Last year, the region reduced consumption of forest resources by 606,000 cubic meters, or 53.5 percent down compared with that two years ago.

Tibet began the ban on logging in Jomda, Markam, and Gonjo counties of Qamdo Prefecture on January 1, 1999 in a bid to protect natural forests and improve the environment of the region.

The ban is part of the region’s effort to protect the environment of the upper reaches of the country’s longest river, the Yangtze.

So far, the prefecture has built four seedling plots covering a total area of 265 mu (17.6 hectares). Nearly 100 million seedlings have been planted in the plots.

Tibet recently mapped out a forest protection plan for this year. According to the plan, Qamdo Prefecture will continue to ban logging and further protect the 1.2-million-hectare forests and shrubbery, which play an important role in protecting the ecological environment at the source of the Yangtze River.

At the same time, the region will carry out a series of technological projects such as hydroelectric stations, solar power adoption and energy-saving stoves to reduce the use of timber and decrease consumption of forest resources in the prefecture.

(People’s Daily 02/13/2001)