Commercial logging of natural forests in China will be completely stopped
From “cutting forests” to “protecting forests”, from “development and utilization” to “comprehensive protection”——today, this green transformation is taking place in more and more forest areas and forest farms across China.
The proposal of the “13th Five-Year Plan” called for improving the natural forest protection system, completely stopping commercial logging of natural forests, and increasing forest area and growing stock. “This is a major decision made to restore forest resources, build a complete forest ecosystem, and safeguard national ecological security,” said Cheng Hong, spokesperson for the State Forestry Administration. Completely stopping commercial logging of natural forests is an urgent need to protect China's precious natural forest resources and comprehensively advance ecological civilization.
Natural forests are the essence of China's forest resources and play an irreplaceable role in maintaining ecological balance and protecting biodiversity. Since 1998, China has implemented the Natural Forest Protection Program in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, and key state-owned forest areas such as Northeast China and Inner Mongolia. Through the implementation of the Natural Forest Protection Program, the consumption and destruction of forest resources have been greatly reduced. At present, the ecological functions of the project areas have improved markedly, water conservation functions have been significantly enhanced, and wildlife populations have continued to increase.
However, for natural forests not yet included in the Natural Forest Protection Program, problems such as fragile ecosystems remain severe. At the same time, because of long-term excessive logging in the past, gradual restoration urgently requires stronger protection of natural forests. Zhang Jianlong, director of the State Forestry Administration, said that commercial logging now amounts to nearly 50 million cubic meters per year, equivalent to 80 million cubic meters of forest growing stock.
The reporter learned that completely stopping commercial logging of natural forests has been listed by the State Forestry Administration as a priority for forestry reform and development during the “13th Five-Year Plan” period. For China's natural forests, the next 5 years will be crucial.
Zhang Jianlong disclosed that by 2017 all commercial logging of natural forests will be stopped. The logging halt will mainly proceed in three steps: expanding the pilot program to stop commercial logging of natural forests in key state-owned forest areas in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia; on that basis, stopping commercial logging of natural forests in state-owned forest farms and other state-owned forest areas; and completely stopping commercial logging of natural forests.
Starting from April 1 last year, commercial logging of natural forests in key state-owned forest areas in Heilongjiang was completely stopped. One year later, the logging ban was expanded to key state-owned forest areas in Inner Mongolia and Jilin, as well as more than 100 state-owned forest farms within the eight bureaus of Lingnan in Inner Mongolia, the four forest management bureaus of Jilin, and the Greater Khingan Range that were not included in the Natural Forest Protection Program.
The logging ban in key state-owned forest areas declares that the history of excessive extraction from forests for more than 100 years has ended, marking a new stage of development in which key state-owned forest areas have shifted from development and utilization to comprehensive protection. The logging ban has broken the original chain of interests in state-owned forest farms and forest areas, formed a mechanism that forces reform, pushed forestry enterprises to accelerate transformation, and promoted continuous innovation in the reform of forest area management systems.