According to the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES):
North Korea’s official news agency, Korean Central News Agency reported on March 7, 2015 that the North Korean Cabinet has adopted a resolution to support national forest restoration activities.
According to the news agency, the Cabinet recently “announced this decision, which they adopted to fully mobilize the entire party, military, and citizenry in the forest restoration battle.”
The resolution states that the General Bureau of Forestry of the Ministry of Land and Environment Preservation will procure the funds necessary for forest restoration and that the State Planning Committee, General Bureau of Forestry of the Ministry of Land and Environment Preservation, as well as other agencies such as the forestry and agriculture ministries, will draft a concrete plan.
The directive also set up a management system including a supervisory and regulatory task for forest conservation, and it urged for cooperation between county residents and the development of scientific technology in the forestry sector.
In accordance with First Chairman of the National Defence Commission Kim Jong Un’s guidelines, since last year North Korea has repeatedly drawn attention to the precarious state of the country’s forests and has been encouraging tree-planting and nature conservation.
Welcoming ‘Tree-Planting Day’ on March 2, Kim Jong Un also revealed North Korea’s plans to begin an intense forestation restoration campaign. The leader spoke directly regarding this effort, saying, “Forests are a precious resource of our country and a great treasure that we must bequeath to future generations […] However, since the ‘Arduous March,’ people, while saying that they are procuring firewood and provisions, have recklessly damaged our forests, and since the country could not even erect a forest fire prevention measure, our country’s precious forest resources have been greatly reduced.”
In addition, while referencing issues like the drought and damage incurred during the rainy season due to the deforestation, Kim Jong Un emphasized patriotism: “If the country’s forests are not currently beyond repair, they lie at the crossroads of recovery.”
Ordering the complete restoration of forests within 10 years, Kim added that “The entire party, military, and citizenry need to fully engage in a forest restoration battle to make the green forests in the Motherland’s mountains lush.”
Following this, ‘Tree-Planting Day’ was held as an extensive tree-planting event, and Kim Jong Un encouraged the people to plant many saplings in the central tree nursery and regional tree nurseries.
In addition he stressed the importance of the forest conservation work and ordered the supervision and regulation of forest development and conservation through means such as the prohibition of reckless logging, forest fire prevention measures, and the provision of firewood.
On March 2, 2015, Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong-un had given a talk on forestry. You can download a PDF of the talk here.
