The area of ​​natural forests increased by 323 million mu and 213 million mu were converted from farmland to forest and grass

my country contributes more than 4% of the global green net growth area

  Our reporter Liu Xin

  A total of 332 million cubic meters of natural forest felling has been reduced, the natural forest area has increased by 323 million mu, the task of returning farmland to forest and grassland has been completed by 213 million mu, 310 million mu of supporting barren hills and wasteland have been afforested and closed for afforestation, and more than 92 million mu of national reserve forests have been built...

  "Forest and grassland ecological engineering construction is an important support for ecological protection and restoration." According to Zhang Liming, director of the Ecological Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, in recent years, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration has earnestly practiced the concept that green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and implemented the concept of landscape forestry and farmland The integrated protection and restoration of lakes, grasses and sands has taken powerful and effective measures to promote the construction of key ecological projects such as natural forest protection and restoration, returning farmland to forests and grasslands, and national reserve forests.

Significant ecological, economic and social benefits

  According to reports, my country's natural forest protection and restoration project was launched as a pilot project in 1998 and fully launched in 2000. The project has adopted measures such as strict forest management and protection, orderly cessation of logging and production reduction, cultivation of reserve resources, scientific restoration, and effective protection of people's livelihood. Two 10-year constructions. By the end of 2020, the central government has invested more than 500 billion yuan in total. The scope of project construction has expanded from key areas to 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country. 332 million cubic meters of natural forests were harvested, and the natural forest protection and restoration system and institutional system were fully established.

  The project construction has achieved remarkable ecological, economic and social benefits, and achieved the expected goals.

Compared with before the start of the project, the natural forest area increased by 323 million mu, and the stock volume increased by 5.3 billion cubic meters.

The annual water conservation and sand and soil fixation per unit area of ​​natural forests have increased by 53% and 46% respectively compared with those before the start of the project.

Through the implementation of natural forest protection and restoration projects, the natural forest ecosystem has been effectively restored, which has promoted the improvement of the habitat environment of wild animals.

In addition, people's livelihood in forest areas has been continuously improved, people have planted and protected greenery, and their awareness of ecological protection has increased significantly.

  In January 2019, the Central Deep Reform Commission reviewed and approved the "Natural Forest Protection and Restoration System Plan", marking the transformation of my country's natural forest protection from a regional and phased project to a comprehensive and long-term public welfare undertaking.

  In order to maintain the sustainable and healthy development of natural forest protection and restoration, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, in conjunction with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other departments, scientifically compiled the "National Natural Forest Protection and Restoration Mid- and Long-term Plan (2021-2035)".

According to Zhang Liming, the preparation of the plan has been completed and is currently being submitted to the State Council for approval according to the procedures.

  "Effectively improving the quality and efficiency of natural forests is one of the main tasks of natural forest protection and restoration in the future." Zhang Liming said that in order to accelerate the improvement of natural forest quality and ecological functions, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration will According to the needs of the national development strategy, according to the similarity of natural conditions, the continuity of ecological geographic units, the integrity of the ecosystem, and the principles of full coverage of the region, as well as the goal of implementing regional policies and taking multiple measures to promote positive succession, the project will be promoted in a planned, Carry out systematic restoration of natural forests step by step.

Carry out forest tending for natural middle-aged and young forests with unreasonable tree species composition, age and spatial structure; carry out degraded forest restoration for natural secondary forests with reversed structure and function decline; carry out regeneration promotion for forests with poor regeneration and low target tree species ; Carry out reserve resource cultivation for sparse forest land, ruined land, and open space in the forest.

Set up a model of global ecological governance

  "The implementation of returning farmland to forests and grasslands is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to improve the ecological environment at the strategic height of the long-term development of the Chinese nation, focusing on the overall sustainable economic and social development." Zhang Liming said.

  According to reports, since 1999, my country has carried out two rounds of large-scale conversion of farmland to forest and grassland. The central government has invested more than 570 billion yuan to complete the task of returning farmland to forest and grassland of 213 million mu. billion mu.

Over the past 20 years, the conversion of farmland to forests and grasslands has been implemented in 25 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. A total of 41 million rural households and 158 million farmers and herdsmen have participated in and benefited, and great achievements have been made.

  One is to effectively improve the ecological conditions.

The forest and grass vegetation in the project area has increased significantly, and the forest coverage rate has increased by more than 4 percentage points on average, and the total value of annual ecological benefits has reached 1.42 trillion yuan.

The water and soil loss in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and around important lakes and reservoirs has been significantly improved, and land desertification in the north and rocky desertification in the southwest have been effectively controlled.

The second is to help fight poverty.

There are 812 poverty-stricken counties across the country that have implemented the conversion of farmland to forests and grasslands, accounting for 97.6% of the total number of poverty-stricken counties.

The second round of returning farmland to forests and grasslands covered 31.2% of registered poor households, helping more than 2 million registered poor households and nearly 10 million poor people get rid of poverty and increase their income.

The third is to establish a model of global ecological governance.

The project of returning farmland to forests has created a miracle in the history of the world's ecological construction. Its capital investment, implementation scope, and public participation have all reached record highs. The conversion of farmland to forests and grasslands has contributed more than 4% of the global net green growth area.

  Zhang Liming introduced that in order to promote the conversion of farmland to forest and grassland in an orderly manner, further improve policies, and consolidate existing achievements, under the premise of coordinating cultivated land protection and ecological security, with the approval of the State Council, in October 2022, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration and natural resources The Ministry of National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs jointly issued the "Notice on Further Improving Policies and Measures to Consolidate the Achievements of Returning Farmland to Forest and Grassland", which clarified the policies and measures of returning farmland to forest and grassland at present and in the future, including the newly added Fund more than 36 billion yuan, extend the deadline for the second round of subsidies for returning farmland to forests and grasslands, suspend the arrangement of new tasks for returning farmland to forests and grasslands, take effective measures to consolidate existing achievements, and continue to implement provincial-level people's governments' regulations on returning farmland to forests and grasslands in the region Take overall responsibility and continue to promote the high-quality development of returning farmland to forests and grasslands.

Timber reserves have been effectively increased

  Timber safety is a major strategic issue related to ecological civilization and socialist modernization.

my country is the largest timber importer and the second largest timber consumer in the world, with an average annual gap of more than 100 million cubic meters of timber, over 50% of its dependence on foreign countries, and more than 1/3 of the global trade volume of imported logs. The situation of timber security cannot be tolerated. optimism.

  "The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to my country's timber safety, and clearly proposed the establishment of a national reserve forest system in the "Overall Plan for the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System." Zhang Liming said that in 2012, in accordance with the requirements of the State Council on building a timber security system, my country launched The national reserve forest construction project was launched, and by 2022, the construction scope will involve 29 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) across the country, six major forest industry (forestry) groups and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

  Since the implementation of the national reserve forest construction project for ten years, a total of more than 140 billion yuan of construction funds have been implemented, and more than 92 million mu of national reserve forests have been built. The total accumulation of the project construction area has increased by 270 million cubic meters, with an average annual increase of approximately 10.8 cubic meters per hectare , A total of about 150 million cubic meters of timber has been produced through the national reserve forest.

At the same time, relying on the construction of national reserve forests, all localities are vigorously developing green industries such as forest product processing, forest tourism, forest health care, and under-forest economy.

According to statistics, the construction of national reserve forests has provided more than 3.6 million jobs in the past ten years, and the income from timber output has exceeded 150 billion yuan. The green industry based on national reserve forests has achieved economic income of nearly 10 billion yuan.

  Zhang Liming said that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, it is planned to build more than 36 million mu of national reserve forests and increase the stock of more than 70 million cubic meters.

  Wu Lijun, a first-level inspector of the Ecological Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that the construction of national reserve forests mainly includes two policies: one is financial support policies.

Reserve forest construction projects enjoy central financial subsidy policies such as central capital construction, central financial subsidies for afforestation, and forest tending subsidies, and the investment in the central budget can be used as project capital.

The second is the financial support policy.

The National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the National Development Bank, and the Agricultural Development Bank of China have formulated and issued a national reserve with a loan period of 25 to 30 years, a grace period of up to 8 years, a benchmark interest rate, and a capital ratio of at least 20%. The financial loan policy for forest engineering construction supports the construction of national reserve forests.

(Rule of Law Daily)