On October 15, the Lâm Đồng Provincial People's Committee established Tà Kóu Nature Reserve across Hàm Thuận Nam and Tân Thành communes.
The reserve covers 8,408.0 hectares in total. More than 7,342 hectares is natural forest, more than 281 hectares is planted forest, and the remaining land is forest land without forest cover.
The reserve has three functional zones: a 2,994.34-hectare strict protection zone, a 3,953.91-hectare ecological restoration zone, and a 1,459.75-hectare service and administration zone. Its buffer zone covers 9,289.7 hectares and includes 12 villages in Hàm Thuận Nam and Tân Thành communes.
The reserve is intended to provide a legal basis for managing, protecting and developing forests, while maintaining characteristic forest ecosystems and conserving genetic resources, endangered and rare species, and natural habitats.
It is also intended to restore degraded forest areas, support scientific research and environmental education, and develop ecotourism in accordance with regulations.
Under the decision, the estimated funding requirement for establishing the reserve in 2026–2030 is more than VND 75.86 billion. Implementation will depend on the budget balance, the mobilisation of other funding sources and the medium-term investment plan.
The provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to advise on reorganising the Tà Kóu Nature Reserve Management Board by adjusting the name of the existing Tà Kóu Nature Conservation Area Management Board. The department will also guide, inspect and supervise implementation.
The management board is responsible for forest protection and development programmes, biodiversity conservation and buffer-zone management.
Alongside conservation work, the plan includes livelihood support for people in the buffer zone, community participation in forest protection, a review and marking of boundaries, and the resolution of outstanding land issues in the forest area.
Ecotourism, resort and recreational activities will be carried out in accordance with regulations, with the aim of using natural resources appropriately while protecting nature.
Sources: Dân Trí
