Đắk Lắk authorities discovered many trees illegally chopped down at Nam Ka Nature Reserve, of Nam Ka Special-use Forest. — Photo dantri.com.vn

ĐẮK LẮK  — A joint investigation between police and officials has been carried out into deforestation in Krông Ana District, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.

Local authorities have discovered many trees illegally cut, sawed and transported out of the Nam Ka Nature Reserve, Nguyễn Hoài Dương, Director of Đắk Lắk Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development told dantri.com.vn online newspaper on Wednesday.

The Nam Ka Nature Reserve, located in Bình Hòa Commune, belongs to Nam Ka Special-use Forest, managed by Nam Ka Special-use Forest’s Management Board.

The department has requested Nam Ka Special-use Forest’s Management Board to coordinate with competent agencies to investigate the case.

According to Nguyễn Hoài Dương, last Thursday, Krông Ana District’s forest rangers in co-ordination with local police and the forest’s management board, discovered a 2 sq.m of sawed timber at the forest’s sub-area 1023 under management of Bình Hòa Commune People’s Committee.

Local authorities detected three tree roots, with diameters of 40-50cm, with the trunks already cut and moved out of the forest.

At sub-area 1024 under Nam Ka Special-use forest’s management, rangers also noted two chopped-down trees with diameters of 1-1.5m, and 1.5 sq.m of timber.

Trees had been chopped down in the forest before. The provincial People’s Committee had mobilised rangers to patrol the forest, but the work had so far not been effective. — VNS