As China marks the 48th National Tree Planting Day on Thursday, Shandong province has released its latest achievements in afforestation and green space development.

Zhao Xiaohui, director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Natural Resources, told a news conference on Wednesday that the province's forest coverage had reached nearly 3 million hectares, with national- and provincial-level public welfare forests accounting for about one fourth of the total.

Shandong is also home to nine national-level forest tree breeding bases to support sustainable forestry, focusing on key species such as poplar, black locust, and black pine.

"The province's forest coverage rate has remained stable, while areas affected by desertification and sandy land continue to shrink," Zhao said.

One feature of Shandong's afforestation drive is the integration of green space expansion with urban planning. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–25), the province has added more than 450 large urban parks and over 3,900 kilometers of urban greenways. As a result, per capita park green space now stands at 18.66 square meters, according to Zhao.

Beyond improving the environment, afforestation efforts are also delivering tangible economic benefits to local communities.

Forestry programs have promoted the cultivation of high-value traditional crops such as chestnuts and persimmons in certain regions. These initiatives are increasingly combined with forest wellness tourism and ecotourism, creating new sources of income for rural residents.

To date, Shandong has developed a range of nationally recognized geographical indication products, including Yantai apples, Laiyang pears, Zhanhua winter jujubes, Pingyin roses, and Heze peonies. The province has also established four national-level forest wellness bases.

"Emerging sectors that integrate ecological conservation with agriculture and tourism have seen continuous growth in both scale and economic returns," Zhao said.

Sun Qi contributed to the story.