Key points of protecting and increasing greenery, achieving a win-win situation for both green and rich (Beautiful China) | Forest Chief System | China
In Wuhua Village, Pingpu Town, Fanchang District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, green mountains and clear water complement each other under the blue sky and white clouds. In recent years, the local government has deeply promoted the forest tenure system to better protect mountains and forests.
Photo by Lu Junyuan
Core Reading
In June last year, China achieved the goal of establishing a comprehensive forest chief system as scheduled, and established a long-term mechanism for the protection and development of forest and grassland resources with the same responsibilities of the Party and government, local responsibility, departmental coordination, source control, and full coverage. Recently, the incentive results for the 2022 forest tenure system were announced, and reporters visited advanced and typical areas of the forest tenure system to decode the practices, effectiveness, and significance of implementing the forest tenure system.
Recently, the results of the 2022 forest chief incentive system were announced. Eight cities and counties, including Chengde City in Hebei Province and Changxing County in Zhejiang Province, were incentivized and commended by the State Council, and the central government's forestry reform and development funds were arranged to provide support and rewards of 20 million yuan to each city and 10 million yuan to each county. 23 cities and counties, including Miyun District in Beijing and Jizhou District in Tianjin, have been commended by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
How effective is the implementation of the forest chief system? What changes have been brought to forest and grass work and people's lives? The reporter visited these advanced and typical areas under the forest chief system.
Establishing regulations and systems, weaving a dense forest and grass resource protection network
After breakfast, Tang Xiangjun, the Party branch secretary of Aduhuduge Village in Bole City, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, carried a backpack and stepped onto a motorcycle to begin his duties as a village level forest chief - patrolling the forest. "The forest chief has a great responsibility, not only to patrol the mountains and protect the forest, but also to manage fire prevention, prevention and control of grassland and forest diseases and pests, theft prevention and mining, etc., carefully inspect and report in a timely manner, and not tolerate any carelessness," said Tang Xiangjun.
In order to better protect forest and grass resources, Bozhou has established a management model of "forest chief+management and protection station+management and protection personnel". The forest land, grassland, forest and fruit, garden and green space, wetlands, deserts and other resources in the state are refined into a hierarchical responsibility grid, and management personnel are determined to achieve "four clear" management areas, management areas, management responsibilities, and management quality. At present, the responsibility grid for forest chiefs and the management grid for caretakers in the entire state have achieved full coverage.
Engineer Gai Weiliang from the Bozhou Forest Chief System Office has provided a set of data: since the start of the forest chief system, the forest coverage rate in Bozhou has increased from 9.50% to 9.62%, the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands has increased from 43.03% to 43.62%, the area of desertification control has increased from 164300 mu completed annually to 266500 mu, and the wetland protection rate has increased from 52% to 53%. The ecological protection effect has been comprehensively improved.
Liu Keyong, Director of the Forest Resources Management Department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, introduced that the forest and grass system is responsible for managing the four major ecosystems of forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and national parks, with a total area of over 10 billion acres, accounting for more than 70% of the land area. In June 2022, China achieved the goal of establishing a comprehensive forest chief system as scheduled, and established a long-term mechanism for the protection and development of forest and grassland resources with the same responsibility of the Party and government, local responsibility, departmental coordination, source governance, and full coverage. The main leaders of the Party and government are appointed as the chief forest chiefs in all regions, and there are nearly 1.2 million forest chiefs at all levels nationwide. Four systems, including forest chief meetings, information disclosure, departmental collaboration, and work supervision, have been established in various regions. Supporting systems such as the General Forest Chief Order and "Forest Chief+" have been innovatively implemented, continuously weaving a dense forest and grass resource protection network.
A while ago, Zhao Sicong, a forest ranger from the state-owned forest farm of Tianzhao Mountain National Forest Park in Lizhou District, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province, discovered that many Masson pine trees were covered with pine caterpillars during a forest patrol. He quickly reported the situation to the forest chief Zhang Zijin. The pine caterpillar pest has caused great damage to forest resources. After the news was reported, it went directly to the district forest chief's office. Technical personnel immediately rushed to the scene to confirm, and then carried out pollution-free "fly prevention" treatment in the affected area. The disease and pest of 3000 acres of Pinus massoniana were effectively controlled.
Lin Chang established the "last mile" system. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration has issued the "Management Measures for Rural Forest Protection Personnel", vigorously promoting the standardization construction of forestry workstations, and strengthening the training and management of grassroots forestry stations and ecological forest protection personnel. Satellite remote sensing images, "Internet plus" and other high-tech empowerment, forest leader responsibility system, land greening, resource protection and other data are all filed and accessed to the network, and forest and grass resources are managed accurately and intelligently.
Leading by the forest chief system, promoting the improvement of quality and level of key forest and grass work
On the land of Sanxiang, all things are beautiful, and the grass and trees are lush.
This spring, Hunan Province has afforestation a total of 4.0217 million mu. Clusters of new greenery witness the remarkable achievements of Hunan's forest tenure system. Yueyang County has implemented projects such as precise improvement of forest quality, forest nurturing, and ecological corridor construction, covering an area of 42600 acres. 1.4 million trees have been planted voluntarily, and six of the most beautiful forest villages in Yueyang City have been built. The protection rate of ancient and famous trees has reached 100%.
Fenghuangshan, Fengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, is the contact point of Zhu Lin, the county-level chief forest officer of Fengyang County. Zhu Lin, along with 5 county-level deputy forest chiefs and 18 county-level forest chief conference members, jointly formed a leadership group to vigorously promote the Fenghuangshan mine restoration project. As of now, the project has completed a total of 2150 acres of afforestation and greening, planting more than 250000 local tree species such as paulownia, Chinese tallow, and triangular maple.
Play the role of "baton" of forest leader system, scientifically promote land greening in Chuzhou, innovate "Internet plus+voluntary tree planting", and promote urban and rural greening in an integrated way. In 2022, Chuzhou City completed 342000 acres of afforestation, with a per capita park and green space area of 19.31 square meters in the urban area, ranking first in Anhui Province
In each advanced and typical region of the forest tenure system, guided by the forest tenure system, we will scientifically carry out large-scale land greening actions, emphasizing both quantity and quality, and increasing stock, jointly spreading a beautiful new picture of China with clear mountains and clear waters, blue sky and green earth.
Strolling in the narrow wetland park by the South River, there are swaying aquatic plants such as reeds and cattails. "These aquatic plants are like 'biological purifiers', which not only improve water quality but also beautify the environment." As the forest chief of the Nanhe National Wetland Park area, Li Yuanliang, the Party Secretary of Wanyuan Community in Wanyuan Street, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City, inspects every week and is familiar with every plant and tree here.
In order to improve the ecosystem of wetland parks, Guangyuan City and district levels have collaborated to adopt a combination of artificial restoration and natural restoration, continuously optimizing the vegetation environment, and setting up a core bird and poultry conservation area. "Rare birds have high ecological requirements, and here I captured an endangered species - the Longevity Bird, which has a graceful and beautiful long tail!" Photography enthusiast Li Xianhao excitedly told reporters. At present, Nanhe National Wetland Park has 452 species of higher vascular plants and 208 species of higher vertebrates such as the leading bird billed bulbulbul and little egret.
In order to lead the promotion of key forest and grass work to a new level under the forest chief system, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration organizes and implements the forest chief system supervision and assessment, focusing on the key development goals of forest and grass resource protection, and conducting regular and annual assessments on ecological protection development goals such as forest coverage rate and wetland protection rate, as well as key forest and grass work. The construction of a national, provincial, municipal, and county forest chief supervision and assessment system fully mobilizes and stimulates the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of various regions to protect and develop forest and grass resources.
Using Green to Live Green, Promoting Ecological Beauty and Rich People
To protect and enhance greenery, it is even more important to use green and vibrant green. The advanced forest chief system has accurately protected, steadily increased, and effectively utilized green resources in typical areas, driving industrial development, releasing ecological dividends, and paving the way for ecological development to become green, beautiful, and prosperous.
It was approved as a national pilot city for forestry carbon sequestration, and innovative practices such as forest tickets, forest carbon tickets, and the "Belt and Three" model of grass root forestry law enforcement were promoted... Sanming City, Fujian Province, incorporated high-quality development of the forestry industry into the annual work focus of the forest tenure system, strengthened policy, capital, finance, science and technology, and forest use and other elements, and accelerated the transformation from "green mountains" to "green mountains".
There are a total of 9 national level forestry leading enterprises and 24 provincial-level leading enterprises in Sanming City, achieving a processing output value of 95.8 billion yuan for large-scale forest products in 2022. Vigorously developing the understory economy such as forest medicine, forest fungi, and snack ingredients in Shaxian County, strengthening characteristic industries such as flowers, seedlings, and oil tea to enrich the people, and driving the average income of forest farmers to increase by more than 20000 yuan.
Chuzhou City and County have invested over 3 billion yuan to establish 11 various forestry investment and financing platforms, injecting 1.36 million acres of state-owned forest resources. The city continues to promote the development of forest specialty industries such as thin shell walnuts and Quercus acutissima, and cultivates 2783 new forestry management entities. "Through the model of building bases on the mountain and processing at the foot, the Quercus acutissima tree has become our 'cash cow'. Du Changchun, Chairman of the Changchun Charcoal Professional Cooperative in Chuzhou City, introduced that the cooperative has attracted 12000 farmers and focuses on operating 300000 acres of Quercus acutissima plantations. It deeply cultivates industries such as charcoal, edible fungi, oak silkworms, and forest chemical industry, with an annual output value exceeding 1 billion yuan.".
Since the comprehensive implementation of the forest chief system, forest chiefs at the township and village levels in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province have established a team of 3600 seedling brokers and trained more than 100 internet celebrity sales influencers. In 2022, the annual sales revenue of the flower and tree industry has exceeded 1.9 billion yuan, creating nearly 1.5 billion yuan in forest tourism revenue for the whole year. Xiaopu Town has invested 450 million yuan to create a forest leisure experience area, which can increase the collective income of the village by more than 3 million yuan annually.
"The comprehensive implementation of the forest tenure system is an urgent need to ensure the supply of high-quality ecological products, as well as to increase the income of forest farmers. It is necessary to achieve a win-win situation between green and wealth, and promote the unity of ecological beauty and people's wealth." Liu Keyong said, "We will comprehensively promote the reform of the forest tenure system to develop in depth, firmly adhere to the unity of ecological protection, green development, and ecological benefits for the people, vigorously promote ecological industrialization and industrial ecology, and continuously meet the needs of the people for a beautiful ecological environment, excellent ecological products, and high-quality ecological services.".
