Localities and forest owners in Ha Tinh each year plant about 8,000 hectares of concentrated forests and tens of thousands of scattered trees to cover bare hills, develop sustainable forests, protect the environment, and improve the efficiency of forestry land use...

The rainy season has come, the cool weather is also the ideal time for Mr. Nguyen Van Dung's family in village 9, Phu Phong commune, Huong Khe district to sell forestry seedlings (mainly acacia). In recent days, Mr. Dung's family's nursery garden of more than 3,000 ^m2 has always been crowded with customers from the communes of Huong Giang, Huong Binh, Huong Lam, Huong Lien... coming to buy seedlings for planting forests.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (right) in Phu Phong commune, Huong Khe district instructs customers on raw material forest planting techniques.

Mr. Dung said: “On average, each year, I sell about 1.8 million forestry seedlings of all kinds (Acacia auriculiformis accounts for 95%) to serve forestry production activities. This year alone, during peak months, I can sell about 250,000 - 300,000 seedlings. I mainly link these seedlings with reputable production facilities in the North (accounting for 90% of output) for consumption. The seedling garden not only helps my family earn about 250 million VND/year, creating jobs for 4 local workers, but also helps people promote forestry production and develop sustainable forests.”

New raw material forests are planted in Huong Lam commune (Huong Khe).

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tai - Deputy Head of Huong Khe District Forest Protection Department informed: “In the first 9 months of 2023, the whole district has planted about 150,000 scattered trees and nearly 400 hectares of concentrated forests, mainly replanting exploited acacia areas in all localities in the area. In the last months of this year, forest planting activities are expected to be more active. We will focus on directing and managing forest owners and localities to carry out forest development well; do a good job of managing all types of forests and forestry land; minimize the situation of clearing and encroaching on natural forests for production...”.

Ha Tinh currently has nearly 26 thousand hectares of FSC certified planted forest area.

Like Huong Khe, Ky Anh district is a locality with many forests and forestry land, so forest development work is always of interest to the agricultural sector, local authorities, and forest owners, and is carried out regularly and effectively.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Luu - Head of Ky Anh District Forest Protection Department informed: "Thanks to proactive implementation of forestry targets, in the past 9 months, the whole district has planted more than 1,683 new concentrated production forests (replanted after exploitation is 1,673 hectares, newly planted 10 hectares), 2 hectares of protective forests and 317 thousand scattered trees. In addition, the district also focuses on planting forests with FSC certification, linking production with protection, investing in forestry infrastructure, strengthening supervision of exploitation activities, advising on plans to reclaim ineffective production forest areas...".

With the assigned responsibilities and tasks, state forest owners and forestry companies in the area have also actively and responsibly participated. Mr. Nguyen Phi Cong - Deputy Director of Ke Go Nature Reserve Management Board said: "On average, each year, the unit plants about 600 hectares of new forests of all kinds; in 2023 alone, up to this point, about 650 hectares have been planted (exceeding the annual plan), of which nearly 40% are protection forests, more than 60% are production forests".

Union members of Ke Go Nature Reserve participate in planting production forests in Cam Xuyen.

In recent years, localities with advantages in forestry land in Ha Tinh such as Huong Son, Huong Khe, Vu Quang, Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh district... have always focused on forest development. Forest planting activities are closely linked to environmental care and protection, stabilizing people's livelihoods...

According to statistics from the Ha Tinh Forest Protection Department, in recent years, on average, Ha Tinh has planted about 8,000 hectares of forests of all kinds each year (about 92-94% are production forests, the rest are protection forests), about 3 million scattered trees. The area of ​​newly planted forests is increasing (in 2022 it is 9,620 hectares, this year it is expected to be higher). In addition, the whole province has maintained and protected 2,500-2,800 hectares of regenerated forests, enriching more than 200 hectares of natural forests.

Seedling gardens help people promote forestry production and develop sustainable forests.

Mr. Le Huu Tuan - Head of the Forest Use and Development Department (Provincial Forest Protection Department) informed: In the first 9 months of 2023, the whole province planted nearly 4,602 hectares of concentrated forests (protection forests of more than 323 hectares, the rest were production forests), reaching 51% of the annual plan; nearly 2 million scattered trees, reaching nearly 67% of the annual plan. In the last months of this year, localities and units will focus on accelerating progress to achieve the set targets and forest development plans.

Along with the value of protection, greening bare hills, preserving the ecological environment, forest development has helped Ha Tinh achieve a timber exploitation output of 500,000 ^m3 /year, creating jobs for more than 50,000 workers, bringing economic benefits to production households, contributing to ensuring social security in the province. Forest development activities have also helped localities build hundreds of economic models combining gardens - ponds - barns - forests with an income of over 1 billion VND/year/model and have 26 thousand hectares of forest certified for sustainable forest management by FSC.

Duy Lieng - Tien Phuc