VietNamNet Bridge - The pine forest in Subregion No 144A of the Da Nhim Protective Forest in Lam Dong has been contaminated with chemicals.

Competent agencies have gathered their strength to track the killers that poisoned the protective pine forest.

Trinh Ngu Hung, head of the Board of Management of the Da Nhim Protective Forest in Lac Duong District, said the pine trees in the subregion are turning yellow, while many trees have withered. 

Someone is suspected of piercing the trees’ roots and injecting chemicals through the holes.

Hung said this is a major deforestation case which has caused serious consequences. 

Since the management board still cannot find the culprits, it has reported the case to the Lac Duong District Police, requesting investigations.

The poisoning of the pine forest was discovered by workers of the Ra Da Hoa Forest Protection Unit when they joined forces with local forest rangers to examine Subregion No 144A in Da Sar Commune of Lac Duong District.

The inspectors found that 90 pine trees (Pinus kesiya) on an area of 1,800 square meters have had their bark cleared. There were holes on the tree trunks through which the culprits injected chemicals. The toxic chemicals made the trees wither and die months later. 

The trees of the pine population are estimated to be over 20 years old. They had average diameter of 18-40 cm, length of 14-16 meters and timber reserves of 36 cubic meters.

The case has worried the local authorities and local people, who fear the culprits may continue to poison other forests.

A similar case occurred in Dak Nong Province. Cong An Nhan Dan newspaper reported that in late 2014, thousands of 25-30-year old pine trees in Quang Son Commune of Dak G’long District died from toxic chemicals.

What most worries locals is that though the poisoning was discovered a long time ago, competent agencies and local authorities still have not found any solution. The pine forest there is in danger of being eliminated.

The vast pine forests stretching along the inter-provincial roadside, which were so green in the past, have been ruined, turning dry and yellow.

The pine forest in Subregion No 1659 is believed to be the biggest victim. Hundreds of pine trees in the locality are dying day by day because of toxic chemicals.

A preliminary report showed that at least 395 trees have been poisoned with the same method.

In related news, in Gia Lai province, the Chu Pah District’s authorities are going to prosecute the illegal loggers who chopped the trees in Subregion No 187. 

The loggers felled 40 trees. Ten cubic meters of wood were found on the site. 

Thien Nhien