TÂY NINH — The Tây Ninh Forest Protection Department is working with the Dầu Tiếng Protective Forest Management Board to conduct an investigation into the poisoning of hundreds of forest trees

The trees were poisoned to encroach upon forest land for cultivation.

Early this month, rangers of the Dầu Tiếng Protective Forest found 124 forest trees with diameters of 10-45cm poisoned in subdivision 43.

The trees had holes drilled in them, their barks were shaved and toxic substance was poured on them so that they died.

With this technique, the trees would become dry and would die within 15 days, Mang Văn Thới, chief of the provincial department said.

Initial investigation showed that the substance was pesticide. The case is under investigation.

Earlier, on February 15 and 16, rangers in the Dầu Tiếng Protective Forest found 658 trees with diameters of 6-35cm chopped down.

According to Nguyễn Văn Cư, vice head of the forest management board, loggers may have crossed Sài Gòn River to get to the forest and illegally chopped down the trees to get profit.

To curb the illegal logging, the provincial Forest Protection Department asked Tân Châu District’s Forest Protection Unit and Dầu Tiếng Protective Forest Management Board to strengthen regular inspection in key areas where there were large trees in the forest.

A team of mobile rangers would be set up to patrol the forest and deter illegal logging activities.

Dầu Tiếng Protective Forest is located in southern Tây Ninh Province’s Tân Châu District, with total area of 18,885ha, out of which 12,852ha are natural forest and the rest are planted forest. Illegal logging has remained an unresolved problem due to a shortage of rangers and low awareness of residents living next to the forest. — VNS