Forest protection handed over to people of Yen Bai

Economy

Forest protection handed over to people of Yen Bai

Thursday, May 5, 2022

YBO - Along with measures in “closing the forest”, the Yen Bai provincial government has assigned the key task of forest protection to local people through a policy of paying them to provide forest protection services.

Leaders and officials from the Van Chan District Forest Protection Department and local people inspect forest protection efforts.

Peace of mind from protecting the forest

Giang A Chua from Khau Ly village in Ban Mu commune, Mu Cang Chai district, said his family receives money for providing environmental services on more than 20 hectares of natural forests and 7.5 hectares of large timber forests. A stable income of tens of millions of VND a year helps Chua’s family have more capital for animal husbandry and farming, buying household items, and raising children. Planning and protecting forests have become the livelihood of the whole family, and with the greater stability, Chua feels more secure in living with and protecting his forest surroundings.

Meanwhile, in Giang Cai village in Nam Lanh commune, Van Chan district, there were three community groups in 2020 alone contracted to protect forests, receiving more than 1.2 billion VND. The money helped some poor local households increase and stabilise their earnings and escape from poverty as they grow and take care of more forest area.

Yen Bai is home to over 325,977 hectares of forest and forested land. This is within four main river and stream basins in eight districts and over 104 communes, wards, and towns.

Some 53,000 households receive payments for forest protection and afforestation. Depending on the location and nature of the area, the payment varies, from 600,000 to 800,000 VND per hectare per year.

More to benefit

Beyond helping people earn more income, the policy of paying for forest protection services has also spread a positive "energy” within the community.

Giang A Phong from De Xu Phinh commune in Mu Cang Chai district said that, in the past, life was difficult, and he and many others went into the forest to cut down trees for firewood for cooking or even cleared some forest area for farming.

"It’s different now, as the forest is viewed as being like family property, and we will not be paid for environmental services if there is no forest or if the forest is in poor condition,” he said. "Every person in the village must be responsible for protecting the forest, and when there is any encroachment, we quickly notify the ranger”.

The policy on payments for environmental services has indeed had a significant impact, rapidly increasing the province’s forest area. The total area of forest in Yen Bai currently stands at 522,959 hectares, with coverage reaching 63 percent in 2020.

Nguyen Tien Thanh, Deputy Director of the Forest Protection and Development Fund in Yen Bai province, said the most important thing is that the policy has brought benefits to local people and changed their attitudes. From previously cutting down and exploiting forests to now planting and nurturing them, people feel responsible for sustainable forest development associated with biodiversity.

According to the Director of the Yen Bai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Dinh Dang Luan, the province is focusing on creating forest management records and contracting forest protection to communities living nearby, in accordance with the Forest Law. At the same time, it is developing forests in parallel with protecting ecosystems, the environment, and biodiversity, in order to effectively exploit forests to the benefit of more people.

The province also continues to innovate payment methods for the provision of such services through bank transfers or post offices, etc., to ensure transparency.

YBO

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