Forest rangers make a difference in Yichang

By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio

July 31 is World Ranger Day. There are more than 8,000 forest rangers in Yichang. Let's hear the story of one of these rangers.

Chen Gang, 47, has been engaged in conservation for six years. He heads the ecological ranger group in Shuijinsi Village in Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County.

Shuijinsi Village is a sparsely populated, mountainous area with more than 40 peaks. In 2017, Chen became responsible for the management and protection of over 5,000 mu (333 hectares) of forest.

When he goes on patrol, Chen heads off on his motorcycle, taking a sickle with him and carrying some food and water for lunch. He usually sets out for the forest before 8 am and returns at about 3 pm.

"Nowadays, the village has good roads, but there are still some places where we have to walk," Chen said, adding that when they go up into the mountains, they have to take narrow tracks, and climb in some places.

"On average, we spend 23 days a month patrolling the mountains," said Chen.

In 2018, during a patrol, Chen discovered that some pine trees had died from pine wood nematode disease. Reacting quickly, his team of rangers checked more than 44,000 mu of pine forest in five days. They also helped the forestry department treat the dead pine trees to control the spread of the disease.

In addition to daily patrols, Chen and the other rangers plant trees. More than 25,000 trees, such as firs and walnut trees, have been planted along the road and around farmers' homes.

There are more than 8,000 forest rangers like Chen in the city, who play a key role in protecting the environment.

Yichang launched a forest protection program in 2000. Currently, the city has more than 1.4 million hectares of forest and a forest coverage rate of nearly 70 percent.