"Expanding greenery, revitalizing greenery, and protecting greenery" simultaneously build a solid ecological foundation for a beautiful China

On April 3, 2024, when participating in the voluntary tree planting activity in the capital, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "greening the motherland should expand greenery, promote greenery, and protect greenery at the same time". The important concept of "three greens" was put forward, and the requirements of green expansion, green development and green protection were put forward in the same dimension, which fully reflected the dialectical thinking and systematic thinking of General Secretary Xi Jinping to guide the construction of ecological civilization. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has participated in voluntary tree planting in the capital for many times. In March 2022, when participating in the voluntary tree-planting activity in the capital, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "forests and grasslands play a fundamental and strategic role in national ecological security, and the prosperity of forests and grasslands leads to ecological prosperity". The important concept of "three greens" is an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, which points out the direction and provides a fundamental guide for comprehensively promoting the construction of a beautiful China and accelerating the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

1. Expand greening: scientifically promote the greening of the land and polish the green background of beautiful China

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "expanding greenery is to scientifically promote large-scale land greening, suitable trees in the right place, suitable law at the right time, planting one tree and living another, and building a piece into a piece". This highlights the systematic, scientific and sustainable nature of promoting the construction of land greening. Large-scale land greening is an important part of the construction of a beautiful China, and scientific afforestation is an effective way to consolidate the green foundation of a beautiful China.

Adhere to overall planning and systematically promote land greening. Land greening involves multiple areas of cities, villages, roads, forests, grasslands, wetlands and other ecosystems, involving biodiversity, water resources, soil protection, climate regulation and other aspects, we must adopt systems thinking, fully consider the interaction and impact between various factors, and pay attention to the continuity and stability of the ecosystem. To promote large-scale land greening, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as regional characteristics, land use structure, and ecological environment carrying capacity, organize and carry out the assessment of the suitability of green space, scientifically delineate and rationally arrange green land, and reasonably determine the greening target tasks and spatial layout. It is necessary to strengthen the guidance and management of land greening, realize the transformation from local greening to global greening, and do a good job in effectively connecting all types of greening plans at all levels with national land and space planning.

Pay attention to local conditions, and measure water in the right place. Land greening must be combined with local conditions, and we should pay attention not only to the scale of greening, but also to the quality of greening. According to the local site conditions and the law of vegetation growth and development, it is necessary to irrigate if it is suitable for trees, irrigate if it is suitable for irrigation, grass if it is suitable for grass, and barren if it is suitable for barrenness. It is necessary to focus on strengthening afforestation and restoration of forest and grass vegetation in key areas such as the "Three Norths" shelter forest and the source of the three rivers, and build a systematic greening system that combines forest, grass and wetland. Strengthen the proportion of urban forest space, make full use of urban waste land, corner land, front and back of houses and other spaces, insert greenery in the cracks, demolish illegal greenery, and three-dimensional greening, and promote the construction of forest cities in an orderly manner. It is necessary to give full consideration to the distribution and utilization of water resources in green areas, to determine greenery with water, to avoid overexploitation and waste, to make sustainable use of water, soil and climate resources, and to ensure the long-term and stable development of land greening.

Control key links and improve the quality and effectiveness of greening. The focus of land greening is to improve the technical level and management ability of tree and grass planting. It is necessary to choose plants with high environmental adaptability for greening, such as drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and salt-alkali tolerant plants, so as to increase the survival rate of tree planting and grass planting. Formulate a directory of native tree species and grass species, and increase the construction of native tree species and grass seed collection and production, and seedling breeding bases. Comprehensively optimize the variety structure of forest tree seedlings, and focus on the research and development of improved varieties of forest and grass with strong resistance to diseases and insect pests and stress. Strengthen the technical training of planting personnel to improve their understanding and application ability of plant growth characteristics and maintenance knowledge. The use of modern information technology to establish a forest and grass information management system, the greening project for scientific management, to achieve the monitoring and control of planting, fertilization and other key technologies, to develop a reasonable maintenance plan, to improve the retention rate of tree and grass planting and the rate of afforestation.

2. Xinglu: further promote the linkage of the "four libraries" to achieve the organic unity of multiple benefits

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "to rejuvenate green, it is necessary to pay attention to quality and efficiency, expand the path of transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into gold and silver mountains, promote the better linkage of forest reservoirs, money banks, grain depots and carbon pools, and realize the unity of ecological, economic and social benefits." This highlights the need to give full play to the multiple functional roles of forests and grasslands, actively explore the transformation path from lucid waters and lush mountains to gold and silver mountains, transform ecological advantages into development advantages, make lucid waters and lush mountains produce huge benefits, and realize the coordinated development of economic development and ecological protection.

Replenish water with forests and give full play to the function of forest "reservoirs". Forests are "reservoirs", which have multiple functions in water conservation, flood control and replenishment, soil and water conservation, and water purification. Forests are not only an important part of the "green mountains", but also provide a continuous source of water for the "green water". Water security is a fundamental issue for human survival and development, and it is necessary to enhance the awareness of water crisis and fully understand the strategic position of forests in the protection of water ecology and water ecological security. It is necessary to make overall plans for the land around important water sources such as rivers, rivers, lakes and reservoirs across the country, promote the expansion of water conservation forests and soil and water conservation forests on both sides of the water system, and improve the efficiency of forest water storage. The function of water conservation should be included in the key areas of forest management, and the ecological protection and restoration of key areas such as important ecological reserves, water conservation areas, and river headwaters should be accelerated. Through the combination of mountain closure and afforestation, the vegetation coverage rate should be improved, and the soil water storage and culvert capacity should be enhanced.

Enrich the forest and effectively activate the role of the forest "money bank". Forests are "money banks" that can be used to create ecological capital and green wealth using solar energy and land. As a circular economy, forestry and grassland is an important economic foundation for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. It is necessary to actively revitalize natural resources such as land, forests, and waters, and explore ways to realize the value of ecological products. Improve the value accounting mechanism of ecological products, and turn intangible ecological resources into tangible assets. Establish a compensation mechanism for ecological protection, increase the value of nature and natural capital, and strengthen the "beautiful economy". Construct a long-term mechanism for forest farmers to increase income, mobilize farmers' willingness to participate in the development of ecological economy in mountainous areas in the form of employment, equity participation, dividends, etc., actively explore the innovative development path of "green gold", and give full play to the commercial value of new forms of business such as forest tourism, forest health care, nature education, and forest culture, so that the huge wealth created by forests can become the growth point of people's lives and the support point of sustainable economic development.

Increase grain with forests, and deeply tap the potential of forest "grain banks". Forests are the "grain depots", which can provide woody grains, woody oilseeds, forest fruits, forest vegetables, forest medicinal materials, forest beverages, forest spices and other seven categories of sufficient food and rich nutrition, which is of great significance to ensuring the food security of the mainland and stabilizing the "Chinese rice bowl". It is necessary to establish a big food concept, face the "green granary" of forests, develop diversified forest food resources in an all-round and multi-way way, focus on promoting the construction of a modern woody grain and oil industry economic system, and guide the formation of industrial agglomeration and development characteristics represented by Camellia oleifera. Rational use of understory space, according to local conditions, and actively explore the "tree grain economy" model that takes into account economic development and ecological protection, such as forest medicine, forest fungi, forest birds, and forest livestock. We will continue to improve the construction of the forest food traceability standardization system, extend the forest food industry chain, enhance the forest food value chain, and improve the supply capacity of high-quality forest food from the aspects of brand, science and technology, and policy.

Use forests to sequester carbon and continue to improve the "carbon pool" capacity of forests. Forests are the "carbon pool", and it is urgent to solve the outstanding problems of resource and environmental constraints and achieve sustainable development to achieve the goal of "double carbon". Biological carbon sequestration is one of the safest, most economical and most effective ways to sequester carbon. It is necessary to actively promote the ecological restoration and regeneration of forests, increase forest coverage and diversity through afforestation and forest tending, and consolidate and enhance the carbon sink capacity of mainland ecosystems. Improve the methodology of forestry carbon sequestration, and explore carbon sequestration testing standards, accounting systems and methods that conform to international norms and are in line with China's actual conditions. Accelerate the policy and institutional innovation of the forestry carbon sink market, and establish a carbon emission quota management system, a forest carbon sink cultivation mechanism, a trading system and a monitoring and supervision system. Explore the implementation of the forestry carbon ticket system to realize the value of forest carbon sink functions.

3. Green protection: Effectively improve the quality of management and protection, and consolidate the effectiveness of beautification and greening

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "green protection is to strengthen the protection of forest and grass resources, do a good job in fire prevention and extinguishing, carry out in-depth investigation and rectification of major hidden dangers, and protect the hard-won greening achievements." This highlights the severity, importance and necessity of forest and grass resource protection. It is necessary to adhere to integrated protection and restoration, establish a sound fire prevention system, investigate potential hidden dangers in the ecological environment, and maintain national ecological security.

Strengthen the protection of forest and grass resources according to the situation. Adhere to the equal emphasis on forest protection and afforestation, strengthen the protection of forest and grass resources in the whole process and cycle, strictly abide by the bottom line of forest and grass ecological resource security, and adhere to the natural ecological security boundary. In view of the protection of different forest and grass resources, targeted protection plans and restoration plans should be formulated, and a variety of protection and restoration measures should be adopted, such as afforestation, grassland management and protection, returning farmland to forest, water conservation, lake restoration, etc., so as to realize the integration of ecological protection and restoration. Improve the ecological protection and restoration assessment system, build and improve the ecological monitoring network, and actively promote the supervision of ecological protection redlines. Implement the requirements for zoning management and control of the ecological environment, implement the protection system of forest and grass resources with differentiated and precise control in different regions, and increase the protection and management of forest and grass resources in key national ecological function areas. Promote the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement for ecological and environmental protection, and increase the intensity of crackdowns and supervision and supervision of cases of encroachment and destruction of forest and grass resources.

Technology empowerment to investigate and rectify major hidden dangers. Fires pose a serious threat to forest and grass resources, national security, ecological security, and social and economic development, and cause heavy losses to people's lives and property. It is necessary to strengthen the application of digital monitoring technology, improve the accuracy and real-time monitoring of forest and grass resources, realize the timely acquisition and automatic analysis of information such as vegetation coverage, soil moisture, and wild animal and plant populations, and timely discover and investigate potential risks and hidden dangers. Establish a forest and grassland information service platform, integrate data resources such as topography, meteorology and climate, soil water quality, etc., and form a digital patrol mechanism of "civil air defense + technical defense" with the help of digital technologies such as 5G, big data, and video AI algorithms, so as to accurately improve the level and efficiency of forest and grassland fire prevention. Construct a comprehensive scientific and technological intelligent forest and grassland fire prevention system, and realize the closed-loop management of the whole process of forest fires "before, during and after disasters". We will increase support for forest scientific research and technological innovation, accelerate the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, and help cultivate new quality productivity for fire prevention and control.

Take multiple measures at the same time to establish a forest and grass protection mechanism. It is necessary to give full play to the role of forest chiefs, include the protection of forest and grass resources in the supervision and assessment of the forest chief system, and promote the "long-term governance of forests" with the "forest chief system". Strengthen the construction of forest rangers, encourage the masses to take the initiative to act as "civil forest chiefs", effectively play the role of grassroots autonomy, and realize the grid and full coverage of forest resource management and protection. Establish a long-term mechanism for the protection of forest and grassland resources, adhere to the combination of daily inspections, key inspections, and strict law enforcement, and highlight "management", "maintenance", "protection" and "punishment". The construction of a beautiful China is the common cause of all the people, everyone is a builder and guardian, we should increase publicity and education, enhance the awareness of "loving forests and protecting forests" and the concept of ecological civilization, and actively create a strong atmosphere of everyone's support and participation in the protection of forest and grass resources, and jointly protect the lucid waters and lush mountains.

Source: Red Flag Manuscripts

Author: Liu Guangchao, Dean and Professor of the School of Marxism, Beijing Forestry University