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| Forest rangers seized timbers illegally chopped down in Vĩnh Linh District’s forest. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Tĩnh |
Viet Nam News
QUẢNG TRỊ — The agriculture sector of the central Quảng Trị Province yesterday confirmed deforestation of a protected forest in Vĩnh Linh District.
The confirmation came after the local police investigated the case, following a series of articles published by Lao động (Labour) newspaper on August 3 and 4.
According to Lao động newspaper, ignoring Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s order to close all natural forests in the country from June 20, poachers illegally chopped down and transported trees from the protective forest in Vĩnh Linh District.
The police discovered that trees had been cut down in the Vĩnh Ô and Vĩnh Hà communes. In Vĩnh Ô Commune, the police seized nearly 8cu.m of timber of groups V and VI that are used to make furniture or in construction.
In Vĩnh Hà Commune, the police caught two suspects in the act while they were illegally chopping down 21 trees.
The deforested areas, located about 10km-15km away from residential areas, are under the management of Vĩnh Linh District’s forest management, Bến Hải River Basin’s protective forest management board and Quyết Thắng Farm.
Poor management was to be blamed for deforestation in the two communes, the police said.
Võ Văn Hưng, director of the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department, asked the police to find the culprits as well as wrongdoers in managerial agencies so that they could be strictly disciplined.
Hưng told forest rangers to intensify patrolling and to spread awareness among local residents against destroying forests in an attempt to bring the situation under control soon.
Last Friday, after the Lao Động newspaper published the articles, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc ordered the provincial People’s Committee to quickly investigate and report to the Government before August 20. —VNS
