Forests and forestry

Speaking before members of the Cambodian diaspora in the US on Sunday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said he has ordered helicopters to be deployed above forests in the Kingdom to monitor illegal logging activities. ...

The Kampong Cham commune council in Kratie province’s Sambo district is representing 1,294 families to lodge a complaint against Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary head Nhem Visal for abusing villagers and allowing traders to haul timber illegally. ...

The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency on Wednesday called for a rosewood trade suspension against Vietnam, accusing it of accepting fake Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species permits from Cambodia. ...

The Poutil ethnic community members from Busra commune in Mondulkiri province’s Pichreada district handed two men to district police for further action on Thursday, after they allegedly cleared many hectares of forest in their community. ...

Mondulkiri provincial Governor Svay Sam Eang has responded to criticism from Interior Minister Sar Kheng who claimed that provincial officials have failed to curb forestry crimes. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng is pushing for an amendment of the forestry law to be done before the end of the current mandate. Earlier this week, Mr Kheng said that illegal logging in Mondulkiri province is rampant and that an amendment was needed to delegate ...

Some 100 families from Pichreada district’s Pu Chrey commune in Mondulkiri province said a private company continues to clear forest in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary even after the authority made the firm sign a contract promising to stop its activities. ...

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng cited satellite footage of recent forest crimes as he criticised inept provincial officials for illegal logging and the flouting of the Kingdom’s forestry law. “You are not born with the forest. We have an obligation to protect the natural resources ...

Forest activists in Ratanakkiri province’s O’yadav district said on Thursday that a group of Cambodian and Vietnamese traders are colluding with officials and transporting timber from their community forest to Vietnam after they had illegally felled trees there early this month. ...

The ministry’s report, which it shared on its Facebook page, said CRCK II Rubber Development and Bean Heack Investment Co Ltd have been respectively allowed to develop 7,121.78ha and 4,128.66ha within Boeung Pear Wildlife Sanctuary in Kampong Thom province. Following the granting of the concessions, the ...

The United States Agency for International Development has awarded $21 million to Tetra Tech for the next five years to improve nature conservation and strengthen sustainable development in the Prey Lang region, Tetra Tech said on Tuesday. ...

Authorities from Kampong Thom province’s environmental department seized 11 buffalo carts and 10 logs found at Prey Ang Ten wildlife sanctuary on Wednesday. ...

The Wildlife Conservation Society has found seven nests of the globally-threatened Lesser Adjutant Stork in Mondulkiri province’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. Sot Vandoeun, WCS’ wildlife monitoring team leader, said on Tuesday that it is the first time that WCS has found the bird’s nest in ...

The Kampong Thom provincial Forestry Administration yesterday seized three vehicles that were illegally transporting timber. Mom Sophal, Forestry Administration division chief in Kampong Thmar, said his officials seized three vehicles transporting small trees and firewood without permission from authorities at about 10.30am in Baray district. ...

A forest activist from the ethnic Tumpuon community in Ratanakkiri province’s Lumphat district is set to appear at the Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary bureau today for questioning over alleged unauthorised logging and forest clearing in the sanctuary. ...

Some 100 ethnic Banong villagers from Sre Hoy commune’s Chhul and Chhong Pang villages in Mondulkiri province’s Koh Nhek district protested on Tuesday after Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary officials allegedly uprooted wooden posts used to demarcate their ancestral burial sites. ...

Stung Treng provincial police have detained six illegal loggers from Laos who were caught crossing in the province on Friday. Provincial police chief Major General Mao Dara yesterday said that the six men are awaiting repatriation to Laos under an agreement between the countries on ...

The Ministry of Environment issued a warning on Wednesday against encroachment on protected natural areas following some instances of intruders clearing forest land for personal gain. It cited examples of encroachment in the Ream, Bokor and Kirirom national parks and the multi-purpose Kbal Chay freshwater ...

While hunting in the Kingdom’s wildlife sanctuaries has abated, the use of traps have become widespread. That, coupled with deforestation, has caused grave concerns among conservationists who fear the extinction of the endangered yellow-cheeked crested gibbons. ...

The Kampong Chhnang provincial department of agriculture, forestry and fishery is working to identify suspects who had mobilised tractors to illegally clear flooded forest in Toek Phos district’s O’krabey Ngob and O’Klong in Chieb communes. ...

Stung Treng provincial police yesterday cracked down on an illegal timber operation that was transporting logs along the Sekong river in Stung Treng city. Provincial police chief Major General Mao Dara said the illegal timber operation was using rafts to float illegally felled trees along ...

The Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) has recorded 2,926 cases of forestry crimes in four provinces since February 2015, a report it released on Thursday said. It was based on data collected with a novel smartphone app. ...

Fourteen villagers arrested for illegal logging in Phnom Kravanh district by the national military police on Friday were released with a warning after they agreed not to repeat the offence, officials said. ...

Hundreds of rosewood trees will be planted in Siem Reap province as a natural tourist site and to preserve the rare trees in Cambodia. The provincial information department said on Wednesday that the government planned to plant 500 rosewood trees on 1,888 hectares in Banteay ...