Illegal logging destroys protected forest The Song Lo protected forest in Thanh Hoa Province is being destroyed and forest rangers seem to be unable to control the situation. Blatant illegal logging has been reported by residents of Lam Phu Commune, Lang Chanh District. Large areas of chopped down trees riddle the path that leads to the forest. The loggers have cut down trees in many forest areas such as Lan Chay, Me Giang and Ong Vien.     Logs in the forest After cutting wood into suitable planks and blocks, the loggers use motorbikes to carry it out under cover of darkness. They often work in large groups of four to six so that they can intimidate rangers if they are caught. The deeper into the forest one goes, the more treeless areas can be found. The illegal loggers do not bother with stealth. A large amount of lumber can be seen sitting around near the centre of the village of Na Dang. Nguyen Duy Vinh, the head of the forest ranger unit in Lang Chanh District admitted that the situation has gotten out of control in and around Na Dang Village. Since late 2013, they have increased the number of rangers there but, due to large area and lack of personnel, the problem continues.     Chopped down trees As of late 2013, loggers were able to take away dozens of cubic metres of woods. Locals refuse to act for fear of reprisals. "We tried to do our best. We've made reports to the Thanh Hoa Province People's Committee so that they could direct the relevant agencies to deal with the problem," Vinh said. The chairman of Lang Chanh District People's Committee also said they asked forest rangers and managers of Song Lo forest increase their efforts to prevent illegal logging. "We'll report to the higher-ups if becomes necessary," he said. VietNamnet