Forest trips like native land

From entering deforestation hot spots

Ea Sup border district (Dak Lak) has long been a hot area for deforestation and forest land encroachment. To reflect on the story of deforestation for production land, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters had trips to the forest like natives with the force in charge of local forest management and protection. One day in early June 2024, to enter the hot spot of deforestation and forest land encroachment in Ea Sup district, we had to wake up at 4am. According to the local Forest Ranger force, the travel route will be from the center of Ia J'Loi commune (Ea Sup district, Dak Lak province) to the forest area bordering Ea H'Leo district (Dak Lak province) and Chu Puh district (Gia Lai province).

On this journey, we will have to wade through two dangerously slippery streams. Just being careless can lead to an accident and loss of life. Next, the car has to cross many steep and dangerous hills.

On the way, Mr. Ha Le Ha Ben - (forest ranger in Ia J'Loi commune, Ea Sup district, Dak Lak province) told about how he often traveled more than 70km to get to deforestation hotspots on duty. patrol and protect the forest.

Mr. Ha Ben's inseparable vehicle is an old motorbike covered in red soil. At first glance, we thought this iron horse had been "fighting" with Ha Ben for more than ten years. However, in reality, Mr. Ha Ben has only had about 400 days working as a forest keeper.

Mr. Ha Ben - shared: "I am managing about 1,000 hectares of forest in the commune, most of which are production forests and agricultural forests. The distribution area is too wide, but every day I have to regularly ride my motorbike to check the field many times. Every time like that, it's about 150km round trip."

One time, in order to quickly get to an area where illegal deforestation was happening, I had to carry my motorbike and take a detour through the forest to get to the scene faster. The suffering is indescribable, but it is a responsibility that must be done and difficulties must be overcome to do it.

According to Mr. Ha Ben, here, ethnic minorities often operate at night, when the authorities have little vigilance. That's not to mention the many subjects ready to stockpile "hot" goods to attack the authorities when discovered."

However, Mr. Ha Ben cannot manage and protect all the forest land area assigned to him by the Commune People's Committee. Looking ahead, Mr. Ha Ben felt sad because despite his best efforts, the wheat and sugarcane of the freely migrating farmers still grew lushly on forestry land.

From this trip to the forest, we had to bitterly admit the fact that it is very difficult to manage and protect forests if people still have the mindset of destroying forests to get wood and land for production. Because the forest protection force is too thin and cannot meet the work requirements on such a vast and large area of ​​forest land. Even my house, which is more than 100 square meters, in a crowded residential area, was broken into, let alone a local forest ranger who manages hundreds to thousands of hectares.

Second, according to Ia J'Loi commune officials, when they discovered the news from the people, when the officers just left the office to go to the deforestation scene, someone had already informed the subjects to escape, so Scanning and handling is very difficult.

One time, after dealing with a group of illegal deforesters, a record was made and transferred to the police agency for handling according to the provisions of law. Local leaders themselves have to worry about facing retaliation against family members.

Therefore, according to many people working in forest management and protection, the best way to fight deforestation today is still to focus on improving the lives of people in the buffer zone, near the forest. In addition, we must also promote propaganda and dissemination of laws to help people understand, raise awareness and join hands in sustainable forest management and development.

To trips that are good, less bad, more bad

One day in the middle of July 2024, the weather in Dak Nong province seemed unsatisfactory, with a lot of rain and many muddy forest roads that looked like plowed fields. To access the natural forests in sub-zone 1617 managed by Dak N'tao Company Limited (Dak Nong province), we had to cross more than 3km of slippery, very dangerous forest roads.

Below this road there are a variety of forest trees with many ancient trees up to hundreds of years old. After traveling many miles of forest road, suddenly appearing before our eyes was a vast and extremely pitiful void.

Here, many areas of forest land belonging to localities and managed by forestry companies have been encroached upon for production purposes. The types of trees people grow on forest land include upland rice, pepper, coffee...

Mr. K'Tram - a worker in charge of forest management and protection in sub-area 1617 shared: "We still know that sun and rain are God's business, but for us, regardless of the climate or weather, we still must patrol and protect the forest. However, the forest is large and the forest guards are few, so people stay close to the forest, even in the forest they encroach a little every year. , rodents, so it is very difficult for forest keepers to detect and prevent them.

According to Mr. K'Tram, he has had many long trips to the forest. Every time you go to the forest, you must be fully prepared. It is said to be luggage, but in fact each person only carries clothes, tarpaulin, hammock, pots and pans, a few kilograms of rice, dried fish, instant noodles, a few bottles of filtered water...

The main goal of forest patrol is to observe trails and open paths, to quickly detect traces of loggers transporting wood or not. The most strenuous and dangerous is the constant climbing of passes, wading streams, and crossing abysses. If you lose concentration or accidentally slip, forest patrolmen are susceptible to catastrophic accidents.

In this place of "sacred forest, poisonous water", we, along with the forest protection management staff here, have to get used to hasty meals in the middle of the forest, living in the dark, squeezing the forest, hungry mosquitoes, racing to attack each other. labour. Regardless of day or night, forest keepers must always be ready to deal with all situations.

"The job of forest keeper is now very dangerous. Not only do we fear labor accidents, but we also have to be wary of being attacked and threatened by "loggers". In the unit, many brothers have been attacked by loggers. , some people had to be hospitalized in the emergency room. Those who went to the forest with them only felt the hardships of the roads and living conditions. If they were attacked by "forest bandits", this trip would be difficult "There's a little good, there's a lot of evil" - Mr. Y Truong Nie, another forest protection manager in sub-zone 1617, confided.