At
the press conference sponsored by the State Council Information
Office on May 14, 2002, Lei Jiafu and Zhu Lieke, deputy directors
of State Forestry Administration introduced issues on the
construction of China's six major forestry projects. They
also answered questions from the press.
It is a basic national policy in China to
plant trees, protect forests and improve the ecosystem.
The Chinese Government has been attaching more importance
to ecological development since the beginning of the new
century. It has decided to invest several hundred billion
yuan in initiating the Natural Forest Protection Program,
the Program for Conversion of Cropland to Forests, Key Shelterbelt
Development Programs in Such Regions as the Three North
and the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, the
Sandification Combating Program for Areas in the Vicinity
of Beijing and Tianjin, the Wildlife Conservation and Nature
Reserve Development Program as well as the Fast-growing
and High-yield Timber Plantation Development Program. Implementation
of the six key forestry programs not only plays a significant
role in improving ecosystem and achieving sustainable development
in China, but also contributes enormously to maintaining
ecological safety in the world.
I. The Background Against Which the Six Key Forestry Programs
Are Implemented
Since the 1980s, China has conducted the National Voluntary
Tree-planting Campaign for over 20 consecutive years. In
addition, it has implemented such key ecological programs
as the Three-north Shelterbelt Development Program and formulated
the Forest Law, Wildlife Conservation Law, Desertification
Combating Law, Regulations on Wild Flora Protection, Forestry
Action Plan for China's Agenda 21, Blueprint for Ecosystem
Development in China and other associated laws, regulations,
policies and measures, which have helped maintain rapid
development of forestry. Currently the preserved area of
plantations nationwide has reached 46.66 million ha, taking
up 26% of the world's total and ranking the first in the
world. The forest area has risen up to 159 million ha, the
stocking volume 11.27 billion cubic meters and the forest
cover from 8.6% in the early period of New China to 16.55%,
which indicates that sustained increase in forest area,
stocking volume and forest cover has been achieved.
China, however, has not fundamentally reversed the trend
of deteriorating ecosystem. Inadequate supply, low quality
and uneven distribution feature forest resources in China.
The forest area in China takes up only 4.1% and the stocking
volume merely 2.9% of the world's total, which are far less
sufficient to meet the production and livelihood needs of
the population accounting for 22% of the world's total.
Population growth and rapid economic development, in particular,
have resulted in enormous consumption of forest resources
and will bring more pressure on them. In the past five decades
a total of 10 billion cubic meters of forest resources have
been consumed nationwide. In the next 50 years the demand
for forest resources will reach at least 18.5 billion cubic
meters, 1.6 times as much as the existing gross forest resources,
based on the current annual average consumption of 370 million
cubic meters. Desertification, soil and water erosion have
exacerbated as a result of scarce forest vegetation. The
desertified land has reached 170 million ha nationwide,
taking up 18.2% of the country's land area and affecting
400 million people. The soil- and water-eroded area has
reached 360 million ha, accounting for 38.2% of the country's
land area and resulting in a soil loss of 5 billion tons
annually.
The status quo of forestry indicates that forestry development
does not fit with the requirement of safeguarding ecological
safety. According to the Blueprint for Ecosystem Development
in China, the forest cover will be raised to over 26% in
the next 50 years, which requires a net increase of 90.66
million ha in forest area. The area of newly established
mature plantations will have to reach 212 million ha in
order to make up for over 10 billion cubic meters of forest
resource consumption. It would take 140 years to achieve
that objective at the previous speed. Therefore the Chinese
Government has decided to implement a strategy for forestry
development by leaps and bounds through initiating six key
forestry programs so as to shorten the period needed for
rehabilitating and developing forest resources under the
conventional mode. It is expected that the ecosystem development
objective, which would take over one century to achieve
under the conventional mode, will be reached in 50 years
so as to usher in a new era of sustainable forestry development
as soon as possible. The forest cover is expected to reach
and be maintained at over 26% so as to improve the fundamental
ecological conditions and rebuild a beautiful landscape.
II. Overall Layout and Progress of the Six Key Forestry
Programs
Like an aircraft carrier for forestry in forging ahead
toward the new century, the six key forestry programs have
created unprecedented development opportunities for forestry
development by leaps and bounds. The layout of the six key
forestry programs is as follows:
Natural Forest Protection Program
It aims at rehabilitation and development of natural forests.
The program covers 734 counties and 167 forest industry
bureaus in key state-owned forest areas in 17 provinces
(autonomous regions or municipalities) in the upper reaches
of the Yangtze River and the upper and middle reaches of
the Yellow River as well as the northeast and Inner Mongolia.
Three major objectives are expected to be achieved during
the period of 2000-2010.
1. The existing forest resources will be protected in a
proper manner. A logging ban is put on commercial harvest
of natural forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River
and the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River. The
timber output in such key state-owned forest areas as the
Northeast and Inner Mongolia is adjusted and reduced by
19.905 million cubic meters, and 94.2 million ha of forest
are brought under strict conservation;
2. Efforts are accelerated in developing forest resources.
An additional 14.66 million ha of forest and grassland,
including 8.66 million ha of forest, are established in
the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the upper and
middle reaches of the Yellow River so as to raise the forest
cover by 3.72%.
3. A total of 741,000 redundant forest workers in the program
area are properly redirected and relocated.
The Program for Conversion of Cropland to Forests
It targets soil and water erosion in key areas. The program
covers 24 provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities).
It is expected that 14.66 million ha of cropland will be
converted to forest and 17.33 million ha of barren land
covered with trees during the period of 2001-2010. Upon
completion of the program the forest and grass cover of
the program area will be raised by 5%, 86.66 million ha
of soil- and water-eroded area brought under control and
103 million ha of sand-fixation area established.
The Sandification Control Program for Areas in the Vicinity
of Beijing and Tianjin
It targets the sandstorms in areas surrounding the capital.
The program covers 75 counties, with a total area of 460,000
km2, in five provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities),
including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.
It is expected that during the period of 2001-2010 2.63
million ha of cropland will be converted to forest, 4.94
million ha of plantations established, 10.63 million ha
of grassland harnessed, 113,800 supporting water conservation
facilities developed, 23,000 km2 of catchment managed and
180,000 people relocated for ecological reasons. Upon completion
of the program the ecosystem in the areas in the vicinity
of Beijing and Tianjin will be remarkably improved, with
the forest cover reaching 19.44%, an increase of 8.27%.
Key Shelterbelt Development Programs in Such Regions as
the Three North and the Middle and Lower Reaches of the
Yangtze River
It targets desertification combating in the Three North
region and other ecological problems in other regions. It
includes the 4th phase of the Three-north Shelterbelt Program,
the 2nd phases of the Yangtze River, Coastal and Zhuhai
Shelterbelt Programs as well as the 2nd phases of the Taihang
Mountain Afforestation Program and the Plain Afforestation
Program. The 4th phase of the Three-north Shelterbelt Program
has been initiated, with its focus on desertification combating.
It involves 590 counties in 13 provinces (autonomous regions
or municipalities) in the Three-north region. It is expected
that 9.46 million ha of land will be afforested and 1.3
million ha of desertified land brought under control during
the period of 2001-2010. Upon completion of the program
the forest cover in the program area will be raised by a
net 1.84%, nearly 11.33 million ha of farmland put under
shelter and 12.66 million ha of desertified, salified and
degraded grassland protected and rehabilitated. Key shelterbelt
development programs in the middle and lower reaches of
the Yangtze River involve relevant areas in 31 provinces
(autonomous regions or municipalities). It is expected that
18 million ha of land will be afforested, 7.33 million ha
of low-efficiency shelterbelt improved and 37.33 million
ha of existing forests properly managed and protected during
the period of 2001-2010.
The Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Development
Program
This program targets such issues as species, nature and
wetland protection. Priorities, between 2001 and 2010, will
be given to the following: firstly, 15 wild fauna and flora
(including the Giant Panda, Golden Monkey, Tibetan Antelope
and plants in the orchid family) protection projects will
be set up; secondly, 200 nature reserve projects in the
types of forest, desertified land and wetland ecosystem,
32 wetland conservation and wise use demonstration projects
and 50,000 nature reserve districts will be established;
thirdly, the germplasm pools for conservation of wild fauna
and flora, the national research system of wild fauna and
flora and relevant monitoring networks will be completed.
By the year 2010, the number of nature reserves will reach
1800, among which, 220 nature reserves are at national level,
with the total area of nature reserves taking up 16.14%
of the country's land area.
The Fast-growing and High-yielding Timber Plantation Development
Program in Key Regions
This program aims at resolving the supply of timber and
at the same time, mitigating the pressure of timber demand
on forest resources. The program covers 114 forestry bureaus
( or farms ) and 886 counties of 18 provinces and autonomous
regions located to the east of isohyet of 400 mm in China.
It plans, between 2001-2015, to establish 13.33 million
ha of fast-growing and high-yielding plantations in three
phases. The program will provide 130 million m3 of timber
annually upon completion, accounting for 40% of China's
commercial timber consumption, thus keeping an initial balance
between timber supply and demand. The six key forestry programs
cover over 97% of counties of the country and 76 million
ha of plantations are planned to be established, which makes
the programs unprecedented in history due to their wide
range, large scale and great investments. Among the six
key forestry programs, the scale of four programs is larger
than that of the Remaking Nature Program in the former Soviet
Union, the Industry Program on Prairie in the United States
and the Green Dam Program of five countries in North Africa.
Great progress has been made since the trial and start
of six key forestry programs. In the Natural Forest Protection
Program areas, 92.66 million ha of forests have been effectively
managed and protected, taking up 60% of the total forest
area in China, 6.33 million ha of forests have been newly
established and 186 million m3 of net stock volume been
increased. A complete logging ban has been put on commercial
harvest of the natural forests in 13 provinces and autonomous
regions along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and
the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River. The timber
output in such state-owned forest areas as the Northeast
and Inner Mongolia has been significantly adjusted and reduced
by 7.63 million m3. 530,000 forest workers have been redirected
and resettled. In the Conversion of Cropland to Forests
Program, 2.16 million ha of barren mountains and wasteland
and cropland have been afforested and converted into forests.
The survey made by the State Forestry Administration in
2000 showed that 97.56% of plantation areas were verified
and 87.36% of plantations were qualified according to the
plantation criteria. In the Wildlife Conservation and Nature
Reserve Development Program, 167 nature reserves are newly
established, which makes the number of nature reserves in
forest and wild fauna and flora types reach 1156 totally
with the total area being 116 million ha, accounting for
12.09% of the country's land area. The Three North Shelterbelt
Development Program has brought 1.58 million ha of desertified
land under control. 900,000 ha of land have been covered
with trees and grasses in the Sandification Control Program
for Areas in the Vicinity of Beijing and Tianjin.
III. The Six Key Forestry Programs Are the Turning Points
for Promoting Historically Five Forestry Transformations.
With the implementation of six key forestry programs being
as a mark, forestry in China has entered a new development
stage. During this period, while implementing the principle
of giving the priority to ecological benefit and taking
account of ecological, social and economic benefits, forestry
will be speeded up development, propel greatly five historic
transformations: (1) shifting from previous emphasis on
forest industry to public undertaking. In the past, forestry
in China was taken as a basic industry in the national economy.
When the new century comes, great attention has been paid
to forests' key and basic position in ecological and sustainable
development. The six key forestry programs approved by the
State Council have been listed into the social and public
programs, which indicates that forestry has been shifted
from previous emphasis on forest industry to public undertaking;
(2) shifting from free use to non-gratuitous use of forests'
ecological benefits. In 2001, the State Forestry Administration
and the Ministry of Finance decided to set up pilots at
660 county units of 11 provinces and 24 national nature
reserves with a total area of 13.33 million ha. The implementation
of the system has declared the end of history of free use
of forests' ecological value and the start of new stage
of non-gratuitous use of forests ecological value; (3) shifting
from devastating forests for arable land to converting cropland
into forests. In the old time, the devastation of forests
for arable land had played an important role in solving
the grain problem. However, it had become a key factor of
degrading the ecology at the same time. In order to control
water and soil erosion and based on the trial of converting
cropland into forests program in 1999, the program started
all-over early this year. It is a great change in China's
forestry history from devastating forests for arable land
to converting cropland into forests and from taking grain
as the key link to changing grains for forests; (4) shifting
from previous emphasis on felling natural forests to gradually
harvesting plantations. The natural forests have been the
most important timber production areas in China. With the
implementation of six key forestry programs, natural forests
will be strictly protected. In addition, in order to cultivate
more natural forest resources, the way of afforestation
will be changed from tree planting to mountain closure in
combination with mountain closure, aerial sowing and tree
planting. At the same time, the timber output of natural
forests has been greatly reduced and the proportion of timber
output of plantations been increased. With efforts made
for a period of time, the timber production will be shifted
from previous felling natural forests to a new stage of
gradually harvesting plantations; (5) shifting from forestry
managed by forestry sector to forestry managed by multi-sectors
through promoting initiatives of the whole society for forestry
development. The whole society has paid great attention
to the six key forestry programs. The governments at local
level have worked out the plans and methods for implementing
six key forestry programs. Many suggestions have been made
for the programs by all walks of life. The active participation
in the development of six key forestry programs has turned
into the common action of the whole society.
