On 09th June 2016, an official US State delegation visited Doungphlet Village and the Veal Buntoal Vulture Restaurant Ecotourism Campsite in Chheab Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), Preah Vihear Province. The delegation included Catherine Novelli, US Under Secretary of State (Economic development, Energy and Environment); William Heidt, American Ambassador to Cambodia; H.E. Veng Sokoun, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and H.E. Sao Sopheap, Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Environment.
The delegation flew by helicopter from Phnom Penh to view the newly declared Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary en route to Doungphlet Village. After a short car trip from the village to the ecotourism site, the delegates viewed the ecotourism facilities and were engaged in poster presentations on USAID-SFB, USFS and USFWS supported activities including vulture restaurant tourism, the wildlife-friendly Ibis Rice scheme, remote sensing and land-use planning to support sustainable agriculture, and protected area management and law enforcement. The delegates responded enthusiastically to the presentations, and expressed their appreciation to US State partners and the local community for their hard work in supporting activities that both conserve wildlife and improve local livelihoods in CWS.