Forum today to determine fate of Nan tree tunnels

The meeting, hosted by Nan’s Second Road and Transit Division, will bring together those who oppose and support the project to improve the road from Nan to Chloem Phra Kiat (Highway 1080) at the Pha Sing Sub-district Administrative Organisation Office.
The original plan, in which the tree tunnels along Highway 1080 were to be felled, met a lot of opposition from Nan community and conservationist groups.
Big Trees Project, a leading tree-conservation organisation, collected as many as 70,000 signatures in support of saving the trees.
Anunta Intra-aksorn, Big Trees Project volunteer, said the organisation was working together with Nan community and other groups to have their voices heard in the meeting.
“Our goal for today is to ask Nan’s Second Road and Transit Division to save as many trees as possible and cut as few trees as possible,” Anunta said.
She added that the tree tunnels were not just 800 metres long as the division has been told, but were scattered down a 5.2-kilometre stretch along the highway. Also their beauty and diversity are too precious to be cut down.
Prachan Malithong, director of Nan’s Second Road and Transit Division, said the decision on felling the trees was not up to him, and that opinions from all sides would be presented to the higher administrative board to consider.
Prachan also said the road-improvement project had passed a public hearing last November with a majority support of more than 70 per cent from the locals.