According to a report from local authorities, many of the trees aged between 20-45 years in a forest in Bao Lam District have been poisoned by herbicides.

Forest rangers discovered the case during a patrol in early July. Someone had drilled holes of between 10-15 cm into the trees and poured herbicides into them, the report said.

A total of 252 pine trees were found dying from poisoning in an area of 8,300 square metres. The forest area is managed by Dam Bri Protective Forest Management Board and a local firm. Some 103 trees are recovering after receiving care and treatment.

Lam Dong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked for an investigation into the case. The department noted that the situation might have been caused by lax management by local authorities and the collusion of local officials.

There have been similar recent cases in the province where Illegal loggers have cut down, burnt or used chemicals to poison the trees to use the forest land for farming.

Earlier in 2019, over 300 pine trees in Bao Lam District and over 3,000 others in Lam Ha District were also killed.

Source: Dtinews