Most of the tree saplings would be planted later this year. The rest would be sold to outsiders and offered to schools, the community, pagodas and certain government bodies free of charge. Environment Ministry
Forest rangers at the O’phal headquarters in the Sorng Rukhavoan Wildlife Sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey province planted 10,000 luxury tree saplings earlier this year as part of the provincial Department of Environment’s plan to restore 3ha of forest in the province each year.
Department director Phuong Lina told The Post on Sunday that the new trees represent the official start of the department’s plan, which was unveiled last year.
He said last year, the department received more than 4,000 tree saplings from the Ministry of Environment to restore 3ha of forest which was previously logged.
Most of the tree saplings, he said, would be planted by the department in the wildlife sanctuary later this year.
The rest would be sold to outsiders and offered to schools, the Sorng Rukhavoan community, pagodas and certain government bodies free of charge.
“Besides having the plan to plant [tree saplings] ourselves, we can sell them because we need a big budget to support this project sustainably. We have a major plan to plant tree saplings every year,” he said.
Lina said the 10,000 luxury tree saplings the department planted this year were mostly kranhuong trees. Neang Nuon and thnong trees made up about 10 per cent of the saplings.
Forest rangers and youths from the environmental department had volunteered to plant them.
On Saturday, the provincial environmental department led a group of 11 youths to plant 1,100 tree saplings at the O’phal headquarters.
Lina said the tree saplings planted last year were cared for attentively and have grown to stand more than 1m tall. He said the grass around the trees needed to be trimmed regularly and that a forest fire prevention system was established.
“What we planted on 3ha previously was extremely difficult. The saplings affected farmland where cattle would graze.
“But the most important thing is that we demand that the anti-forest fire system be established and grass be cut regularly.
If possible, there could also be a system for planting [tree saplings] and extinguishing a forest fire,” he said.
Sorng Rukhavorn community head, the venerable Bun Saluth said his community is divided into three categories – forest glade which makes up about 60 per cent of the land, the semi-dense forest which covers 20 per cent and dense forest which accounts for 10 per cent.
He said last year, the community received saplings from the Department of Environment and planted them on more than 4ha in the forest glade. It included more than 10,000 palm tree saplings.
“We have done more than the department, such as patrolling the forest. . The department provides the tree saplings, we only plant them,” he said.
Saluth said this year, he plans to plant more palm tree saplings, kranhuong and thnong trees on some 3ha. Those tree saplings would grow well if they are protected from forest fires, he said.
He also said during the dry season, 10,000 newly planted five-year-old tree saplings had been destroyed by arsonists.
