CityNews – Chiang Mai Governor, Suriya Prasartbandit, announced to a meeting held on July 6 that the Chiang Mai – Lamphun Road has been deemed a Conservation Area, and has ordered the conservation and restoration of the thousands of Yang Na trees along the road.
The Yang Na tree, or Dipterocarp alatus, is one of the many indigenous species of tree that groups of tree lovers from Chiang Mai asked to conserve in 2012.
At that time, Governor Panadda Diskul was in office and wrote a letter encouraging greater conservation for indigenous species to the Chiang Mai Environment Office. You can read the letter, in Thai, at ourchiangmai.com.
The new status now requires that all works along the road must also be subject to approval from the Conservation Office.
Governor Suriya also added in the meeting that he would ensure cooperation from both road departments and local government bodies.