XN000022-1983-05-26 — Page 16

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1983

15

TREES STILL NOT APPRECIATED

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A LARGE NUMBER OF MATURE TREES LOST THROUGH URBAN BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF THERE HAD BEEN SUFFICIENT APPRECIATION OF THEIR IMPORTANCE, SENIOR COUNTRY PARKS OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, PR K.C. IU, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

ALL TOO OFTEN DEVELOPERS BULLDOZED THE SITES FLAT INSTEAD OF PLANNING AND BUILDING AROUND EXISTING TREES, MR IU TOLD A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG NORTH.

HE SAID DEVELOPERS FAILED TO ADAPT THE IR DESIGNS TO INCLUDE LIVING TREES IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

MR IU ADDED: +COMPENSATORY PLANTING RECOMMENDED IS NOT ALWAYS IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY AND IN ANY EVENT IT MUST BE WELL MAINTAINED IN WHAT IS AFTER ALL, A VERY HARSH ENVIRONMENT.

DESPITE CONSIDERABLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE AUTHORITIES, THE RESULTS WERE NOT ALWAYS SATISFACTORY BECAUSE OF INSUFFFICIENT GENERAL APPRECIATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES, HE SAID.

THE LONG TERM ANSWER TO THIS, MR IU SAID, WOULD BE THROUGH EDUCATION.

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT ORGANISES A SER IES OF ACTIVITIES TO INSTIL A SENSE OF LOVE OF TREES IN THE COMMUNITY.

THESE INCLUDE PUBLICITY THROUGH THE MASS MEDIA, COMMUNITY TREE-PLANTING DAYS, SCHOOL FOREST PROJECTS IN WHICH PLOTS OF LAND ARE +ASSIGNED+ TO STUDENTS FOR FORESTRY WORK AND FIELD STUDIES, TRAINING CAMPS FOR CONSERVATION LEADERS AND SUMMER FORESTRY WORK CAMPS.

OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF FIRES IN COUNTRY PARKS ALONE EXCEEDED 500 A YEAR WITH AN AVERAGE OF 20 PER WEEK IN THE SIX-MONTH DRY SEASON, MR IU SAID.

+IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL HILL FIRES START SMALL, AND ANY ONE OF THESE OUTBREAKS COULD EASILY HAVE DEVELOPED INTO THE SORT OF FIRE WHICH IN NOVEMBER 1979 BURNED FOR 29 HOURS DAMAGING 500 HECTARES OF LAND WITH 250 000 TREES.

→VANDALISM IS ANOTHER ENEMY OF YOUNG TREES, TREE SAPLINGS PLANTED ALONG ROADS AND THE PUBLIC GARDENS SUFFER CONSTANT INTERFERENCE FROM PEOPLE AND THOUGHTLESS CITIZENS WHO SHAKE THEIR TRUNKS AND BREAK THEIR BRANCHES.

+ IT IS NOT UNUSUAL THAT FEWER THAN HALF OF THE TREES PLANTED SURVIVE TO MAKE THEIR FULL CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOWNSCAPE,+ HE SAID.

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