Dak Lak (VNA) - Central Highlands localitiesneed to raise the sense of responsibility among forest owners and managementunits regarding forestry protection and development, Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said on June 22.
He made the call during a conference on forestrymanagement and production in the Central Highlands by the Steering Committee onthe National Target Programme on Sustainable Forestry Development, held in BuonMa Thuot city of Dak Lak province.
Relevant agencies have been asked to draft a strategyon the development of the forestry sector for the 2021-2030 period and vision to2050.
The region is home to nearly 2.6 million ha of forest,or 17.5 percent of Vietnam’s total. Forestry coverage was 45.92 percent lastyear.
Areas of natural forests, however, have been on thedecline, by over 15,750 ha in 2019 alone. The three provinces seeing the heaviestfall in the year were Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Gia Lai.
The region is a major location for deforestation andthe illegal exploitation and trafficking of wooden products.
General Director of the Vietnam Administration ofForestry Nguyen Quoc Tri said central highlands provinces aim to protect all ofthe existing natural forest areas in a bid to raise combined areas to 2.72million ha and coverage to 49.2 percent by 2030./.