VietNamNet Bridge - The forestland in the districts of Thanh Son, Thanh Thuy and Tam Nong of the midland province of Phu Tho has been seriously damaged. 

The local hills reserved for forests are in danger of being leveled. 

The peaceful days in the localities are over since geological exploration discovered ore and kaolin under the planted forests. 

Businesses and people rushed to the land to uncover the earth to look for minerals which can bring money. Because of the treatment of natural resources, the green forests have disappeared.

Mountains and hills extend in the area between the districts of Thanh Son and Thanh Thuy. Local people plant forests there under the management of local authorities. 

For many years, the planted forests had s great advantage in local economic development.

The forestland in the districts of Thanh Son, Thanh Thuy and Tam Nong of the midland province of Phu Tho has been seriously damaged.

However, planted forests are not the only thing one can see there. Countless holes created by mineral exploitation have been created, alternating with forests. 

Local men said that the mineral exploitation activities there were carried out in the open air. A lot of hills reserved for planting production forests have disappeared.

Reporters, playing the part of exploiters, found that it was easy to contact local people to buy the hills. Brokers affirmed that the forestland there was vast enough and one can buy as much as he wants.  

However, the major reason behind the disappearance of most of the forestland is that the local authorities allowed investors to develop projects there. 

The investors registered farming and afforestation projects, but in fact, they cut down forests to exploit minerals.

In May 2015, the Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee released a decision to lease 9.9 hectares of land to Huy Hoang Investment and Trade JSC for developing a cattle husbandry area and planting forest in Thach Khoan commune of Thanh Son district.

Under the project, Huy Hoang would plant 7 hectares of forests, and raise 3,000 pigs, 500 chickens and 500 goats. 

Meanwhile, its major business fields, as shown in the investment license, are mineral exploitation, metal trading and building material manufacturing.

Right after getting the land allocated, the enterprise leveled the area surface and began the exploitation activities.

There was no sign showing that Huy Hoang Company, the investor, was implementing the farming project. 

When reporters came to the site, they only saw minerals piled in heaps and the machines that served exploitation.

A series of other hills, next to the land area allocated to Huy Hoang to develop the farming & afforestation project, have also been devastated.

Nguyen Van Ha, a local man, has been found opening a 2 kilometer road which allows exploiters to bring machines to the hills to excavate land.


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