The local area plans to build 10 large farm resorts and create 1 forest health and wellness base

This year, Shenyang plans to build 10 large "farm resorts" that combine fruit picking, water play and outdoor leisure, and will also set standards for "farm resorts" to regulate the industry's operations. It also plans to create 1 forest health and wellness base, using the features of forest bathing areas to build fitness facilities and elderly care facilities.

A meeting held at the Shenyang Municipal Forestry Bureau a few days ago revealed this year's work plan.

Cultivate 10 "forest family parks"

This year, Shenyang plans to cultivate 10 "forest family parks", mainly in the suburbs. At present, Faku, Xinmin, Liaozhong, Kangping and other places all have proposed sites. According to an explanation by the relevant person in charge of the Shenyang Municipal Forestry Bureau, so-called "forest family parks" are similar to the existing "farm resorts", but existing "farm resorts" are mostly small in scale, generally occupying about 20 mu, and are mainly in the form of fruit picking.

The 10 "forest family parks" planned for this year are large "farm resorts", each occupying more than 100 mu, and combining fruit picking, water play and winter fishing, skiing and sand sliding, and outdoor leisure. "There are many farm resorts now, but the industry has no standard. We want to use such large, standardised farm resorts to drive the healthy and standardised development of this industry."

In the future, the forestry department also plans to issue relevant industry standards and adopt a plaque system. "Farm resorts" that meet the standards will have a plaque similar to a "standard park" issued by a professional department at their entrance.

Create 1 forest health and wellness base

In terms of environmental greening, this year Shenyang plans to carry out greening upgrades on 3 forest parks, 2 wetland parks and 157 green government organs, enterprises, schools and military camps, achieving the goals of "urban landscaping, suburban forestation, tree-lined roads, beautiful parks, garden-like communities and bonsai-like courtyards".

Among these, it plans to use ecological landscape resources such as forests and wetlands to develop forest tourism and the forest health and wellness industry, with a focus on strengthening forest health and elderly care. It will use concepts such as forest bathing areas, forest experiences, leisure and medical care to build 1 health and wellness base. So-called "forest health and wellness bases" mainly emphasise health and elderly care, using the natural advantages of forests to build fitness facilities, elderly care institutions, convalescence facilities and so on.

"At present we have several candidate sites: to the west of Shenbei Fantawild, inside the Qipanshan Scenic Area in Hunnan, and Ma'er Mountain. All these places have expressed interest, but a final inspection is still needed," explained the relevant person in charge of the municipal forestry bureau.

Expand the raptor rescue centre

In terms of wildlife protection, this year Shenyang will optimise the wildlife shelter and rescue system and expand the Shenyang Raptor Rescue Centre. By then, the annual wildlife rescue volume will triple.

According to statistics, at present Shenyang rescues more than 300 nationally key protected wild animals and 200-300 non-nationally key protected wild animals each year, with an annual rescue volume of about 600, while Shenyang currently has only two rescue sites, Shenyang Ligong University and Changbai Island Forest Park, with a rescue capacity of less than 200.

"Wildlife rescue has different stages. The initial treatment period and recovery period require at least 2 months, after which there are the rewilding period and release period," said the relevant person in charge of the municipal forestry bureau. "In the future we plan to cooperate with Ligong University to expand the cages. After completion, the rescue volume can triple."

Before the end of April this year, the forestry department will also cooperate to complete the acceptance inspection of the giant panda enclosure. "We will inspect multiple aspects such as the giant panda enclosure, feed room and display area according to national standards to ensure the giant pandas live healthily."

One map for the whole city's forest land and cultivated land

As of now, Shenyang has 3.315 million mu of forest land and 2.6415 million mu of forest. The forest coverage rate is 13.5%, and the tree coverage rate is 28%, respectively 1.02% and 1.05% higher than before the implementation of the "three major plans".

In order to make forest land management more precise, this year the forestry department will establish a citywide forest land and forest resource database, and by the end of June achieve "one map" for the whole city's territorial resources, avoiding the emergence of "blank land" and "overlapping land".

"We are doing this as part of Shenyang's 'multi-plan integration'. Now the boundaries between forestry and agriculture are not clear, and sometimes sections where forestry and cultivated land overlap appear, and sometimes there are also blank sections. Doing this can make territorial resource management clearer, and in the future the confirmation of boundaries for public welfare land projects will also have a stronger basis."