Support for forest protection in Nghe An: Contributing to increasing forest cover

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and his delegation visited households participating in the community forest protection model in village 1, Linh Son commune (Anh Son).

Tens of thousands of households benefit

Nghe An has the largest forest area in the country, with more than 1 million hectares. The forest area is large, mainly in mountainous areas; therefore, in this area, there is currently a large number of people living near the forest, living off the forest. In other words, the forest is the livelihood that brings food and money to the people.

For a long time, the policy of forest protection and development in Nghe An has always received special attention from the province, departments, branches and localities. Along with forest protection, there are efforts to develop forests to increase the area of ​​coverage, enrich the forests...

In particular, since the implementation of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period (National Target Program 1719), forest protection and development in Nghe An has been given new impetus. The clearest evidence is that households participating in forest management and protection have had additional stable income from forest protection contract support under Sub-project 1, Project 3 of National Target Program 1719.

Evidence is in Xieng Nua village, Yen Na commune (Tuong Duong district), with hundreds of hectares assigned to people and the community for protection, bringing a stable source of income to the participants. Village chief Luong Van Lai said: The Xieng Nua community was assigned to protect 241.2 hectares of forest; in addition, in Xieng Nua village, there are 252 households assigned to protect 489.6 hectares of forest with funding from the National Target Program 1719. Revenue from forest protection contracts under the support policy of the National Target Program 1719, so people also have an additional source of income to cover their living expenses, making them more secure in forest protection work.

Con Cuong people participate in protecting and developing forests, contributing to increasing local forest cover.

In fact, the implementation of Sub-project 1, Project 3, National Target Program 1719 in Nghe An province has supported forest protection contracts for special-use forests and protective forests of 116,624 hectares. Support for protection of planned forests, protective forests and production forests, which are natural forests assigned to communities and households, is 135,033 hectares.

Specifically, support for forest protection contracts for special-use forests and protective forests was 101,630.44 hectares with 1,920 households benefiting; support for forest protection for planned protective forests and production forests, which are natural forests assigned to communities and households was 151,982.15 hectares with 22,179 households benefiting; support for planting production forests, exploiting the forest canopy economically and developing non-timber forest products was 3,580 hectares with 994 households benefiting; support for providing rice to poor households participating in planting production forests, developing non-timber forest products, and protective forests was 84.83 tons, with 520 households benefiting.

This shows that there are 25,613 households that have benefited from the National Target Program 1719 in forest protection and development. Because from the source of collecting secondary forest products, from the source of growing medicinal herbs under the forest canopy, now there is an additional stable annual source of income from the National Target Program 1719, which will help people in the mountainous areas of Nghe An feel more secure and "live healthier" thanks to the forest.

Increase forest cover

The forest area is the largest in the country, so the work of protecting and developing forests is a huge responsibility of all levels and sectors of Nghe An province. The large forest area means that the impacts on the forest are greater, and the security of the forest needs to be tightened. In that related context, having more stable support resources from the National Target Program 1719, people can feel secure about the work of protecting forests; that is also the most effective way to keep the forest peaceful and increasingly rich.

Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee Lo Van Thao said: Along with forest development, forest protection work has been well implemented, with many methods, so the forest area in Con Cuong currently has a coverage of more than 85%. The coverage is increasing, the benefits from the forest are increasing day by day.

Supporting forest protection work, contributing to greener forests in Quy Chau district

The implementation of State support and investment policies such as the policy on payment for forest environmental services; especially the policy on supporting funding for forest protection and contracting for natural forest protection, and additional forest planting according to the National Target Program 1719 has been implemented promptly and effectively, contributing to increasing income and stabilizing the lives of people working in forestry in Quy Chau district.

Quy Chau District Party Secretary Nguyen Thanh Hoai also informed: In Quy Chau district, people's awareness, consciousness and responsibility in forest management, protection and development are getting better and better. Currently, the local forest coverage is over 75%.

Forests in Nghe An are increasingly protected and developed. Currently, the province's forest coverage has reached nearly 60%. This is the result of a combination of forest protection and development policies, combined with strong solutions and measures from the entire political system.

Mr. Nguyen Danh Hung, Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shared: The implementation of the payment policy for subjects participating in forest management and protection under Sub-project 1, Project 3, National Target Program 1719, not only gradually raises the sense of responsibility of forest owners, increases the number of households contracted to protect forests, but also mobilizes a large human resource for regular forest patrolling and protection; effectively implements forest fire prevention and fighting, and improves the quality of forest environmental services provision.

According to Mr. Hung, the synergy has contributed to creating jobs, improving livelihoods, reducing poverty, helping people feel secure in their attachment to the forest, and contributing to increasing forest cover.

Protect the forest by village covenant

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/ho-tro-bao-ve-rung-o-nghe-an-gop-phan-nang-cao-do-che-phu-rung-1731553939878.htm