The program of fast growing and high yielding timber plantation bases in key regions is one of the 6 major forestry programs in the new period. In July 2002, the State Planning Commission approved the “Program plan for fast growing and high yielding timber plantation bases in key regions” with the document of “Agriculture economy [2002] 1037). In August 1 of the same year, the State Forestry Administration organized the inception meeting, announcing the formal start of implementation of the program of fast growing and high yielding timber plantation bases.

Since the foundation of the new China, administration of seeds and planting stocks of forest trees became institutionalized, the production of tree seeds and planting stocks have developed from small to large scale, and from simple to advanced techniques. Especially since the 3rd session of the 11th central plenary meeting of the Chinese Communist Party, with deepening reform, continuous social and economic development and attention to ecological environment by the government, China’s tree seed and planting stocks have witnessed a rapid development and significant achievements.

Up to the end of 2004, the total area of economic forests in China was 27.366 million ha, 18.428 million ha of which started to bear fruits, the total production of all types of economic forests was 68.772 million tons, with an annual gross product of RMB 131.1 billion. Due to the implementation of the major forestry programs such as the land conversion from farmland back to forestland and the improvement of poor productivity economic forest, the total area of economic forest has increased yearly by more than 1.3 million ha since 2000. By adjustment of species composition and improvement of low productivity forests, and intensification of technology applications in cultivation and management, the quantity and quality of products have been improved, the total benefit from economic forests in the country has been significantly increased.

Since the foundation of new China, the accumulative area of afforestation reached 247 million ha, including 217 million ha of artificial plantings, ranking the first in the world, and 30 million ha of aero seeding. Since the inclusion of mountain closure from 1981, the accumulative area of mountain closure for forest restoration was 120 million ha. The forest coverage has been increased from 8.6% at the beginning of the new china to 18.2%.