Hebei to plant more trees against sandstorms  

为京津阻风沙 河北今年将义务植树1亿株

京畿省份河北因环绕京津而成为其阻挡风沙的绿色屏障。当下正值北方大风扬沙季节，造林阻沙再成民众关切话题。河北省林业厅10日表示，该省自南向北正掀起造林绿化新高潮，今年将完成义务植树1亿株，总造林420万亩。

Shijiazhuang (CNS) -- North China's Hebei province will plant 100 million trees this year to better shelter Beijing and Tianjin against sandstorms, the provincial forestry bureau said on Sunday.

Liu Fengting, deputy director of the bureau, said 120 million trees were planted last year and 648 new bases for tree-planting have been established, with an area of 197, 000 mu (about 13,133 hectares).

Areas of sandification and desertification in the province have been reduced by 4.17 and 2.7 million mu respectively in the past five years, ranking first and second nationwide, Liu said.

A total area of 4.2 million mu of trees will be planted this year, he said, adding that residents have a duty to plant trees for a better environment.

Liu also vowed to intensify forest planting efforts by increasing "green bases" and attracting more investment.

Reports said that by 2015 the province will have 87 million mu of forest, a coverage rate of 31 percent.