Uproar over tree felling prompts Thai highway rethink

[webfact]

Uproar over tree felling prompts highway rethink
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT officials have suspended the chopping down of mostly teak trees along Highway No 2 in Nan after the plan set off an uproar from residents and environmentalists.

Pracharn Malithong, director of Nan Highway No 2, said yesterday that discussions would be held with the protesters before further clearing of about one kilometre of Nan-Thawangpa Road.

Complaints had flooded in from environmentalists, civic groups and students, who were invited to meet with authorities tomorrow.

Some trees must still be cut down while others would be removed.

Department engineers had inspected the area again and decided the road expansion would continue on one side of a tunnel of trees to avoid too much logging, he said.

The project involves expanding the two-lane road from nine metres to 12m along the 80km stretch from Nan Muang district to Ban Huay Kon in Chalermphrakiat district, near the border with Laos.

About 1,000 trees have been cleared from the route. The protests mostly concerned the tree tunnel, he added.

Residents and civic groups in Nan last month launched a "love the trees" campaign after a Nan resident posted a petition on www.change.org.in

They hoped it would convince the department to stop the project, even though it was aimed at stimulating the provincial economy.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Uproar-over-tree-felling-prompts-highway-rethink-30255597.html


-- The Nation 2015-03-09

[khwaibah]

Since when does highway 2 go any where close to Nan ?

[kartman]

Nan highway 2 not Highway 2

[joesanunu]

Same thing happened year ago in KaoYai, no?

Teak harvesting by government officials is what they were up to.

[Whale]

At last a happy story of citizens standing up for something higher - the press should cover these stories more.

[Strangebrew]

What no environmental impact study? Oh ok I got it the HISO wanted to sell the teak on the slide a hush hush deal. OOPS guess people are watching now. Oh and another thing the rethink issue maybe one must have a brain in the first place to rethink.

[Robby nz]

Teak trees are not nearly as important as some other species which are threatened as Teak is grown commercially in plantations all over the country.

However it would seem that it is not those trees that are the main concern :

About 1,000 trees have been cleared from the route. The protests mostly concerned the tree tunnel, he added.

The Tree tunnel will not consist of Teak trees as they are deciduous and straight growing.

There has to be some sort of a trade off if you are going to have a wider better road, however these things should be discussed locally and agreements reached before work starts.

While saying that there will always be those who will never agree to anything and will complain whether something is done or not, the question is "How long should these people be allowed to hold progress to ransom ?"

[Thailand]

We managed to divert a proposed highway that was originally planned to go through a tree lined residential estate by getting petitions signed and protesting at meetings.

So it can be done!

[chingmai331]

Who defines the word 'progress'? The federal authorities, the local people, the country-wide population, the mayor of the city...??

[facthailand]

Log it, burn it, pave it! Thai officialdom has long destroyed environmental treasures and beauty in the name of "progress"! Notice, in Thailand, it's always about cars and their rich drivers, never about people.

Given our history, it would be inconceivable that there's not corruption at work--graft, paybacks, and, the OP mentioned, selling the timber.

Does anyone have a link to the Change.org petition? I can't find it and would like to sign. TIA!

[bbudd]

Did the same when the went 4 lane from Mae Chan to Chiang Saen.Used to be a beautiful tree lined drive,Cut em all for progress.

[halloween]

The wonderful thing about trees is you can plant some more and end up looking much the same in 10 years time.