XN000022-1994-03-05 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1994

CONSERVE COUNTRY PARKS BY PLANTING TREES

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ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HELP IN CONSERVING OUR COUNTRY PARKS BY PLANTING TREES, AND STOP LITTERING AND STARTING HILL FIRES.

THE APPEAL WAS MADE BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR CANICE MAK, WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE LAUNCHING

FOR THIS YEAR'S "COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING SCHEME" AT TUI MIN HOI, TSIU HANG SPECIAL AREA, SAI KUNG, THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING.

DURING THIS YEAR'S SCHEME, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN PLANT TREES AT FOUR COUNTRY PARKS.

MR MAK SAID TREES COULD PRESENT A VISUAL RELIEF TO OUR SURROUNDINGS, HELP PREVENT SOIL EROSION, PROVIDE SHELTER AND FOOD FOR WILDLIFE, AND INCREASE THE BIODIVERSITY AND CARRYING CAPACITY OF ECOLOGICAL HABITATS.

HE SAID: "TREE PLANTING, THEREFORE, IS AN ACT WHICH CAN BEST SIGNIFY THE COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO NATURE CONSERVATION. THROUGH ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION, A SENSE OF RESPECT ΤΟ THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WILL BE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY,"

ON THE TERRITORY'S COUNTRY PARKS, MR MAK SAID THEIR HIGH PERCENTAGE (40 PER CENT) OF THE TOTAL LAND AREA WAS SOMETHING THAT

KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE PROUD OF.

HONG

APART FROM THE PLAN TO EXTEND THE EXISTING COUNTRY PARKS AT ΤΑΙ LAM AND SAI KUNG IN 1994, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT (AFD) IS ALSO STUDYING ANOTHER 12 SITES, COVERING MORE THAN 7,500 HECTARES, IN A BID TO DESIGNATE THEM AS COUNTRY PARKS OR SPECIAL AREAS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, HE ADDED.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY, THE AFD DIRECTOR, DR LAWRENCE LEE, URGED ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR THE YOUNGER GENERATION, TO BE INVOLVED IN PLANTING AND CARING OF TREES IN THE COUNTRY PARKS.

FROM TOMORROW (SUNDAY) TO APRIL 30, FOUR COUNTRY PARK TREE PLANTING SITES AT NAM SHAN ON LANTAU, TAI MO SHAN, LAU SHUI HEUNG IN PAT SIN LENG AND QUARRY BAY WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 10 AM TO 4 PM ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS TO PLANT TREES.

+ DR LEE SAID: 'COUNTRY PARK STAFF WILL BE ON DUTY DURING THE PERIOD TO PROVIDE TREE SEEDLINGS, PLANTING TOOLS AND TECHNICAL ADVICE.

AS FOR INTERESTED SCHOOLS AND ORGANISATIONS, DR LEE SAID THEY WERE WELCOME TO CONTACT AFD'S CONSERVATION EDUCATION UNIT ON TEL 733 2121 FOR SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS ON PARTICIPATION IN THE PLANTING SCHEME. A TOTAL OF NINE SITES HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED FOR PURPOSE.

THIS

ARRANGEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE WITH THE TERRITORY'S CLUBS, ROTARY CLUBS, THE COMMUNITY CHEST, GREEN GROUPS AND MANY ORGANISATIONS, HE SAID,

/DR LEE

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