Binh Thuan forest remains pristine as locals assist rangers

HCM CITY — A forest rangers station in the central Binh Thuan Province has succeeded in protecting 20,000ha forest for the last 16 years despite having only 11 rangers, thanks to local residents embracing the cause.

Phan Dung Forest is located in Tuy Phong District on the border with the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and is home to huong and bang lang huong (Ailanthus vietnamensis) and bang lang (Lagerstroemia spp) trees.

In the context of many forests around the country begin destroyed due to illegal logging and conversion into farmland, local authorities are understandably proud of their success in protecting the forest.

Le Van Tu, an official at the district forest management board, says the success was due to assistance from local people. He said even if trees accidentally grow on their land, they do not chop them down.

The forest has been protected for the last 16 years since the Government promulgated its "forest closure" policy, he says.

Many of the 200 Rac Lay ethnic families in the area have joined the authorities in protecting the forest. "About 100 families get stipends for regularly participating in protection work," he says.

Mang Tu, a Rac Lay man, explained there was no need for locals to log trees: "With the VND1 million stipend and several cans of rai oil to sell, we have enough to live."

Tran Dinh Can, head of the forest guard station, praised his staff for their extraordinary efforts. In the 20,000ha forest, only 50 trees were logged in 2008 and 19 last year.

A trip around the forest takes them three days and so they have built sheds every 5km in the forest to shelter in case of floods.

Every three days five or six rangers patrol around the forest.

"We walk 60km on each trip," Le Duy Hung, a guard, said. —VNS