The Jewish National Fund is presently planting forests over some 10,747 dunams in the south of Israel. This takes in about half the land designated for afforestation during 1977. The JNF said that special emphasis in the current program will be placed on preventing erosion.
In the vicinity of Be’eri 1,000 dunams of trees are to be planted along wadi banks. Near Dorot-Ruhama, 1,500 dunams; Telamim, 350 dunams and at Tequema, 350 dunams. Other afforestation works in the area will consist of forest thinning and general maintenance.
Between Ibdim and Sederot, a new outdoor recreational forest park is being set up with picnic sites and 18 planned physical fitness installations. The park is being set up by the sports authority in cooperation with the JNF.
In the area of Raffah and north Sinai, emphasis is also to be placed on erosion prevention, such as checking of sand dune movement and creation of wind breaks through tree planting. Some half of the plantings in the area will be at Yamit.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.