In commenting on the report by Our Staff Reporter Zhou Hongyang about a national forestry law-enforcement inspection to be conducted by the State Bureau of Forestry to deal with the indiscriminate felling of trees and arbitrary occupation of forest land, which is carried on page 2 of today's People's Daily, Our Commentator says:

In recent years, in an effort to implement the spirit of the important instructions of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the State has launched a natural forest resources protection project on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and on the mid-stream and upstream of the Yellow River, accelerated the process of afforestation and increased input in the ecological environment construction. These measures have played an important role in protecting and developing forest resources, improving the ecological environment and promoting sustained economic and social development.

However, there still exists the phenomenon in which some localities engage in the indiscriminate felling of trees, arbitrary occupation of forested areas and wanton damage of forests, this has entailed further damage to the ecological environment and inflicted serious losses on the State's collective property and thus evoked strong reaction from the masses.. An important reason for the continued indiscriminate felling of trees despite the repeated announcements of prohibition is that relevant leaders in some localities have ignored the Forest Law and other relevant laws and the related decrees of the Party Central Committee and the State Council concerning the protection of forest resources and improvement of the ecological environment, instead, they persist in going their own way, refuse to abide by the law, obey orders and stop the indiscriminate felling of trees. Driven by short-term benefits, some localities engage in indiscriminate and unlawful felling of trees; competent departments in some regions connive at and shield unlawful axemen, they even collude with each other in stealing trees in the areas entrusted to their care. If this situation is allowed to develop unchecked, it will further aggravate the already serious shortage of forest resources, soil erosion, abnormal climate, the reduction of species, the ferocity of wind and sand and other ecological problems and will cause some regions to return to poverty. Given this situation, it is a must and imminent to adopt effective measures to intensify law enforcement, protect forest resources and improve the ecological environment.

It is necessary to further enhance understanding of the importance of protecting forest resources. Principal Party and government leaders at all levels should, with a high sense of responsibility and in the spirit of holding themselves responsible for the future generations, have a profound understanding of the major significance of protecting forests and developing forestry and firmly and unswervingly grasp the protection of forest resources, vigorous forest-plantation and acceleration of greening barren mountains as a major matter.

It is essential to further intensify publicity. We should make full use of broadcasting, television, newspapers and other news media to vigorously publicize the major significance of protecting forest resources and improving the ecological environment, laws, regulations and principles and policies of the Party and government on protecting forest resources and improving the ecological environment, as well as the concrete measures taken by local governments to protect and develop forest resources. We should pay attention to both publicizing the advanced examples emerged in the endeavor to protect forest resources and improve the ecological environment and sum up and popularize their experience gained in this effort, and to seriously dealing with the negative examples who damage forest resources and the ecological environment in violation of related laws and regulations.

It is imperative to further intensify law enforcement. The Forest Law is an important statute on protecting forest resources. In the process of protecting forest resources, we must persist in managing forests according to law, crack down on acts of indiscriminate and unlawful felling of trees, arbitrary requisition and occupation of forest land, deforestation resulted from reclamation, illegal transportation and processing of, and dealing in wood and various other actions that destroy forest resources, and ensure that law must be strictly observed and fully enforced and violation of laws must be prosecuted.

It is necessary to comprehensively improve the qualities of the manager of forest resources and law executors, raise their level of administration according to law, leading cadres at all levels, especially leaders of departments in charge of forestry, should be the models of law observance and law execution.