Bac Me takes forest to protect forest

BHG - Payment for forest environmental services (PFES) is a policy to encourage individuals and organizations to protect and develop forests, improving people's livelihoods. Therefore, Bac Me district identifies this as an important solution to help maintain and develop forest resources sustainably.

In 2024, the total forest area providing forest environmental services in Bac Me district will be paid for forest environmental services (plan for 2023) over 42,425 hectares; the amount of forest environmental services paid is 3,783 million VND, of which: The Forest Protection and Development Fund will pay directly to 1,994 households, 128 communities, 59 groups of households assigned forests with a total payment of over 696 million VND; People's Committees of communes and towns will pay the communities receiving forest environmental services contracts 2,173 million VND; The Forest Protection Management Board will pay the area assigned for management with an amount of 913 million VND. Implementing the forest environmental services policy, Bac Me district will organize the dissemination and propaganda of the guiding documents of the Central Government and the province to all cadres, party members, people, communities, and forest owners to better understand the purpose and meaning of forest environmental services; Post and publicize payment plans in villages and residential areas; regularly check and monitor the purpose of using forest service money related to management and forest protection work to ensure publicity and transparency; expenditures from forest service money in residential communities are all held in meetings, agreed upon and mainly prioritized for forest protection, fire prevention and fighting...

Bac Me District Post Office staff pay for forest environmental services to people in Lac Nong commune.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuyen, Bac Buu village, Yen Dinh commune, said: My family has over 8.4 hectares of forest providing forest environmental services, the forest area paid for forest environmental services according to the conversion coefficient is 6.4 hectares; in 2024, my family was paid more than 670 thousand VND for forest environmental services, the amount is not large but is a source of encouragement and motivation to help my family as well as households in the village to provide better forest environmental services.

Comrade Pham Hung, Head of Bac Me Forest Protection Department, said: With the motto of "publicity, transparency, and correct subjects", the payment of forest environmental services in the district is carried out in accordance with the procedures and guidelines of the Central and the province on the implementation of the forest environmental service policy. Therefore, in recent years, no petitions, complaints, or denunciations have been recorded regarding the payment of forest environmental services. With the characteristics of a large area, complex terrain, and a small number of forest rangers and forest protection officers of forest management boards, payment of forest environmental services on time, to the right subjects, and in the right area greatly contributes to forest environmental protection work; timely prevention of violations of the law on forest environmental management; and the forest area is increasingly increased. In 2024, there will be no forest fires in the district; 14 command boards for forest environmental protection and forest fire prevention and fighting at the district, commune, and town levels will be maintained; Nearly 5,700 households signed a commitment to forest protection, fire prevention and fighting, and strive to achieve 65% forest coverage in the district by 2025.

Payment for forest environmental services is an effective solution to help protect and develop forests sustainably. Good implementation of this policy not only contributes to environmental protection but also improves the livelihoods of people and communities living near forests.

Article and photos: Hoang Tuyen

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/kinh-te/202503/bac-me-lay-rung-de-giu-rung-5bd3e23/