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Logging on: Officials from the An Diem Forest Management Station measure the illegally-exploited logs. —VNA/VNS Photo

QUANG NAM — Officials from the An Diem Hydropower Plant in Quang Nam’s Dai Lanh Village are desperate for help to stop illegal logging, which is ravaging upstream forests at an alarming rate.

It is estimated that every day hundreds of loggers illegally fell trees in the forest. Larger trees of over 0.6m in diametre are prime targets.

Loggers may not be aware that exploitation of the forest has damaged the region’s natural resources, and made villagers in the An Diem forest locality much more susceptible to natural disasters like droughts and flash floods.

Two big rivers, the Vang and the Kon, run through the 21,000ha of forest in the Hien and Dai Loc districts. The forest provides sources for the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers, both known for their fury during the rainy season.

However, water levels at the An Diem Hydropower Plant have been at a record low during the dry season, reducing output to one-third of normal capacity, at only 541,000 kWh.

"If no measures are taken to stop illegal logging, the An Diem power plant will be unable to operate during the next dry season," said An Diem, the hydropower plant manager for Tran Phuoc Huu.

The logs are tied to buoys and floated downstream on the Vang and Kon rivers. On forest roads, logs are pulled by buffaloes or removed by bicycle.

"Buffaloes can remove 6 to 7 cu.m. of timber and bicycles about 4 cu.m. of timber out of the forest everyday," said Huu.

Over the last two months, the An Diem forest rangers have confiscated over 30cu.m. of logs on the rivers. In the first 10 days of last month, 10 timber-laden floats were seized in the immediate spillway vicinity of the An Diem plant.

Recently, rangers discovered loggers felling trees in 1.5 ha of a primeval forest in the Hien District.

"I’m hired by big contractors in Da Nang for VND45,000 a day to fell trees and pull logs from the forest to the Kon River," said a Dai Lanh villager, a regular logger in the An Diem forest. "A logger who has a buffalo can earn more-between VND150,000 and VND 200,000 a day."

Natural disasters have wreaked havoc on the region. A flash flood caused heavy damage to the Dai Loc District’s Dai Lanh, Dai Son, Dai Dong and Dai Hong villages on August 21, 2000.

"We need effective co-operation between the forestry control service, local authorities and the An Diem Hydropower Plant," said Huu.

An Diem forest is also threatened by fires. Some 15 stoves work day and night inside the forest for distilling sarsaparilla.

Sarsaparilla trees, whose fragrant roots flavour soft drinks, have been uprooted in great numbers in recent years in many forests throughout the country.

Illegal gold miners operating in the An Diem Forest pose yet another threat to the region.

However, it is very difficult to stop all the above abuses. The An Diem Forest Control Office, with only four staff members, is unable to stop illegal logging. On many occasions rangers have been attacked by loggers. Even if loggers are caught, they are released after their logs are confiscated. They usually return to work the next day. — VNS

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