The forestry and grassland authorities of Heilongjiang Province, in collaboration with the provincial development and reform commission, finance department, and natural resources department, have jointly released the "Heilongjiang Province Forestry and Grassland Conservation and Utilization Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period." This document outlines the primary objectives and key missions for achieving high-level ecological protection and high-quality development in the province's forestry and grassland sectors over the next five years, further solidifying the ecological safety barrier for northern China.
The plan sets an overarching goal for 2030, aiming for a more stable ecological shield, comprehensively enhanced governance capabilities, and a significant boost in industrial efficiency. It establishes three major categories of core indicators. For ecosystem quality, the forest coverage rate is targeted to reach 45.95%, with a total forest stock volume of 2.392 billion cubic meters. The combined forestry and grassland coverage is projected to hit 51.2%, while the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands is expected to remain stable above 72%. Additionally, the area covered by national parks and other protected areas is slated to account for over 18.65% of the province's total.
Regarding support and safeguard capabilities, the plan emphasizes the continuous optimization of a modern forest and grassland fire prevention system that prioritizes prevention, integrates firefighting, leverages technological innovation, and ensures efficient coordination. The aim is to keep the forest fire damage rate below 0.7 per mille and the grassland fire damage rate under 1.8 per mille. On the industrial front, the plan seeks to bolster the influence of the regional public brand featuring specialty forest products, with the goal of achieving a total output value of 218 billion yuan in the forestry and grassland industry.
A key focus is the implementation of initiatives to consolidate and enhance the carbon sink capacity of forest ecosystems. By leveraging the provincial green carbon brand, the plan targets an average annual carbon sequestration of 110 million tonnes of CO2 across forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems, thereby initially establishing a pathway for converting carbon sink value into tangible economic benefits.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Heilongjiang intends to implement the national strategy for functional zones, based on differentiated territorial space control. Guided by the ecological baseline and resource endowments, the province will adopt a layout that follows natural geographical patterns such as watersheds and mountain ranges. The plan divides the province into four development zones: the Greater and Lesser Khingan Ranges, the northern Changbai Mountain area, the Sanjiang Plain, and the Songnen Plain. It also defines three types of spaces for scientific conservation, systematic restoration, and rational utilization, aiming to establish a development framework characterized by stricter protection, more effective restoration, and more scientific utilization.
The plan outlines six major tasks for the province's forestry and grassland sector over the next five years. The first task is to carry out scientific land greening efforts. This includes advancing the protection and restoration of key ecosystems, executing the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, improving forest quality, restoring and protecting grasslands, managing forestry and grassland resources, promoting urban and rural greening alongside voluntary tree planting, and revitalizing the forestry seed industry to lay a solid ecological foundation.
The second task focuses on comprehensively advancing the construction of a protected area system. Efforts will be coordinated to develop the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, systematically manage protected areas, strengthen the conservation of rare and endangered wildlife, and enhance wetland protection and restoration to maintain ecosystem integrity.
The third task aims to develop and expand the forestry and grassland industry. The plan calls for increasing the supply of forestry and grassland resources, strengthening the forest-based food supply, building the specialty forest product brand, developing the provincial green carbon initiative, cultivating emerging and future industries, and establishing a modern operational service system for forestry and grassland. These measures are designed to broaden the avenues for ecological value transformation and boost income for forest farmers.
The fourth task is to concentrate efforts on consolidating the foundation of ecological security. This involves coordinating forest and grassland fire prevention and control alongside pest and disease management to fortify safety lines and safeguard the achievements of the national ecological security barrier.
The fifth task is to persistently deepen reforms in key areas. Reforms will be advanced in collective forest rights, state-owned forest farms, state-owned forest areas, and sustainable forest management systems. The goal is to enhance the precision of forestry and grassland resource management and provide institutional guarantees for the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
The sixth task involves driving innovation, opening-up, and cooperation. Efforts will be directed towards enhancing scientific and technological innovation capabilities, building a digital and intelligent forestry and grassland system, strengthening talent development, pursuing high-level opening-up, and advancing the construction of broadband infrastructure for forestry and grassland, thereby injecting technological vitality into high-quality development.
The issuance and implementation of this plan signifies a further refinement of the top-level design for forestry and grassland conservation and utilization in Heilongjiang Province. It marks a transition towards a new stage characterized by systematic governance, quality and efficiency improvements, and the coordinated advancement of ecological protection and value realization, providing robust support for safeguarding national ecological security and fostering a modern society where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously.