On the morning of March 28, the Provincial People's Committee organized a conference to summarize the work on forestry management, protection, and development for the year 2024, the first quarter of 2025, and to launch the key tasks for 2025. Comrade Nguyen Thien Van - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with leaders from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, co-chaired the conference.

The Conference on the Summary of Forestry Management, Protection, and Development for the Year 2024, Q1 of 2025, and the Implementation of Key Tasks for 2025.

In 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, the management and protection of forests in the province will continue to be implemented rigorously, achieving significant results. Relevant authorities have intensified patrols, inspections, and strictly dealt with violations, while also promoting forest fire prevention and control (FFPC), ensuring the stability of the current forest area.

According to data from 2024, the forested area in the province covers 507,409.2 hectares (natural forest 410,360.1 hectares, planted forest 97,049.1 hectares). The forest cover rate is 38.82% (an increase of 0.78% compared to 2023).

Delegates engaged in discussions at the conference.

In 2024, the entire province successfully planted 4,831.05 hectares of concentrated forest out of a planned 1,817 hectares, achieving 265.8% of the target (surpassing the result of 2023, which was 321.75 hectares). Among this, 4,787.05 hectares were production forests (with 1,477.66 hectares newly planted and 3,309.39 hectares replanted after exploitation); 44 hectares were designated for special use and protective forests; and 200,683 scattered trees were planted, which exceeded the planned target of 200,000 trees, although it was 183,051 trees fewer than the result in 2023.

During the dry season of 2024, two forest fires occurred in the province due to prolonged severe hot weather, resulting in damage across 4.47 hectares. The fires were caused by uncontrolled burning of refuse and fallow land by local residents. Upon detection of the forest fires, forest management units collaborated with the Forestry Rangers, Fire Prevention and Fighting Police, and local authorities to mobilize forces to promptly extinguish the flames. The incidents have been documented and processed by the competent authorities in accordance with regulations. In the first quarter of 2025, no forest fires were reported in the province.

Throughout 2024, the Forestry Rangers, in coordination with relevant agencies, monitored, detected, and documented 1,074 violations (an increase of 38 cases compared to the previous year), resolving 1,033 cases, with 1,021 handled administratively and 12 prosecuted criminally. They confiscated 275 cubic meters of various types of wood and 195 vehicles and tools, yielding total revenue of 2.145 billion VND, with 1.886 billion VND remitted to the state budget.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Forestry Rangers processed 250 violations of forestry law, resolving 165 cases. The confiscated items included 16 vehicles and equipment of various types, 43.77 cubic meters of wood, and 34 kilograms of wild animals, with post-resolution revenue totaling 261.35 million VND.

In 2024 and early 2025, the Provincial People's Committee submitted documentation to approve the conversion of forest land for other purposes to implement six projects covering a total area of 168.0618 hectares, which has been sanctioned by the Provincial People's Council.

Comrade Nguyen Minh Huan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, moderated the discussion..

In addition to the achievements, the conference also pointed out existing shortcomings, including forest protection efforts are not comprehensive, with fundamental changes lacking stability; investment resources are still limited; illegal logging continues to occur in many areas, creating "hotspots" of unlawful timber extraction that have persisted over time; while the trend of uncontrolled migration has decreased, it has not been effectively managed, allowing for further deforestation and encroachment on forest land. Many One-Member Limited Liability Forestry Companies and Two-Member Limited Liability Companies are still weak, failing to adequately protect forest resources and land. The implementation of forest and agroforestry development projects has not yielded effective results, with forests continuing to be encroached upon.

Comrade Nguyen Thien Van - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acknowledges and concludes the Conference.

In his concluding remarks at the Conference, Comrade Nguyen Thien Van - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee recognized and commended the efforts of various levels, sectors, the People's Committees of districts, towns, cities, state-owned forest units, and the forest ranger forces in their persistent efforts to initially curb the encroachment of forest land, deforestation, and illegal logging activities.

To effectively implement forest management and protection, forest fire prevention and control, and the forest development plan for 2025, the Provincial People's Committee requires all departments, agencies, localities, relevant units, and forest management units to continue to thoroughly disseminate and implement the central and provincial directives related to forest management, protection, and development; ensure proper state management of agricultural and forestry projects within the province; effectively carry out the objectives under the Sustainable Forestry Development Program for 2025; organize inspections and reviews of forest land usage by organizations and individuals assigned or leased land; promptly rectify and address issues; strictly handle violations regarding forests and forest land; continue to implement measures to strengthen forest protection, and restore the natural forests that have been degraded in recent years within the province; enhance the responsibilities of local governments at all levels, rectify state management of land; and decisively and effectively deal with violations of land laws, especially encroachments upon forestry land; organize the reclamation and effective utilization of encroached forestry land within the province.