Preserving precious timber forests in conservation areas

Ancient ironwood tree at Thac Gieng Landscape Protection Area.

Kim Hy Nature Reserve is one of the largest special-use forests in Thai Nguyen province, with an area of up to 15,000 hectares, stretching to the communes of Con Minh, Van Lang and Vinh Thong.

The forest ecosystem here is rich, including many rare species of flora and fauna such as: White-cheeked langur, Amomum turtle, civet, gecko... along with hundreds of species of precious medicinal plants. The most prominent is the population of ancient ironwood, ironwood, and acacia trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, scattered on the rugged rocky terrain.

Because of its large reserves of precious wood and large forest area, Kim Hy in the past was a "hot spot" for deforestation and illegal exploitation of forest products and minerals.

Faced with the risk of "bleeding" precious forests, authorities at all levels have strengthened many measures from propaganda, mobilizing people to protect forests, controlling chainsaws, applying information technology to forest management and protection, and effectively implementing policies on forest allocation to communities, thanks to which forest encroachment cases have significantly decreased in recent years.

Forest rangers of Kim Hy Nature Reserve patrol the rare forest area of Lung Sien, Vinh Thong commune.

Mr. Luong Van Cao, a resident of Lung Sien village, Vinh Thong commune, shared: In the past, when we saw a big Nghien tree, we just wanted to cut it down and bring it home to build a house, but since we were assigned to the tree and the officials came to persuade and propagate, no one in our family or the whole village dared to cut it down anymore.

Positive changes in community awareness are helping to gradually protect the forests of Kim Hy Nature Reserve sustainably. According to the Management Board of Kim Hy Nature Reserve, in the first 6 months of 2025, no encroachment on precious timber was recorded, however, mineral exploitation activities still occur secretly.

Mr. Dang Van Hai, Director of the Kim Hy Nature Reserve Management Board, said: We coordinate with the village communities to conduct regular patrols and organize propaganda in many forms so that people understand clearly. More importantly, there is a clear commitment agreement, any village allowing that violations will not benefit from the forestry policy.

Special-use forests in Nam Xuan Lac Species - Habitat Conservation Area are well protected.

Nam Xuan Lac Species and Habitat Conservation Area is also a large primeval forest with an area of over 4,000 hectares, located in the communes of Nam Cuong, Yen Thinh, Quang Bach, the reserve of precious timber trees here is still large. To protect the primeval forest, the Management Board of the Conservation Area has numbered each precious tree, each tree stump has a specific code. This helps to monitor changes and promptly detect any signs of encroachment.

Up to now, more than 3,700 precious wood trees in the area have been labeled for strict management, including more than 600 acacia and ironwood trees; and more than 3,100 ironwood trees.

Similarly, at the Thac Gieng Landscape Protection Area ( Bac Kan ward), more than 594 hectares of special-use forest have been assigned to the village community and protection teams. There are currently 500 ancient ironwood trees preserved here, each tree is numbered to serve the monitoring and supervision work.

Among the precious forests, Ba Be National Park is a famous scenic spot of the province with a diverse ecosystem and a forest area of over 10,000 hectares. Many years ago, this area was a hot spot for illegal logging.

However, thanks to the strong coordination between forest rangers, local authorities and people, violations affecting forests have decreased significantly.

Primary forest in Kim Hy Nature Reserve.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Director of Thai Nguyen Provincial Forest Protection Department, said: We have implemented many synchronous solutions, from propaganda, raising awareness among people about the provisions of the Forestry Law, to fully implement the forest protection contract policy. In particular, Bac Kan province previously issued a document to temporarily suspend the purchase, sale, auction, and transportation of rare and precious woods. Thanks to that, in recent years, the encroachment on precious wood forests in conservation areas has significantly increased.

Precious timber forests in conservation areas are invaluable gifts of nature, contributing significantly to ecological balance, limiting natural disasters, preserving water resources, regulating the climate and creating a clean living environment. Many primeval forests have become attractive destinations for tourists who love to explore and experience unspoiled nature.

If given the right attention, these “green lungs” are expected to bring many advantages to Thai Nguyen province in developing eco-tourism and resorts associated with local culture. At the same time, they are an important premise for the province to gradually participate in the carbon credit market, increase forest coverage and contribute to realizing sustainable development goals in the near future.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/lanh-te/202507/giu-rung-go-quy-tai-cac-khu-bao-ton-bae19fb/