It is learned from the mobilization meeting in implementing the strategy of “Greening the Whole Hubei Province”, that in the next three years Yichang plans to increase over 47,773 acres of forestland, striving to be the first city in the province in realizing the goal of full green coverage of the whole city, according to “Opinions on Accelerating the Greening and Beautifying Drive” announced by the municipal party committee and municipal government (hereinafter referred to as “Opinions”).
“Be to be Fully Covered by Green” Is the Goal to Achieve
According to the “Opinions”, Yichang will spend three years in basically completing the construction of the multi-level ecological network system, the ecological security system and the green industry system.
By 2017, Yichang is to green the land suitable for forest, no forest land, passageway greening land, and village greening land, with greenery everywhere. There will be more than 47,773 acres’ newly-added forestland, with forests coverage rate reaching 66.2%, forests volume 59.314 million cubic meters and forests protection land at least 1.3705 million hectares; the green land rate in downtown built-up areas will increase to over 40%, the green coverage rate to over 45%, and the green space area in parks per capita to over 14.5 square meters. It strives to be the first city in the province in realizing the goal of being fully covered by green.
Optimization of the Three Ecological Space System
The three ecological space system refers to the construction of urban and rural integration ecological network system, strictly governed and controlled ecological security system, and efficient and intensive ecological industry system.
On the construction of ecological network system, the city will construct five eco-functional areas, namely, the northwest Three Gorges reservoir water and soil conservation area, the southern Wuling mountain ecological conservation area, the northeast mountains and hills ecological development area, the ecological development area along the Qingjiang River, and the eastern plains and shallow hills ecological development area. According to the principle of prioritizing the construction of key areas with particular functions, importance will be attached to vigorously constructing the Yangtze river ecological corridor, the ecological belts on both the south and north side of the Yangtze river, the back mountain of Xiling District -- Moji Mountain, Longpan Lake -- Guanyin Mountain, Shanxichong -- Aijiadian “Three Green Wedges”, four ecological corridors including the Qingjiang River, the Yuyang River, the Xiangxi River and the Juzhang River; seven ecological green passageways including Yixing, Yuandang, Luyu and so on; making these places to have “mountains and rivers in sight, and be covered by green.”
On the ecological security system, it will establish and improve the ecological red line protection system, the drinking water resources protection system, the environment management and ecological restoration system, the ecological compensation system, and the ecological environmental damage liability compensation and investigation system.
Promotion of the Five Greening and Beautifying Projects
According to the “Opinions”, the city will actively promote five great projects including the main urban districts ecological construction, the Three Gorges Dam reservoir area ecological belt construction, the greening and beautifying of ecological corridors, the construction of beautiful rural areas, and the green industry in enriching the people.
The ecological construction project of the main urban districts will put the urban entrance, sightseeing spots and the traffic corridor in order; pay special attention to the construction of forest parks, city parks and public green spaces, and reinforce the landscaping construction and upgrading of the downtown area, new district and old city district and the like. It will put the urban green space and urban natural mountains and waters into permanent protection, implement the protection, restoration, upgrading and improvement project of mountains in urban areas, and build forest barricade around the city and the “one river with two banks” green corridor.
And in the Three Gorges Dam reservoir area ecological barricade construction project, the focus is laid on the protection of natural forests, the construction of the Yangtze River protection forests, the mountain ecological restoration, the forest pest comprehensive management, the desertification control, the construction of ecological barricade areas and the protection and construction of wetland in the Three Gorges reservoir area, and others. Up till now, 33,935 acres of farmland have been returned for forest planting.
Over the next three years, the city will complete 339 greening passageways with 3,703 km long. The key construction greening passageways of city level, group level and community level will reach 883.43 km long. Afforestation will be carried out in 10,707 acre’s land suitable for forest, in 8,731 acres’ land with no forests, and in 24,875 acres’ villages. (Reporter: Liu Zirong; Correspondents: Du Yunming, Ke Xiaoyu)