Muong Nhe resolutely handles violations of forestry law

Muong Nhe district forest rangers investigated and verified illegal deforestation subjects in the area.

In early 2023, Mr. Ly Lo Lu, Ca La Pa 1 village, Leng Xu Sin commune, destroyed over 1,400m2 ^of production forest. After being discovered by the authorities, Mr. Lu was administratively fined 20 million VND. Although his family's circumstances are still difficult, deforestation is illegal, so Mr. Lu has complied with the administrative fine according to regulations. This is a lesson for Mr. Lu as well as local people; because not everyone who lacks land for production has the right to encroach on forest land for farming. Mr. Lu's deforestation case is only one of 18 illegal deforestation cases that occurred in the first 6 months of the year. However, currently, the authorities have only investigated and identified the violators of 4 cases; the violators of 14 cases have not been identified, so the case has been prosecuted and transferred to the police investigation agency and the district police.

Not only illegal deforestation cases are handled, but also violations of regulations on forest fire prevention and control are strictly punished according to the law. In the first 6 months of 2023, Muong Nhe District Forest Protection Department also imposed administrative penalties on 2 cases of violations of regulations on forest fire prevention and control; causing damage to over 1,700m2 of production ^forest and was administratively fined 25 million VND.

According to the assessment of the Muong Nhe District Forest Protection Department, the number of violations in the first 6 months of 2023 still occurred with many complicated developments, especially in the border area between Cay Sat village, Huoi Lech commune, Muong Nhe district (Dien Bien province) and Nam Nga village, Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district (Lai Chau province). Here, the authorities discovered 10 cases of illegal deforestation, the complicated nature of deforestation led to difficulties in preventing as well as investigating and verifying violators for handling according to the provisions of law.

Authorities investigate violations of the Forestry Law in the area.

The main reason is that ethnic minorities living along the forest and interspersed with forests have a large number of villages, in addition to the low level of education, the economic conditions of the people are still difficult and lacking, so the people's slash-and-burn cultivation has greatly affected the work of forest protection and development. Some local Party committees and authorities have not fully implemented their responsibilities in State management of forestry. Many forest owners do not have the capacity to protect the assigned forests, some forest owners and community forest protection patrol teams are irresponsible in fighting and preventing deforestation, when they know that the forest is being destroyed, they do not stop it, do not report to competent authorities, do not coordinate with the authorities and functional agencies in preventing and handling violations, leading to many difficulties in preventing and handling violations. Faced with that reality, the Muong Nhe District Forest Protection Department has stepped in to resolutely and strictly handle violations of the Forestry Law, thereby contributing to deterring local people from strictly complying with the law in forest management, protection, and forest fire prevention and fighting.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Head of the Forest Protection Department of Muong Nhe district, said: In the first 6 months of 2023, 29 violations in the forestry sector were detected in the district; of which 18 were illegal deforestation cases. The Department coordinated with the functional forces to handle 09 cases criminally and issued a decision to initiate a case and transfer it to the police investigation agency; handled 09 cases administratively. At the same time, administrative sanctions were imposed according to regulations for 2 cases of violations of the provisions of the law on forest fire prevention and fighting, causing forest fires; 2 cases of violations of regulations on management of forest product records in the transportation, purchase, sale, storage, and processing of forest products; 5 cases of illegal transportation of forest products; 1 case of illegal storage of forest products and 1 case of illegal forest exploitation. The total amount of administrative sanctions was 186 million VND and more than 100 million VND was collected. With the drastic handling of units and authorities, the awareness of a part of the people about the importance of forests has had many positive changes, the situation of deforestation and encroachment of forest land for farming has been significantly limited.

In order to effectively manage and protect forests and prevent and fight forest fires, in addition to propaganda and mobilization, "strong" measures to strictly handle violations of the Forestry Law are also a very practical solution. The cases of punishment and prosecution of violators will provide valuable lessons for those who intend to harm and affect the work of forest protection and development in Muong Nhe district in particular and Dien Bien province in general.

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