The amount of newly planted forest in the municipal area of Beijing has reached 45 square meters per person, with trees covering 13 million mu (867,000 hectares), nearly half its total area, according to a communiqué issued jointly by the Capital Greenery Committee Office and Beijing Municipal Forestry Bureau on Monday.

 

Song Xiyou, head of the Beijing Municipal Forestry Bureau, said that, with increasing demand for wood, untapped areas suitable for planting trees stand at only 776,000 mu (51,760 hectares). From this year, their greening strategy will move on from afforestation to improving forest quality.

 

About 3,000 mu (200 hectares) of land will be afforested in Beijing this year, increasing coverage to 50 percent of the city's total area; additionally, the city will construct 20 avenues dotted by eco-landscape, 20 green communities and 400 garden-like units, said Song.

 

Since 2000, tree coverage in Beijing has increased 400,000 mu (26,680 hectares) annually. Last year, the city afforested 404,800 mu (27,000 hectares) with 42.3 million trees. This brought coverage to 41.5 percent of the capital. Forest quality and landscaping were also improved.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, January 12, 2005)