East China's Zhejiang Province, vigorously engaged in afforestation and reforestation projects, has planted and renovated 2.65 million mu (176,666 hectares) of forest in the past five years, according to the provincial forestry department.
The mountainous province has relatively limited farming land resources, though it's now a leading economic powerhouse in China.
In building a "green Zhejiang," the provincial forestry department has shifted tasks from lumbering trees to planting trees for ecological purposes, said Chen Tiexiong, director of Zhejiang Provincial Forestry Department.
The province has circumscribed 30 million mu (2 million hectares) of forest for comprehensive protection.
About 240 million yuan (US$30 million) will be used to construct and protect the woods, Chen said.
The province is also promoting economic development in the remote areas to relieve local people's reliance on wood for fuel.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2005)
