 ha of forest in Trung Son, boasting pristine conditions and abundant valuable plant species like agarwood, rattan and Dalbergia odorifera.
Hoang also added that forest protection efforts have ensured secure water sources for local activities and agricultural production, replacing the need for pumping water from the river.
According to Chau Xuan Chuc, chief of Kim Quan Forest Ranger Station of Yen Son Forest Ranger Unit, his station manages over 5,250 ha of forest in Trung Son and Kim Quan Communes, Yen Son District, as well as overseeing 914 ha of allocated forest protection areas involving 251 households.
The allocation has heightened local responsibility, turning residents into vital informants and collaborators with forest ranger forces.
This has led to effective management, with no forest fires or illegal logging incidents recorded in recent years.
To improve management efficiency and effectively monitor forest resources, Tuyen Quang Province’s forest ranger forces have embraced information technology applications. — Viet Nam News/ANN
