XN000022-1982-05-07 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1982

IMPORTANCE OF TREE-PLANTING STRESSED

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THE HOPE THAT TREE-PLANTING BY THE PUBLIC WILL BECOME A REGULAR YEARLY EVENT, AS WAS DONE IN THE 1970'S, WAS EXPRESSED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN,

RECALLING THAT THE FIRST COMMUNITY TREE-PLANTING DAY ORGANISED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, WAS HELD IN SHING MUN IN 1957, MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THE EVENT WAS THEN CONTINUED REGULARLY EVERY YEAR UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE 1970'S.

+ IT IS SOME YEARS SINCE THE LAST TREE PLANTING DAY WAS HELD AND I THINK THAT, NOW WHEN WE ARE ALL TRYING TO MAKE HONG KONG CLEANER AND GREENER, IT IS MOST APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY THAT THE EVENT SHOULD BE REVIVED, HE SAID.

+PLANTING OF TREES IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG IF WE ARE TO KEEP THE TERRITORY FRESH AND GREEN AND IF WE ARE TO MAKE AMENDS IN THE AREAS DISFIGURED BY DEVELOPMENT.+

ON SUNDAY (MAY 9), TREE SEEDLINGS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR PLANTING IN SIX COUNTRY PARKS BETWEEN 9 AM AND 3 PM.

THE LOCATIONS ARE AT THE SUMMIT OF ROUTE TWISK BY THE TAI LAM COUNTRY PARK IN TSUEN WAN, THE CLEARWATER BAY COUNTRY PARK NEAR THE TAI AU MUN PUBLIC CARPARK, THE WEST SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK NEAR THE PAK TAM CHUNG CARPARK, THE PAT SIN LENG COUNTRY PARK NEAR BRIDE'S POOL, THE SOUTH LANTAU ISLAND COUNTRY PARK NEAR THE NAM SHAN CAMPSITE, AND THE QUARRY BAY COUNTRY PARK MANAGEMENT CENTRE ON HONG KONG ISLAND.

INFORMATION AND MAPS OF THE EXACT LOCATIONS WILL BE FOUND NEAR THE SEEDLING DISTRIBUTION POINTS.

MR RIDDELL-SWAN EXPLAINED THAT IN HONG KONG MOST OF THE TREES HAD BEEN PLANTED AND MANY HAD THE IR ORIGINS THROUGH PLANTING PROGRAMME OR IN DEPARTMENTAL NURSERIES.

+DESPITE A REGRETTABLY HIGH PROPORTION DAMAGED BY HILL FIRES, THERE ARE NOW PROBABLY MORE TREES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE OF HONG KONG THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, HE SAID.

THIS SEASON ALONE, THE DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY PLANTED MORE THAN 250 000 TREES, MOSTLY IN COUNTRY PARKS.

IN ADDITION, LARGE NUMBERS OF SEEDLINGS WERE BEING PRODUCED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S NURSERIES TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, HE SAID.

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