Forests and forestry

Preah Sihanouk authorities and park rangers yesterday dismantled more than 40 illegally-built huts and arrested four people suspected of clearing forestland in a national park. ...

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng issued a directive on Thursday establishing an inter-ministerial working group to study illegal forest land occupation and encroachment of protected areas in Mondulkiri province. ...

More than 200 officials from the Apsara Authority and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have planted 2,000 tree saplings at the Prasat Prei temple in Siem Reap province’s Angkor Archaeological Park to further restore forest cover, as trees play an important role in the preservation ...

The Ministry of Environment is planning to include parts of a potential multi-purpose wetland area locally called “Boeungsne-Tuolporn Talei” in Prey Veng province as a protected natural area. ...

The provinces of Kampong Chhnang and Koh Kong yesterday guaranteed legal action against any individual found guilty of encroaching on or engaging in illicit land trade within state-protected forests. ...

Kampong Speu provincial authorities are on the hunt for Choeung Theng, a military officer allegedly connected to 191 pieces of illegally acquired timber which police found concealed in Oral district’s Sangke Satoap commune. ...

Koh Kong provincial authorities said they would not approve the sale and purchase of land in protected areas without proper paperwork. ...

The Ministry of Environment released an 18th month report stating 747 wildlife have been rescued and 206 wild animals were found dead in the Cardamom Mountains. ...

Some 15,625 luxurious trees have been planted in Siem Reap province to cheer the annual Arbour Day on July 9.Some 15,625 luxurious trees have been planted in Siem Reap province to cheer the annual Arbour Day on July 9. ...

Trade of wild orchid flowers, typically found in the Kingdom’s protected areas, has officially been banned following yesterday’s announcement by the Ministry of Environment. ...

Kampong Speu province is set to reclaim land in the Kirirom National Park after accusations from locals that environmental officers had encroached on 2ha of it.​ The statement came from provincial governor Vei Samnang who vowed to get to the bottom of the matter. ...

Indigenous people in Mondulkiri province called in the police and environment officials to visit a logging site in the Phnum Prech Wildlife Sanctuary after reports to a village leader were acted upon. Pu Neav village secretary Liv Kheam said on Monday that 10 indigenous people ...

Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun on Sunday warned that criminals destroying mangrove forests to occupy state land will face strict legal repercussions. The warning came as he attended the replanting of mangroves on 2ha that had been destroyed in Tuol Totoeng commune’s Chumpu Khmao ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday warned of legal action against anyone caught taking advantage of state-mandated land distributions, two days after he ordered several ministries to oversee the transfer of state-protected land to its long-term occupants. ...

Ratanakkiri provincial and O’Yadav district police forces seized 30 logs of mixed timber from a plantation in Pak Nhay commune’s Lom village on Sunday. Police suspect traders hid the logs at the plantation while they waited to transport them to be sold in Vietnam. ...

The University of Copenhagen’s open letter used data from the University of Maryland’s Global Forest Change dataset and other data points to show that 7,510 hectares of forestland were lost at the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in 2019, the worst loss since 2016 when the ...

The Ministry of Environment has created a working group to research and present a proposal to minister Say Sam Al on strategies, plans, projects and best practices to help improve the living standards of people in protected areas. ...

Kampong Speu police and the NGO ACNCIPO on Monday destroyed 117 illegal charcoal kilns in Oral district’s Tasal commune. The owners were required to sign a contract promising to stop the activities, which are taking place in the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary. ...

The Preah Vihear provincial Department of Environment and Rovieng district officials are working to identify a group of people who allegedly cleared 200ha at Boeung Pea wildlife sanctuary and bring them to justice. ...

The Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) and the Pursat provincial Fisheries Administration have released five smooth otters, six dark-grey monkeys and 250 lesser whistling ducks to protected areas in Raingtoel Commune’s Kaoh Ka’ek village in Pursat’s Kandieng district. ...

A male banteng was found dead in Sorng Rukhavorn Wildlife Sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samrong town on Saturday and was likely killed by hunters, said officials.​ Ministry of Environment’s secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra said​ that ​​this was the sixth banteng that ...

Rangers from O’Som headquarters in the South Cardamom Mountains National Park and Wildlife Alliance officials found meat which came from a rare gaur in the Phnom Kravanh section of the park in Pursat province, said a ranger on Wednesday. ...

World Wide Fund for Nature is calling for urgent global action to address factors which it projected would be key drivers in triggering possible zoonotic disease outbreaks in the future. The action comes amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has battered countries worldwide. ...

A lorry delivering furniture to Phnom Penh was impounded in Ratanakkiri province on Sunday as it lacked a permission letter from the Forestry Administration. ...