Guarding the forest in spring days

During the Lunar New Year, forest rangers and officers of conservation areas and protective forests in the province are always on duty 24/7, closely following the area to be ready to protect, prevent and fight forest fires and prevent violations of the Law on Forest Protection and Development.

Officers and staff of Dakrong Nature Reserve take a break on their forest patrol - Photo: HG

For the officers and employees of the Dakrong Nature Reserve Management Board - those who are responsible for protecting the forest - Tet is also the peak time to fight and prevent violations to protect the forest and regularly prevent and fight forest fires. Because this is the peak of the dry season in 7 communes (including Trieu Nguyen, Ba Long, Dakrong, Ta Long, Huc Nghi, Ba Nang, A Bung) managed by the unit. At the same time, bad guys often take advantage of Tet holidays to commit illegal acts.

Mr. Ho Van Dung, a member of the Ta Long Forest Protection Team, Sub-area 701A - Dakrong Nature Reserve Management Board, said that although he could not fully enjoy the warm atmosphere of Tet holidays with his family and relatives to carry out the task of patrolling and protecting the forest, he and the members of the team always received encouragement from their family and colleagues, so they felt warm-hearted.

Mr. Dung shared: “The Tet holidays also coincide with the peak of the dry season, so we are still on duty 24/7 at the checkpoints. The remaining members still regularly patrol to protect the forest to prevent wildlife hunting and ensure better forest fire prevention work.”

Despite many hardships and dangers such as climbing passes, wading streams, crossing forests and possibly facing dangerous loggers... protecting the green color of the forests is always the top priority of the officers and forest rangers in Dakrong Nature Reserve. Thereby, contributing to protecting and developing forests, so that the forests contribute to bringing a prosperous life to the people.

Dakrong Nature Reserve covers an area of over 37,600 hectares. This is considered a valuable resource store, a place that preserves high biodiversity with many rare endemic animals and plants.

In addition, the unit is assigned to manage the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail Landscape Protection Area with a natural area of 5,237.4 hectares. Therefore, maintaining patrol teams at key forest points and coordinating with relevant forces to promptly detect violations is always considered important.

Previously, the forest protection force also coordinated with localities to launch peak patrols and raids in border areas and areas with high risk of violations. In the area under management, more than 90% of the population in the buffer zone are ethnic minorities, with low educational levels, and their livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources, which puts some pressure on forest protection work.

Therefore, in recent years, the task that the Dakrong Nature Reserve Management Board has paid special attention to is propaganda, forest protection and forest fire prevention and control. Accordingly, in recent years, the unit has organized hundreds of village meetings to propagate and sign commitments to protect forests for thousands of people; organized over 50 mobile propaganda campaigns, distributed thousands of publications and posters with propaganda content on forest protection and development.

Thanks to good propaganda work in many forms and rich content, people's awareness of forest protection and conservation activities has been clearly raised, and the level of violations of forest protection laws by local communities has been reduced.

Deputy Director of Dakrong Nature Reserve Management Board Ho Viet Thang said: "Recently, the Management Board of the reserve has coordinated with the District Forest Protection Department to develop a plan for regular and surprise inspections of key areas.

Before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin, at all 12 checkpoints, we arranged contracted forces and forest guards to be on duty 24/7 to grasp information and patrol and protect the forest. Along with organizing and disseminating to the entire force to strictly implement regulations on management, protection, and forest fire prevention and control, the agricultural sector of Quang Tri province has increased its forces, maintained the operation of 26 checkpoints and stations, arranged patrol forces, and strictly handled violations of regulations on forest protection.

Another spring has come. In the joyful atmosphere of welcoming a new spring, for those who are in charge of forest protection in general and the staff of Dakrong Nature Reserve in particular, it seems that all the hustle and bustle, the joy of spring are focused on the determination to preserve the green color of the homeland.

Hieu Giang

Source