DIALOGUES ON THE OPERATION REGULATIONS OF THE CFM BOARD AND CLUB; VILLAGE’S CFM REGULATION FOR THE BOARD OF COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGERS IN KHE TRAN VILLAGE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FOREST USE CLUB IN XA NGHIN I VILLAGE
This activity is part of the project "Sustainable management of natural forests through raising awareness and building capacity to improve the use of the rights and legal status of ethnic minority communities to natural forests in central Vietnam in 2013", sponsored by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Vietnam.
In the morning of the October 19th, the dialogue was held between 16 members of the Khe Tran Board of CFM with experts and representatives from the Thua Thien Hue Forestry Science and Technology Association and Phong Dien Nature Reservation. The event took place at the Community House of Khe Tran , Phong My commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province.
Khe Tran village has been assigned by the Phong Dien District People`s Committee to manage nearly 200 hectares of natural forest since 2011, but in the last 2 years, the community has ineffectively implemented the management, protection and development of forests. In early 2013, with the support from Project Rosa, the Thua Thien Hue Forestry Science and Technology Association and C&E have organized several training workshops and dialogues on policies helping considerably raise awareness and capacity of the members of the Board of CFM and of the people, the equipment assisted by the project such as bookcases, materials, protective clothing to guard and supervise the forests, handy speakers, stationery, cost for exchanging information or to contact … has actually help direct Board of CFM’s activities in discipline, depth and quality. The Board expressed its joy and was excited due to its Operation Regulation, regulations on managing the use of the village’s community forest protection and management fund approved by the Phong My commune People`s Committee, and the Forest Protection Regulation has been approved by the Forest Ranger Office, District Justice Office and is waiting for the district People`s Committee for approval. The two documents, which will be approved, will be important legal basis for the board’s operate more effectively.
Besides the abovementioned advantages, the board’s members also mentioned the difficulties and limitations in their activities. Specifically, the way in natural forests managed by the rocky slope so much difficulty walking, catering equipment for patrolling forest protection is poor, do not have the funds to pay for labor the patrolling guard should not be encouraging them to actively participate; mechanisms and sanctions for the Board to handle external objects invasive forest community not strong enough to prevent … Moreover, the lives of the people are poor , they struggled to prioritize paid employment for more family participation is voluntary forest management and protection. Therefore, stakeholders suggested considering partial funding support for the patrolling, guarding the forest as well as support the development and enrichment models (animal /plant crops, native son) has developed the State forest fund has created more livelihood and income for the people. There is so new to motivate local people to actively participate in the management of community forests are protected State.
Representatives of the Forestry Science and Technology Association discuss solutions to the problem. Specifically, the local people should promote the power of community, the goal of forest patrolling and protection is prevention of violations of forest law in the area. Therefore, the BCFM needs a specific plan for the forest patrol units and gives them information on forest invasive as well as always implement patrolling forest guards with the presence of the local people. When forest does have its owners, outsiders and intruders are really afraid of the owners and therefore it will to limit the destruction of forests and the illegal exploitation of forest products. In case of stubborn, reckless loggers, the forest patrol units should immediately report to the Board of CFM, local governments, agencies to deal with the illegal loggers promptly. Regarding funding, the BCFM shoul be more flexible in search for other sources of support for the implementation of active regeneration, enriching the fund to serve the protection and management of their forests. It is needed to strictly implement the provision in which each of the local workers have the responsibility to contribute 5 workdays which are equivalent to 500.000VND/year, this is revenue to cover the activities of forest patrolling and protection of the community. In term of implementing the Operation Regulation of CFM Board and Club and Village’s CFM Regulation, the Association will send officials to help the CFMB effectively implement the obligations, responsibilities and gain full rights under the provisions and regulations of the State Regulation and according to this Regulations.
The dialogue has become an open forum for members of the Khe Tran CFMB and local people, they did have a chance to exchange, discuss and share experiences on issues related to the building and implementation of the BCFM’s Regulation and Khe Tran’s Forest development and protection convemtion. The dialogue also contributes in raising awareness and understanding of the people on this two important documents. Then, the implementation of the Regulation, the Regulation will improve significantly in the future, contribute to improving the efficiency, effective management, protection and development of forest resources by the State assigned to community Khe Tran.
The dialogue of the environmentally friendly forest use club in village Xa Nghin I with government representatives and relevant local agencies took place on October 28th, 2013 in the village’s house Guoi.
Attending the dialogue, besides 30 club members were representatives from 19 other households along with representatives from departments, organizations, local government as chairman of People`s Committee, commune forestry officials and forest rangers, Quang Nam Forest Protection Department. At this meeting, all participants discussed the involvement of stakeholders in the community forest management, protection and development in general and how to implement the issued Operation Regulations of the club have in particular.
Chairman of the Board and club members recognized that they should actively, positvely proposed programs of club activities such as sending submissions to Dong Giang Forestry Protection Office, or Forest protection office in the commune, the People`s Committee proposed for patrol guidance to strengthen self-defense militia, police, village teams to support club participating in raiding loggers. This shows the role of the club, from passive to active in calling for support in the forces and funding from the government and the local authorities to assist and make club’s activities more efficiently.
Za Hung commune People’s Committee and local forest ranger also realized that in order to effectively protect the forest, it is needed to uphold the role of more people in the management of community forest, to regularly receive information and mobilize forces to check, raids, seizure and tackle of violations in the resource-rich forests which have been allocated to the community to manage. To the government, the special functional agencies need to well implement the communication, supply and give people knowledge, practical information for the process of manufacturing and guide them to effectively apply scientific and technical advances in production.
Through the dialogue, club members have had a more realistic view in expressing their roles and responsibilities in giving advice and feedback to make the club’s operation more efficient The people participated positively in giving feedback to make and complete the regulation on community forest management, protection and development and to be approved by the local government also marks a step forward in the forest protection and management activities of local communities.