Heartbreaking casuarina forest preserved through many generations
These days, functional agencies are cutting down casuarina forests in Dam Thuy Nam village, Mo Cay commune to serve the construction of the Dung Quat - Sa Huynh coastal road project (phase IIb, section Km76+230 - Km82+000). According to reporters' records, after being cut down, a large amount of casuarina wood has been collected and transported out of the scene.
According to elderly people in Dam Thuy Nam village, casuarina trees are a tree with sustainable vitality, long likened to the "steel shield" of the coastal region, with the effect of blocking wind, preventing sand from flying, minimizing the impact of storms and heavy rains, and at the same time contributing to improving soil and keeping green areas at risk of desertification.
Over many generations, the casuarina forest has been cherished and preserved by the coastal people of Mo Cay commune as an indispensable part of the countryside. Therefore, the felling of a series of casuarina trees makes many people regretful.
Although knowing that opening roads and implementing traffic projects will contribute to promoting socio-economic development, looking at the straight casuarina trees being cut down, people still cannot avoid feeling sorry," Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dat (name of the character changed), a resident of Dam Thuy Nam village, confided.
The Dung Quat - Sa Huynh coastal road project, phase IIb, section Km76+230 - Km82+000, invested by the Provincial Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board, was started in September 2025.
The project is implemented from the DH37 road intersection, passing through Mo Cay and Lan Phong communes to adjacent to Tra Cau ward fields, with a length of nearly 5.8 km.
The road is designed according to the standards of level II plain roads, roadbed 12 m wide, road surface 11 m wide, double-layer asphalt concrete structure. Total investment of more than 98 billion VND, from the central budget and provincial budget. Construction time from 2025 - 2026.
This is a component project within the Dung Quat - Sa Huynh coastal road project with a total length of about 100 km, total investment of about 5,600 billion VND, divided into two phases.
Will replant casuarina forest in a suitable location
According to reporters' records, these days, the Mo Cay commune government in coordination with the site clearance unit has completed the felling of nearly 9,000 m2 of casuarina forest to take land for project construction.
According to the reporter's investigation, in document No. 2061/QD-UBND, the leaders of Mo Cay Commune People's Committee issued a decision approving the plan to exploit and utilize casuarina forest timber within the scope of site clearance to implement the above project.
The logged forest area is managed by the residential community of Dam Thuy Nam village. The logged forest area belongs to plot 5, sub-area 306, with a total logged area of 8,917 m2, planted from 1976 - 1984.
Functional agencies will cut down all planted forest trees in the planned exploitation lot, saw them down close to the base, without digging up the base or roots of trees that affect the construction site. The total number of trees exploited is about 395 trees, the expected wood output is 48.499 m3.
The value earned from the sale of wood and firewood, after deducting costs related to preparation and exploitation, the remaining value will be used to replant forests at other suitable locations.
