Ta Cu Nature Reserve in Binh Thuan Province reported a deforestation case with an area of more than 4,900 square meters. However, through actual inspection, the deforestation area is up to nearly 20,000 sq.m.
Many large trees in Ta Cu Nature Reserve are cut down. (Photo: SGGP)
The Forest Protection Department of Binh Thuan Province, on February 5, said that it reported the inspection and verification results following the direction of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development related to the large-scale deforestation that occurred in the Ta Cu Nature Reserve in Ham Thuan Nam District in Binh Thuan Province.
Previously, on December 16, 2022, the Management Board of Ta Cu Nature Reserve reported to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Thuan Province regarding the deforestation case that occurred in the nature reserve.
The report stated that, on July 12, 2022, illegal deforestation occurred in the Lang Lon area in Sub-zone 296c in Ta Cu Nature Reserve, with 4,988 square meters of forest destroyed. Of these, 221 trees were cut down.
On December 14, 2022, according to local people's report, the Management Board of Ta Cu Nature Reserve continued to inspect the scene in Sub-zone 296c and discovered that another 4,900 square meters of forest area were cut down.
Thus, according to the report of Ta Cu Nature Reserve, the total destroyed forest area was more than 9,900 square meters. Forest products were 100 percent damaged, with 402 trees being chopped down and damaged timber reserves of more than 22.2 cubic meters.
The deforestation in Ta Cu Nature Reserve takes place for a long time and in a large scale but is not detected and prevented in time. (Photo: SGGP)
After receiving the above report, on December 20, 2022, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Thuan Province requested the provincial Forest Protection Department to check and verify the information and content of the report.
The Forest Protection Department of Binh Thuan Province then coordinated with relevant units to inspect the scene and found a difference.
Specifically, the inspection team discovered that in Sub-zone 296c, the destroyed forest area was up to 19,900 square meters, nearly 15,000 square meters higher than the report of the Management Board of Ta Cu Nature Reserve.
The destroyed forest area is up to 19,900 square meters. (Photo: SGGP)
Because the scale of the illegal deforestation exceeds the administrative penalty framework, the Forest Protection Department of Binh Thuan Province has reported to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to request the People's Committee of Ham Thuan Nam District to direct law enforcement agencies to handle documents and track violators for punishment according to the Penal Code 2015.
In addition, the Forest Protection Department of Binh Thuan Province also asked the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct Ta Cu Nature Reserve to organize a review of individuals and groups related to the deforestation that took place for a long time and in a large scale but was not detected and prevented in time.
By Nguyen Tien – Translated by Gia Bao
