THE WILDLIFE crossing on Highway 304 Kabinburi-Paktongchai will definitely boost the ecology of the Dong Phrayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage Site and also benefit the community through eco-tourism, Wiroj Rojjanajinda, superintendent of Tublan National Park, said last week.
Wildlife crossing will boost ecology, Tublan Park chief says
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION
THE WILDLIFE crossing on Highway 304 Kabinburi-Paktongchai will definitely boost the ecology of the Dong Phrayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex World Heritage Site and also benefit the community through eco-tourism, Wiroj Rojjanajinda, superintendent of Tublan National Park, said last week.
“The crossing will surely help wild animals move between the two national parks better, which will result in reduced inbreeding and increased biodiversity across the forest complex, as now the forest complex is separated by the bustling highway,” Wiroj said.
The project, which includes road-widening and the construction of bridges and tunnels, met with divided opinions among the locals in Prachinburi’s Nadi district. Some worried that the new highway will affect their daily lives, but some saw it as a business opportunity.
The forest corridor between Khao Yai National Park and Tublan National Park, which has just started construction, will reconnect the wildlife between two parts of the Dong Phrayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex and will prevent the site from falling down to the endangered list, he said.
Last year, the World Heritage Committee warned Thailand that the Dong Phrayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex would be downgraded to the World Heritage in Danger list if the government did nothing to solve the problems within the area, such as forest fragmentation, illegal logging and forest mismanagement.
“The forest corridor will ensure that the World Heritage Committee will not downgrade our world heritage site to the endangered list and I’m also sure that the locals will benefit economically from the project because we can promote the forest corridor as a new eco-tourism destination,” he said.
The Highways Department had reported that the construction of bridges and tunnels on Highway 304 has begun. The budget for the project is Bt2.9 billion and the project is due to be completed by June, 2018.
High wall will be built
Tublan National Park will set up a ranger unit to patrol the corridor. It will prevent hunters from poaching animals in the area. A high wall will be built to make sure that wild animals will not trespass into the residential area.
Although the project’s environmental impact assessment has already been approved, Thanya Sangsawan, president of the Bu Phram Tambon Administrative Organisation, said some villagers in the tambon worry that the new highway will affect local transportation and will make travel harder.
Most of them only have small vehicles such as motorcycles and e-taens.
“Some said the new highway will bring more big trucks and cars, which will make the road more dangerous for small vehicles. They are also unsure if small vehicles are allowed to pass through the bridges and tunnels,” he said.
But some people think otherwise, Sujarit Rathdeepiu, a handicraft shop owner in Moo 1, said he would be pleased if the modern highway was built.
“I don’t know much about the benefit for forest ecology but I think the new bridges and tunnels will make transportation in the area more convenient and it will bring more tourists to the area, which is very good for my business.”
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Wildlife-crossing-will-boost-ecology-Tublan-Park-c-30267789.html
