Forest chief system makes forestry sector sustainable

In the wake of rolling out its innovative forest chief system, Dong'e county – which has vast areas of forests under its care and which is located in Liaocheng city in East China's Shandong province – has secured the sustainable development of the forestry sector.

Along the Yellow River, running for hundreds of miles in Dong'e county, forests thrive and create a beautiful landscape. [Photo by Hou Changming provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Adhering to the concept of "lush mountains and lucid waters are invaluable assets," the county has implemented what it calls a forest chief system to promote forest management.

As a result, it is actively promoting protection of the ecosystem and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.

Currently, the county has 169,500 mu (11,300 hectares) of forest area and the forest coverage rate is 22.78 percent.

With both ecological conservation and economic growth in mind, Dong'e has been striving to promote high-quality development. The forestry industry has an annual output value of 589 million yuan ($82.6 million).

Dong'e county also promotes the cultivation of forest mushrooms, forest propagation, and forest medicines, advancing the development of Chinese herbal planting centers and nurturing 13 new forestry business entities.

These have expanded the forest economy, which covers over 3,600 mu, with an annual output value of 40 million yuan. (Edited by Jin Yongxue)