Spring winds bring warmth as efforts surge across the desert seas. With temperatures rising in Xinjiang during March, the golden season for afforestation and desert control has arrived. From the edges of oases to the front lines of desert stabilization, the "Three North" Shelterbelt Project in Xinjiang is witnessing a wave of activity. Various regions are demonstrating strong determination through multiple approaches including project advancement, technological empowerment, industrial integration, and public participation, sowing seeds of green hope across the vast sandy expanses and striving to write a new chapter of coordinated development between ecological protection and livelihood improvement.

Currently, key projects under the "Three North" Project are accelerating across the region, using project construction as a lever to strengthen ecological barriers, with bustling scenes at work sites. On March 15, at the ecological desert control project site for the new energy component of the fourth "Xinjiang Power Outgoing" channel power source project, located north of Ruoqiang County, a vast grid of straw checkerboards spread like a giant net, firmly anchoring the shifting sands. Hundreds of workers battled amid wind and sand, while over 20 engineering vehicles roared back and forth, pushing full steam ahead on construction. This project commenced in 2025 and is scheduled for full delivery this year. Upon completion, it will establish a green ecological barrier within a 30-kilometer radius of the project area, safeguarding the stable operation of the new energy base.

Simultaneously, seizing the golden period for spring afforestation, Gaochang District in Turpan City launched the 2026 "Three North" Project for the integrated protection and restoration of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and desertified land. At the site, shovels dug pits, saplings were positioned and soil was backfilled, alongside synchronized irrigation work. With a total investment of 23.67 million yuan, the project covers the restoration of 20,000 mu of degraded saxaul forest, 5,593 mu of degraded arboreal forest, and the construction of 5.5 kilometers of grassland fencing. Through scientific measures, efforts are focused on fully restoring the desert vegetation's functions of windbreaking and sand fixation.

"The ongoing 'Three North' Project is not only a key project for strengthening the ecological security barrier but also a vital livelihood project that benefits local residents and ensures stable agricultural production and increased income," said Tang Chuan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Gaochang District, Turpan City. "We are seizing the golden period for spring construction to advance the project with high standards and quality, aiming for full completion by the end of the year, effectively curbing land desertification and protecting Turpan's ecological barrier."

Technological support is continuously enhancing the efficiency of desert control in Xinjiang. At the tree-planting site west of the Ahe Highway in Hotan County, machinery equipped with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System shuttles back and forth, capable of planting one sapling every five seconds. The daily planting volume reaches nearly 13,000 trees, increasing efficiency by more than ten times compared to traditional manual labor. The local area innovatively implements an integrated model combining mechanical planting with water-saving drip irrigation, ensuring a seedling survival rate consistently above 85%. Concurrently, sandy land is contracted to farmers, stimulating their intrinsic motivation for desert control. Currently, over 1,810 households are participating in desert control, having cumulatively managed over 90,000 mu of desertified land.

In the Wanhualyuan Desertification Control Demonstration Zone in Yutian County, preparations for spring ploughing are in full swing. The local area deeply integrates ecological management with industrial development, turning yellow sand into fertile soil while broadening income avenues for the public. Rose management and medicinal plant cultivation proceed simultaneously, with the "combination of trees and shrubs, intercropping of forest and medicinal herbs" model proving effective. Local farmers intercrop medicinal herbs like belamcanda and scutellaria within rose fields, while enterprises adopt an "pistachio + rose" intercropping model, establishing deep-processing facilities to achieve full industrial chain development and drive stable employment and income growth for residents.

"I've contracted 105 mu of sandy land, and this year, I'm intercropping all of it with medicinal plants in the rose fields. From watering and fertilizing to land preparation and mulching, there's specialized guidance throughout the process. It allows us to control desertification, protect greenery, and increase our income. We are full of confidence about our future!" said Abdurehim Yidiris, a farmer from Bayilak Village, Oytokrak Township, Yutian County. Currently, a 2,810-mu medicinal plant base is being accelerated here, serving as a model for the symbiosis of ecology and industry.

Desert control is not a solitary battle; only by pooling the strength of the entire population can the vision of "green advancing, sand retreating" become reality. At the spring voluntary tree-planting site in Ahonglukumu Township, Yuepuhu County, cadres, masses from various ethnic groups worked in coordination, wielding shovels to backfill soil and managing irrigation. Drought-tolerant species like poplar and saxaul took root in the sandy ground, adding new greenery to the homeland through collective effort. This year, the county plans to complete 44,900 mu of desertification control area, including 34,300 mu for desert edge stabilization, weaving a dense ecological protection network through diversified measures. From leading efforts by cadres and workers to active public participation, and from enthusiastic enterprise investment to全程 technical guidance, a pattern of whole-of-society engagement and shared benefits in desert control is gradually taking shape.

This year, Xinjiang plans to complete 10 million mu of "Three North" Project management tasks, continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements in stabilizing the edges of the Taklimakan Desert. Xinjiang will focus on expanding green borders through planting, further improve top-level design, emphasize project-driven initiatives, strengthen policy guarantees, and ensure rigorous supervision and implementation. Prioritizing the quality of forests and grasslands, scientific determination of management models and technical pathways will be key. Efforts will advance the construction of four million-mu forest-grassland sand fixation belts for windbreaking and sand blocking, creating distinctive benchmark projects, and further weaving a dense "green scarf" on the foundation of stabilized desert edges.

Spring winds sweep across the Gobi, dotting the sandy sea with fresh green. Currently, the fervor for the "Three North" Project construction in Xinjiang continues to surge. One desert control project after another accelerates, and stretches of green barriers continuously extend. Cadres and masses of all ethnic groups are diligently nurturing the flower of ecology with concrete actions, forging ahead courageously on the journey to protect their homeland, injecting a continuous stream of green momentum into building a beautiful Xinjiang where humans and nature coexist in harmony.