Several decades ago, Ma Yongshun was a famous national forestry model worker. A logger on Greater Hinggan Moun-tain in northeast China, Ma had the ambition at that time of providing more timber for the State. He once cut down 1,200 cubic meters of lumber in a year, setting a national record for manual logging.
In his later years, however, Ma turned away from being a virtuoso logger to become a crackerjack tree planter. He planted more than 40,000 trees during his lifetime. Even on his deathbed, Ma said, ¡°I want to plant more trees to pay for what I owe the mountains.¡±
Ma¡¯s story mirrors the development process of China¡¯s forestry industry. For years, forests were seen as inexhaustible resources. Under the axes wielded by humans, large expanses of forest disappeared, which led to the destruction of the ecological balance and the frequent occurrence of such natural disasters as floods, droughts and sandstorms.
Nature¡¯s revenge has woken up humanity. People have begun to examine their acts and adopt a new attitude toward forests. Currently, China is attaching unprecedented importance to ecological conservation.
Natural Forest Protection
The natural forest protection project, which got into full swing last year, is one of the major actions China has taken in ecological conservation. With a planned investment of 96.2 billion yuan, the project is to run from 2000 to 2010.
It covers the natural forests in major State-owned forest zones in northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Hainan, natural forests distributed along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, and natural forests that were not included in previous protection plans. These forests, covering 94 million hectares, need urgent protection.
In addition, the project also calls for artificial afforestation of 1.93 million hectares of land, aircraft-seeded afforestation of 7.13 million hectares and the afforestation of 3.67 million hectares of hillsides by closing them to livestock grazing and fuel gathering.
The project will involve Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Qinghai, Gansu, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Hainan provinces, and the Tibet, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, and Chongqing Municipality.
With the implementation of the project, the annual consumption of forest resources will be cut to 61 million cubic meters. Accordingly, the production of commodity timber will be reduced by 19.9 million cubic meters.
In fact, shortly after a disastrous flood in 1998, the Chinese Government resolutely banned logging in the natural forests on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and on the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, and the natural forest protection project went into trial practice. The subsequent two years of pilot work yielded remarkable results, accumulating experience and creating conditions for all-round implementation of the project.
On October 24, 2000, the State Council approved the implementation program for the natural forest protection project, which put an end to the pilot work and ushered in the stage of all-round practice.
Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Forestry Administration, noted that natural forest protection is a strategic project of great significance.
First, it is an essential measure for preventing river flood disasters and improving China¡¯s ecological environment. Possessing the most complete and powerful ecological functions, natural forests are vital to preventing soil erosion, curbing desertification and reducing natural disasters.
Second, preserving natural forests is the most economical, effective and rapid way to ensure ecological conservation in western development and is of strategic significance in accelerating the western region¡¯s endeavor to eliminate poverty and achieve prosperity as well as for realizing balanced and coordinated development nationwide.
Finally, it is important for improving farming conditions, facilitating the sustainable development of agriculture and bringing about a sound cycle in grain production.
After the Axes Are Put Down
According to the State Forestry Administration, there are nearly 1.47 million forestry workers in regions involved in the natural forest protection project. With the project put into operation, forest zones have been faced with significant changes in the production mode. Meanwhile, with the reduction in timber production, 741,000 workers need job transfers and other arrangements. This can be resolved through four channels, according to the implementation program approved by the State Council.
First, they may transfer to forestry administration and care, and specialized teams to be set up for this purpose can offer 214,000 posts. Second, they may engage in afforestation and the development of other forest resources, which can provide 72,000 jobs. Third, those who volunteer to find other jobs by themselves will be given lump-sum severance pay. It is expected that 275,000 workers may be transferred this way. Fourth, the remaining 180,000 workers will find new jobs with the aid of a re-employment program. In addition, proper arrangements will be made for 483,000 retirees in line with relevant policies.
Market-oriented forest zones in Shanxi Province vigorously adjusted their industrial structure and product mix last year. They have diversified their business with the aim of increasing revenue and ensuring and improving the living standards of their workers.
The Shanxi Provincial Forestry Department launched 27 projects, including nine sapling projects, four forest-based tourism projects, four economic forest development projects, three automobile repair projects, two timber processing projects, and projects involving farm production, food processing, mining and smelting.
While developing diverse businesses, forest zones in the province have continued to focus on developing their main business¡ªthe forest economy. For instance, last year, the Taihang Forestry Bureau invested 1.3 million yuan to build 11.3 hectares of high-grade nurseries and three greenhouses, grow 5.13 hectares with saplings for afforestation, cultivate saplings and plants for greening purposes on 6.2 hectares and raise 150,000 flowers and plants for flower arrangements. The bureau also played an active part in greening activities and completed five greening projects in three months, generating revenue of more than 800,000 yuan.
The Luliang Forestry Bureau has formulated a plan that provides preferential policies and terms to encourage forestry workers to find other jobs or establish household forest farms and develop private businesses. By the end of last year, workers who had engaged in private business made up over 30 percent of the total workforce in respective forestry bureaus in Shanxi, according to available statistics.
The Mingyu Forest Farm under the Luliang Forestry Bureau has developed a ¡°forest farm plus workers¡± management mode by encouraging its workers to contract for sapling cultivation. Under this mode, the forest farm has turned from an operation to a service entity. Workers grow saplings for the farm totally on their own and the farm purchases the saplings from them according to contracts. In this way, workers can devote themselves to sapling cultivation and don¡¯t have to worry about marketing the saplings. On the other hand, having secured a supply of saplings, the forest farm saved itself the inconvenience of purchasing saplings elsewhere. Also, bound by a common pursuit, the farm and workers share not only interests but also risks. As a result, the workers¡¯ enthusiasm has been aroused and the quality of saplings improved, thus ensuring the farm¡¯s interests.
Shanxi Provincial Forestry Department Deputy Director Ma Shuangzhu said the national natural forest protection project will certainly contribute to accelerating the historical transformation in the orientation of the forestry industry from logging and timber utilization to protection and cultivation of forests, and from traditional to modern forestry. Although faced with many difficulties at present, the forestry industry, a main player in maintaining terrestrial ecology and a basic industry for sustainable development, will have an unprecedented promising future, Ma said.
Forestry armed police in Yunnan are on patrol in a State-level nature reserve.
Protect Forests
Lijiang is one of the major forest-rich counties in southwest China¡¯s Yunnan Province. With a 58.1 percent forest coverage, Lijiang is known as the last ¡°green fortress¡± on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Since the natural forest logging ban was put into effect, Lijiang County has adopted a series of measures to strengthen the protection of forest resources.
As of January 1, 2000, Lijiang banned all tree felling, and the transportation and sale of timber. Timber stocks existing before the ban were sealed and all certificates for timber exports and domestic transportation were declared invalid.
The Lijiang County Forestry Bureau screened and rectified the timber mills within the county, cancelled the licenses of all woodworking enterprises, and imposed severe punishment on illegal timber processing and trading.
The county forestry police joined hands with industrial and commercial administrative departments to clean up the illegal trading of tree roots and wild flowers and plants according to law. The police, together with forestry administrative law enforcement officials, frequently go into the forests to crack down on illegal loggers. They have also set up checkpoints to block illegal timber transportation.
While intensifying law enforcement, Lijiang County has engaged 1,268 people transferred from the forestry sector to work in natural forest protection. These people, together with the county¡¯s forestry bureau staff, forestry police and forestry administrators and forest rangers in various townships and villages, form a complete forest protection network.
Laying down their axes, some former timber dealers have become tree planters and forest rangers. Yang Hongquan, a farmer in Mingyin Township, was a well-known timber dealer. Since the forests were closed for protection, he has been devoted to cultivation. He has cultivated more than 1.2 million Chinese yews, and planted 27 hectares of apple trees. He has also set up a voluntary fire-fighting team with his own savings. Composed of 25 farmers, the team patrols in the forests all year round.
Farmer He Zhichuan in Jinshan Township has built up a green plum base on the barren 133-hectare mountain he contracted. He also drew on his own savings to set up a forest ranger team, which takes care of the 1,333-hectare mountain forests of their village. The Yunnan provincial government has honored He as a ¡°model in afforestation.¡±
Encouraging Results
Between 1998 and 2000, the Central Government earmarked 22.26 billion yuan for the natural forest protection project.
Since 1998, the project has achieved marked results. Timber output in the project areas was reduced from 27.17 million cubic meters in 1997 to 17.88 million cubic meters in 1999, a decrease of 34.6 percent. Meanwhile, afforestation was completed on 790,000 hectares, 4.64 million hectares of hillsides were closed for afforestation, and 520,000 hectares of natural forests were reafforested through artificial means. A total of 282,000 forest workers were transferred to other posts.
Arxan City in Inner Mongolia has managed its 8,000-heactare forest of pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, a rare tree species, in a closed manner. It has also banned hunting and logging in the 660,000 hectares of natural forests on the southern slope of Arxan Mountain. With the implementation of the natural forest protection project, some rare wild animals that were on the verge of extinction have begun to revive.
A herd of roe deer now can be seen in the dense forest 60 km away from Arxan City and a countless number of swan geese, swans and gray cranes inhabit the swamp there. Black bears, snow hare and wild deer frequent Tianchishan, Wusongling and Sheshangu nature reserves on the northern slope of Greater Hinggan Mountain. The original look of Arxan Mountain, featuring a beautiful natural landscape and herds of wild animals, has been restored.
