LookAtVietnam – Illegal logging is threatening the survival of Viet Nam’s thong do (red pine) trees in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong,

Red pine (photo: nea.gov.vn)

Tran Thanh Binh, head of the department, said a new project to preserve the trees would be set up, and the Lam Dong Silviculture Research Centre, working with the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) Forest Seed Enterprise, would carry out a pilot plan to plant more trees.

According to the department, the number of red pines has dropped from around 300 trees in 2004 to fewer than 100.

Most of them are located near Nui Voi (Elephant Mountain) and in the Phat Chi Valley in Xuan Truong commune.

Since 2008, 20 of the perennial trees have been cut down illegally, an official of Lam Dong Province’s Forest Protection Department has said.

Loggers cut down the trees because of its wood, which is hard and has a dark-brown core that has high economic value.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News