Gia Lai company prosecuted for deforestation

GIA LAI — A local agricultural and forestry company in Krông Pa District, the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai was reported to have damaged about 30,000sq.m of forest land.

District police have started criminal proceedings against the perpetrators of the deforestation.

According to the district’s forest protection unit, Phúc Phong Gia Lai  Limited Company has been chopping down the trees in forest zone 1396 of Chư Drăng Commune since October.

The trees, of different varieties including thành ngạnh, căm xe, and bằng lăng, were chopped down by axe or saw. Each tree was between three and 12 metres tall and had a trunk diametre of between eight and 38 centimetres.

According to the local authorities’ investigation, Lục Văn Khoa, living in Ea Hồ Commune of Krông Năng District, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, cut down the trees. Khoa is a member of the staff at Phúc Phong Gia Lai Company.

In 2017, the company asked to rent nearly 860ha of forest land from Gia Lai Province’s authorities to grow trees.

However, the local authorities did not approve the proposal. Though not having permission, the company then cut down areas of the natural forest to begin growing a new one.

The investigation is ongoing. — VNS