Tourism project shut down because of deforestation violations

The Dak Nong Provincial Department of Planning and Investment said that they had revoked the investment licence of a tourism project in the area due to it deliberately enabling illegal loggers to destroy the forest.

Lu Van Trung, director of the Dak Nong Provincial Department of Planning and Investment has said that they had shut down and revoked the investment licence of a tourism project in the area due to it deliberately enabling illegal loggers to destroy the forest.

  

Forest destroyed in Dak Lak Province

The Luu Ly Waterfall eco-tourism project of Lao Dai Trade Service Company based in HCM City will be shut down for violating the Investment Law, Trung said on July 13.

The VND11bn project was planned to include restaurants, entertainment area and the beach. Dak Nong provincial authorities allocated over 88 hectares of land to Lau Dai Trade Service Company with the waterfall and forest land.

But construction was slow to be carried out and the company didn't have any measure to protect the land. As the result of lax management, illegal loggers destroyed the forest. It is suspected that the loggers received help from company employees.

Dak Song District Forest Ranger Unit admitted that this was a deforestation hotspot.

Luu Ly Waterfall was listed as Dak Nong's key tourism site since 2007. The waterfall is located in the north-east of Nam N'Jang Commune, 10km away from the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Despite the beautiful scenery, the authorities haven't been able to make full use of the waterfall as a tourist site.