People - the main forest protection force
In early June 2025, we had the opportunity to follow the staff of An Toan 2 Forest Protection Management Station (An Toan Special-Use Forest Management Board) and the Forest Protection Management Team of Village 2 (An Toan Commune) on a forest patrol in the Ngon Nuoc Tan area.
Mr. Dinh Van Chat (Bahnar) was contracted to protect nearly 15 hectares of special-use forest with a support level of 600,000 VND/ha/year. Mr. Chat said: “On the first Monday of every month, my team and I conduct forest patrols, each time taking 1-3 days. If we see signs of forest fires or forest encroachment, we will immediately report to the An Toan 2 Forest Protection Management Station for handling. Thanks to the forest protection contract, I do not have to work for hire. I hope the State will continue to support more means of forest travel and livelihoods so that people can protect the forest better.”
Mr. Tran Thanh Hong - Head of An Toan 2 Forest Protection Management Station - informed: Village 2 currently has 105 households participating in contracting to protect more than 1,510 hectares of special-use forests under the Sustainable Forestry Development Program for the period 2021 - 2025. "We always consider people as companion partners, not simply as contracting parties to protect forests. Each patrol is also an opportunity for officers and employees in the unit to connect with the community and exchange experiences in more effective forest protection" - Mr. Hong emphasized.
Van Canh Commune is one of the localities where the community has been contracted to protect forests from the Van Canh Protective Forest Management Board under Sub-project 1, Project 3 (National target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period 2021 - 2025) with a fairly large area. Up to now, 703 households in the commune have participated in the contract to protect nearly 4,225 hectares of natural forests planned for protective functions. To effectively protect the forest, groups of households have developed their own plans and conventions for forest management and protection, and assigned households to participate in patrolling and preventing forest fires, etc.
Mr. Doan Van Dam (in Dak Dum neighborhood) shared: “My family was contracted to protect 20 hectares of forest. At the end of 2024, I received 12 million VND. Thanks to that, I was able to buy cows to raise, gradually escaping poverty. When we are attached to the forest, we are more aware of our responsibility to protect this resource in the long term.”
Innovation to keep forests sustainable
According to the Provincial Forest Protection Department, in 2025, forest protection contracts will be implemented on an area of over 110,258 hectares with a total payment of over VND 87.9 billion under Sub-project 1 (Project 3). For the Sustainable Forestry Development Program alone, it is expected that forest owners will pay over VND 98.5 billion to contracted households. Especially, in the context of localities merging and expanding areas, forest protection work needs to be focused on and professionalized.
Mr. Khieu Duc Thinh - Director of An Toan Special-use Forest Management Board - said: The unit currently manages more than 25,197 hectares of forest, including 22,681 hectares of special-use forest. Recently, 278 households in villages 1, 2 and 3 (An Toan commune) have been contracted to protect 4,000 hectares of forest under the Sustainable Forestry Development Program. Thereby, the Board has closely coordinated with local authorities to strengthen propaganda and training on skills in handling violations, fire prevention and fighting, and signs of forest encroachment; proposed to support means and equipment for patrolling for households receiving contracts, contributing to preserving the forest ecosystem.
According to Director of Van Canh Forest Protection Management Board Nguyen Thanh Quang, in the coming time, the unit will focus on improving the effectiveness of forest management and protection by applying remote monitoring technology, combined with increasing patrol activities in the field; increasing the organization of training courses to equip knowledge and skills in forest protection, helping people understand the value of forests. The goal is to build a strong local forest protection force, proactively prevent early risks of encroachment and preserve the existing forest area.
Mr. Le Duc Sau - Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department - said: "The forest allocation to the people, especially ethnic minorities, has promoted the role of the community in forest protection. From there, the unit will coordinate with localities to strengthen inspection and supervision of households, groups of households, and organizations receiving the contracts; research and expand models of community forest management and protection associated with livelihoods, combining forest protection contracts with planting medicinal plants under the forest canopy, developing community ecotourism ... contributing to socio-economic development in localities, creating motivation for people to voluntarily protect forests as their source of livelihood".
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/giao-khoan-rung-cho-dan-gan-trach-nhiem-giu-mau-xanh-post561701.html
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