The Ministry of Environment has warned tourists visiting Khnong Phsar Mountain, a wilderness area rich in biodiversity, that anyone caught using a vehicle, cutting down trees for firewood or dumping rubbish there that causes any damage or serious impact to the natural landscape can face a fine of between one million and 10 million riel ($250 and $2,500).

Located in the Central Cardamom Mountains National Park bordering Koh Kong, Pursat and Kampong Speu provinces, Khnong Phsar Mountain is a popular area for tourists and adventurers to go hiking in and view the spectacular sunrise and sunset. It is considered by many to be a natural paradise with grasslands and forests that are still pristine and filled with an abundance of wildlife.

In a recent statement, the ministry said many tourists had visited the area to admire its beautiful natural environment, but it also observed that some used vehicles, cut down trees for firewood and to make campsites, and also disposed of their solid waste irresponsibly – in a manner that it said caused damage to the environment and seriously degraded the beauty of the natural landscape.

In order to effectively manage and maintain the natural paradise found at Khnong Phsar Mountain for the long-term benefit of society, the ministry has strictly prohibited those activities.

“If for some reason the use of a vehicle is absolutely necessary, due to an emergency, for example, the persons operating it must request permission from the ministry beforehand.

“The ministry reserves the right to confiscate any items, including any vehicles, which are found to be involved in the commission of illegal activities on the mountain and to hold them as evidence and dispose of them as state property in accordance with the law on natural protected areas in Article 59 and other related articles,” the statement said.

Offenders may also be required to repair any damage they have caused.

Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra told The Post on December 28 that the measures applied to all tourists who wished to visit Khnong Phsar Mountain and that they should familiarise themselves with the rules beforehand and behave responsibly while visiting there.

He added that the ministry would work to identify the specific locations or boundaries where vehicles are not allowed to go any further and post clear notices there to avoid any possible confusion.

Pheaktra elaborated that the forest rangers who are protecting the Central Cardamom National Park, the surrounding communities, and other local authorities are all going to be participating in keeping watch over the area and making sure that these regulations are obeyed and that the appropriate penalties are enforced when they are not. He also requested the assistance of any tourists who visit there to report anyone they see breaking these rules to the authorities.

A representative of the Warrior Camp tour group who asked not to be named told The Post that the tour groups he led to Khnong Phsar Mountain had always been conducted in accordance with the ministry’s guidelines, but some tourists have left plastic rubbish all over the place in some of the fields.

“Regarding the rubbish issue, there are rubbish cans set up along some of the paths that visitors could throw their waste away in, but sometimes they don’t bother out of laziness or exhaustion from hiking. What we recommend and try to do ourselves is to just never bring any disposable plastic with us in the first place.

“Most of the time I pack food using banana or lotus leaves, and very little if any plastic,” he said.

As someone who leads nature tour groups and as a nature lover himself, he said he hopes that these new measures help to preserve the natural environment and biodiversity found on Khnong Phsar Mountain.

He hopes more tourists will start to realise that they must do their part in protecting Khnong Phsar Mountain, and all such places in Cambodia and the world by behaving responsibly when visiting them.