Focus on overcoming limitations and weaknesses in forest management, protection and development, ensuring the goal of maintaining a stable rate and improving the quality of forest coverage to 43% according to the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020 - 2025. At the same time, contributing to job creation, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, livelihood improvement, and ecological environment protection for sustainable development. This is one of the goals set by the Provincial People's Committee to implement Conclusion No. 61 - KL/TW and resolutions, directives, and action programs of the Central Government in recent times.
Forest protection profession - pressure and not enough to live on
The Executive Committee of the Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee has recognized the shortcomings and limitations in the forestry sector in the preliminary summary of 2 years of implementing Resolution 05-NQ/TU dated September 10, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee (term XIV). It mentioned the current unresolved bottleneck, which is that the specialized forest protection force (BVRCT) in forest owners in the past time was the core force, the frontline, directly attached to the forest, eating and sleeping with the forest, performing patrolling and BVR management tasks. This is also the team that confronts, fights, and suppresses violators of exploitation, transportation of forest products, deforestation, and encroachment on forestry land and forest land. However, the situation of forest rangers and specialized forest protection forces resigning or quitting their jobs, or transferring jobs is becoming more and more common. This reality is not happening now but has been happening for several years. Is it possible that the main reason for them is pressure and not being able to make a living from the forest protection profession?
To learn more about the forest rangers, we visited the Le Hong Phong Forest Protection Management Board (Bac Binh). This is considered a large, arid area with complex developments in forest land encroachment, so the burden of responsibility for those directly protecting the forest has increased many times over. Mr. Le Chau Thanh - Head of the Le Hong Phong Forest Protection Board, who understands the hardships of forest rangers in the area, shared: The Board is managing over 15,300 hectares of forest, including 23 sub-areas. The management area is mostly protective forest, with difficult terrain. Although there is no forest area bordering other provinces, it is an area with complex developments in forest land encroachment. These are border areas with many complex characteristics, including localities bordering residential areas, people's fields, and the sea.
Notably, the BVRCT force must work almost 24/7. Each BVRCT force must "shoulder" 500 - 700 hectares of forest, so even if they take a day off according to the regime, if the next day they discover deforestation, they risk facing criminal responsibility. Meanwhile, when discovering an incident, if the subject is not discovered, they must also bear the responsibility of being prosecuted.
In our unfinished story, Mr. Nguyen Tien Cong - Head of Le Hong Phong Forest Protection Station took advantage of a short break after a forest patrol to share more: Due to the large area and small force, it is difficult to manage. In addition, the support tools for the stations are only rudimentary, so when encountering aggressive subjects, it is very dangerous. During the work process, there were many cases of aggression and resistance. Mr. Cong proved: More than a year ago, during the night shift, he himself was attacked and injured by some subjects from outside the area.
Not to mention that due to the mountainous terrain, traveling by car is very difficult, mainly on foot. The living and accommodation of the BVRCT force is also extremely lacking, the forest protection posts have no electricity, water, phone signal and the distance to buy food and medicine from the station to the residential area is far away, inconvenient...
Knot
Based on the practical implementation of forest protection and fire prevention and fighting in 2023 and the first months of 2024, the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province believes that: Currently, a number of policies on forest protection, development and investment in supporting forestry infrastructure issued by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 38/2016/QD-TTg dated September 14, 2016 are no longer consistent with the Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 according to Decision No. 523/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2021 of the Prime Minister. For example, according to the regulations on the level of investment support for forest development, the current unit price is 300,000 VND/ha, each household is contracted no more than 30 ha, then in 1 year, each household only receives 9 million VND, which does not ensure the income of people contracted to protect forests. It is recommended that the Government consider issuing soon the "Decree on investment policy for forest protection and development, processing and trading of forest products" so that the policies on investment and forest development are comprehensive and unified; in which priority is given to allocating resources from the Central Government to support the components participating in planting, protecting and developing forests, especially in mountainous areas.
According to the Provincial People's Committee, the role of the specialized forest protection force is especially important. These are the people who directly stay at the base, stay at the forest to implement plans; directly patrol, control and protect the forest; prevent illegal forest intrusion; proactively plan forest fire prevention and fighting. However, according to the provisions of Decree No. 01/2019/ND-CP dated January 1, 2019 of the Government, they are only basically paid without additional support regimes that are truly appropriate to the nature of the job, which has greatly affected the psychology and working spirit of this force. Meanwhile, the situation of illegal loggers is becoming increasingly complicated. Forest encroachers act recklessly and boldly, and can use homemade weapons and guns to fight back and injure the patrol and forest protection forces to disperse forest products. Therefore, in addition to the forest protection solutions being implemented, we propose that the Prime Minister pay attention to directing the development of specific regimes and policies for the specialized forest protection force to ensure income. From there, it will certainly create motivation and peace of mind in the work of forest protection, so that their efforts and sacrifices are duly compensated.
As assessed by the Central Party Secretariat in Conclusion No. 61 - KL/TW on continuing to implement Directive No. 13 - CT/TW, dated January 12, 2017 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in forest management and protection: After more than 6 years of implementing Directive No. 13 - CT/TW, the awareness and responsibility of Party committees, authorities, Party committees, Party members and people in forest management, protection and development have had many positive changes. However, the results of implementing the Directive are still limited. In particular, the assessment emphasized that the policies on land allocation, forest allocation, and support for forest protection contracts are not consistent with the legitimate interests of those assigned and contracted. The lives of forest workers and people in forested areas still face many difficulties... According to the Central Party Secretariat, the above limitations are mainly due to inadequate awareness of the important position and role of forests and sustainable forestry development. Some Party committees, Party organizations and authorities lack determination and have not focused on leading and directing the strict implementation of the Directive.
It is known that regarding forestry policies, on May 24, 2024, the Government issued Decree No. 58/2024/ND-CP on a number of investment policies in forestry. In which, Clause 3, Article 19 on the level of forest protection funding: The level of funding for protection of special-use forests, protection forests, and production forests that are natural forests from the state budget is an average of VND 500,000/ha/year. For forest areas in communes in regions II and III, it is 1.2 times the average level, and for coastal areas, it is 1.5 times the average level. Thus, the increase from VND 300,000/ha/year to VND 500,000/ha/year when applied in practice will contribute to increasing the income of forest rangers.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the total number of assigned forest protection forces is currently 527 people. The total number of forest protection forces that have been recruited and are currently operating is 464 people, with a shortage of 63 people. Meanwhile, according to reports from forest owners, the situation of forest protection forces resigning is still happening, but new recruitment is facing many difficulties due to lack of participation due to high work pressure but low income.
Lesson 1: Live or die to protect the forest
Lesson 3: Resolute solutions
Lesson 4: Getting rich from the forest
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/bao-ve-rung-su-song-con-bai-2-123470.html
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