Strive to increase forest cover rate

With the goal of achieving 49% forest coverage by 2025, recently, functional agencies, localities, and forest owners have implemented many solutions to increase forest coverage in the province.

Our province currently has a total forest and forest land area of 200,392.80 ha, of which the forest land area is 160,423.64 ha and the non-forest land area is 39,969.26 ha. In recent years, thanks to the attention of all levels and sectors, forest management and protection (QL, BVR) in the province has had many positive changes; well-managed and protected forest resources have contributed to increasing forest cover. In order to achieve the goal of reaching 49% forest cover by 2025 according to the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, right from the beginning of the term, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has set targets for the forest cover rate of the whole province each year. Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has focused on planning forest land areas to serve the afforestation work in accordance with the set objectives. Along with that, directing forest owners and localities to promote the work of forest management, forest protection, zoning and promoting natural forest regeneration and restoration, combined with additional planting; protecting the ecological environment, protecting watersheds, increasing the water fertility of forests and conserving biodiversity; limiting forest degradation and deforestation. Strengthening the propaganda, dissemination and education of forestry laws to raise awareness and responsibility of local authorities at all levels, forest owners and people in forest protection, forest development and forest fire prevention and fighting. Thanks to that, in the period of 2021-2023, the whole province has newly planted 1,712.94 hectares of forest, promoted and protected 9,021 hectares, the forest cover rate of the whole province reached 47.11% and is expected to be 47.25% in 2023.

Forest management and protection forces in Ma Noi commune (Ninh Son) regularly

patrol the forest area managed by the unit.

As a unit managing over 39,387 hectares of forest land (of which 23,711 hectares are forested and 15,676 hectares are non-forested), in order to improve management, forest protection and increase forest cover, in recent times, the Management Board of the Protection Forests of the Upper River Sat - Song Trau has focused on afforestation, forest care and forest regeneration. Mr. Hoang Loc, Head of the Management Board of the Protection Forests of the Upper River Sat - Song Trau said: To effectively implement management, forest protection and forest planting, in the period of 2021-2023, the unit has focused on planting 750 hectares of forest; organizing the care of 630 hectares of planted forests and zoning off 1,000 hectares of regenerated forests. Thanks to that, in the period of 2021-2023, the unit's forest area increased from 23,711 ha to 26,487 ha, the forest coverage rate from 60% to 67%. The unit strives to increase the forest area to 29,100 ha by 2025, the coverage rate to 74%.

Although, the forest development work in the province has had many positive changes in recent times. However, through practical assessment, it shows that achieving the target of becoming a forest still faces many difficulties, because from planting to becoming a forest takes about 3-5 years; the land fund for forest planting of some units is no longer available, many forest planting areas are mainly in areas far from residential areas, difficult to travel; investment resources for forest planting are still limited; deforestation, illegal exploitation of forest products, encroachment on forest land still occur; inventory work, monitoring of forest resource developments, updating and integrating forest data are not complete...

Comrade Tran Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: With the determination to strive to achieve a forest cover rate of 1.89% in the 2023-2025 period, in 2023 and the following years, the unit will focus on effectively implementing mechanisms and policies on sustainable forestry development. Review, evaluate, and update the area and objects of forestation for the area of land with regenerated trees into forest of over 3,425 hectares; investigate and evaluate land with regenerated trees into forest and bare land with regenerated trees in the 2023-2025 period to plant forests with an area of 2,629.780 hectares. Focus on planting 2,817 hectares of new forest from now to 2025 and updating the area of natural forests outside the 3 types of forests approved by the Provincial People's Committee. Along with that, promote the application of science - technology and technology in selecting high-yield and high-quality varieties; Develop policies to support seedlings for afforestation; develop intensive afforestation models; promote mechanization in production, exploitation and processing of forest products. Mobilize capital and resources to invest in forestry development from central and local programs, projects and schemes, ODA capital sources and other economic sectors; strive to complete the forest coverage target by 2025 according to the set plan.

Tien Manh

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