Citizen to play role in forest protection

Forestry officials are working to prevent illegal logging hotspots in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai by raising the role of citizens.

Forestry officials are working to prevent illegal logging hotspots in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai by raising the role of citizens.

Special use forests are illegally logged in many localities

According to statistics, the northern mountainous province has nearly 186,000 hectares of forest. The province has managed to bring forest coverage area from 18.2 percent in 1991 to 51.3 percent as of May 2013.

According to Nguyen Van Vui, head of the Lao Cai Bureau on Forest Protection, forestry officials have been also working to raise awareness of local residents on limiting farming practices that pose risks to the forest, such as slash-and-burn or wood burning to get charcoal.

The provincial people’s committee has agreed to provide allowances for residents at the local level who are involved frequently in forestry protection.