XN000022-1984-09-28 — Page 13

12

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1984

DON'T CAUSE FIRES, COUNTRY VISITORS TOLD

*****

PEOPLE VISITING THE COUNTRYSIDE WERE TODAY URGED TO TAKE CARE NOT TO CAUSE FIRES.

THE APPEAL WAS MADE BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, IN A SPEECH LAUNCHING THE 1984-85 COUNTRYSIDE FIRE PREVENTION PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN AT TAI LAM COUNTRY PARK.

+THE APPALLING DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY FIRE MUST BE BORNE IN

MIND BY ALL WHO VISIT THE COUNTRYSIDE, HE SAID.

EVERYBODY, HE SAID, MUST TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID SETTING FIRE TO VEGETATION, DESTROYING WILDLIFE AND RECREATIONAL AMENITIES AND DEFACING THE LANDSCAPE.

THE ANNUAL AVERAGE NUMBER OF HILL FIRES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS WAS AROUND 500. BUT LAST YEAR 1 316 FIRES AFFECTING MORE THAN 220 000 TREES, WERE REPORTED.

ABOUT 50 PER CENT OF THESE FIRES OCCURRED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, DEMONSTRATING A LINK WITH THE VISITORS, HE SAID.

LAST DECEMBER FOUR COUNTRY PARKS AND ONE NATURE RESERVE HAD TO BE CLOSED FOR NEARLY EIGHT WEEKS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RISK OF HILL FIRES, DR LEE RECALLED.

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, TOGETHER WITH THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE CIVIL AID SERVICES. HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY IMPROVING AND STRENGTHENING THEIR CAPABILITY TO DEAL WITH FIRES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

+HOWEVER, NO MATTER WHAT MEASURES THE GOVERNMENT MAY TAKE, THE FINAL SOLUTION MUST DEPEND ON THE CO-OPERATION AND GOOD SENSE OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, 5DR LEE SAID.

+WITH THIS IN MIND, THE COUNTRY PARKS BOARD, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, TOGETHER WITH THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES ORGANISED THE +CLEAN AND GREEN+ CAMPAIGN, TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION ASPECTS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, HE SAID.

THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR AND TOOK THE FORM OF A COMPETITION OVER FIVE STAGES, OFFICIALLY ENDED TODAY, WITH 10 FINALISTS TAKING PART IN THE LAST STAGE OF THE COMPETITION HELD SHORTLY BEFORE THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY.

THE FINAL