BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- China will strive to increase its forest coverage in 70 percent of the cities nationwide to 30 percent, with per capita public land under vegetation reaching eight square meters, Jia Zhibang, director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA) announced here Monday. 

    Forest coverage to reach 20 pct in 2010    

    China will strive to increase its forest coverage to 20 percent and to bring half of its natural wetlands and 90 percent of the country's key wildlife species under protection in 2010. 

    Jia told a press conference that the total forestry output value would reach 1,200 billion yuan (149.1 billion US dollars) in 2010.

   Forestry output value grows by 2 digits annually

    China posts two-digit growth in total forestry output value every year from 2001 to 2005, reaching more than 700 billion yuan (about 87.0 billion US dollars) in 2005.

     12 bln trees planted in 2001-2005 period     

    Jia Zhibang said 12 billion trees were plated across the country in the 2001-2005 period, and a total of 2.75 billion volunteers participated in tree planting.

     Desert encroachment reduced, forest coverage increase 

     The desert area has shrunk by an average 1,283 square kilometers annually in recent years. This marked a reverse for the first time in the period since 1949 when China has reported continuous expansion in desert areas.

       Thanks to the 32 million hectares of trees planted in the 2001-2005 period, the forest coverage rate in the country has risen to the current 18.21 percent from 16.55 percent, the State Forestry Administration said. Enditem