Prolonged overlap
Lao Dong Newspaper has published an article reflecting the situation of many large-scale construction projects showing signs of encroachment and overlapping of planned land and boundaries of Tam Dao National Park (NP).
This situation has lasted for many years, not only affecting the natural ecosystem and the lives of local people, but also making the management, supervision and handling of violations of Tam Dao NP difficult.
According to PV's investigation, the reason for this situation stems from the overlap between the planned land of Tam Dao NP and the land of local people. Before being included in the planning, these land areas were once handed over, even red books were issued to people.
Prolonged overlap has caused difficulties in management. In particular, to date, thousands of hectares of land of Tam Dao National Park have not been granted land use right certificates (LURCs).
The inadequacy is that the construction area is within the national park planning but in reality has not been recovered, handed over, and land use right certificates have not been issued to the Park for management.
The report of Tam Dao National Park shows that in February 2026, Tuyen Quang Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 1070/UBND-KTN on adjusting the boundaries and area of Tam Dao National Park in Tuyen Quang province.
The total area proposed for adjustment is about 514.66ha. Of which, the area of forest and forestry land used by households and individuals overlaps with the planning of Tam Dao National Park by about 471.66 ha.
In Phu Tho, through review and determination of overlapping areas and boundaries according to Decision No. 895 dated August 24, 2024 of the Prime Minister, there are 1,220.95 ha in Tam Dao and Binh Xuyen communes in the province with overlapping, encroachment, and encroachment cultivation.
This situation is still happening in some localities located at the foot of Tam Dao National Park in Thai Nguyen province. The reason stems from the fact that before the establishment of the national park, land had been handed over to people for cultivation and use, but has not been completely resolved to date.
Clear violation but difficult to handle
Tam Dao National Park was established in 1996, currently the planned area for the Park is 32,396ha located on the administrative boundaries of 10 communes in Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang provinces. The total population in the buffer zone is over 201 thousand people.
The Garden Planning covers areas of land that have been inhabited before and other types of land. This is the reason why Tam Dao NP and localities have difficulty handling cases of deforestation, land violations, and illegal construction on overlapping areas.
Talking to PV, Mr. Nguyen Van Phu - Deputy Director of Tam Dao National Park said that the planned areas for Tam Dao National Park have not been handed over on the ground and GCNQSDĐ have not been issued, leading to overlapping, causing difficulties for forest management and protection according to the regulations on special-use forest management.
Many households have lived and been granted LURCs within the planning scope of Tam Dao National Park. After the garden was established, these areas have not been recovered, compensated, and red books have not been issued to the management garden, leading to land overlap.
When organizations and individuals violate, the Forest Protection force of the Park does not have grounds to handle them according to the provisions of the Forestry Law, but must coordinate with local authorities to handle them according to the provisions of the Land Law," said the leader of Tam Dao NP.
In addition, the slow adjustment of boundaries on the ground in Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen provinces according to Decision No. 895/QD-TTg dated August 24, 2024 of the Prime Minister on Approving the National Forest Plan for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2050 causes difficulties and complexities in forest management and protection.
Also according to Mr. Nguyen Van Phu, in the past time, Tam Dao NP has had many reports proposing that competent authorities consider removing from the Park areas that are planned but are currently overlapping with organizations and individuals to ensure management according to the regulations on special-use forest management.
The unit regularly requests localities and functional agencies to continue to coordinate and assist the Garden in investigating, preventing, and handling violations of regulations on forest management and protection. Especially the situation of deforestation, encroachment on forests and forest land," Mr. Phu informed.
According to documents obtained, in March 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued document No. 569 on unifying data on adjusting the area of Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc (old) provinces, now Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requests the above localities to direct the review and unification of forest and forestry land area data of Tam Dao National Park in the area.
On March 24, 2026, the Forestry and Forest Protection Department issued document No. 677 to the Minister of MARD requesting opinions on the approval of adjusting the boundaries and area of Tam Dao National Park.
The total area expected to be proposed for adjustment of the boundaries and area of Tam Dao National Park in Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Phu Tho provinces will decrease by about 2,418.617 ha. After adjustment, the remaining area of Tam Dao National Park is 31,962.95 ha.
