Today, the only log processing companies that operate well are privately owned. For some of them, high transportation costs make it risky to increase productivity.

As for optimism over the burgeoning mining industry, professor Geng Yude of Northeast Forestry University voiced his doubts, cautioning, "First of all, underground mines are state-owned. Besides that, mining in the forest leads to environmental damage and pollution issues."
The only source for logging under the administration of Xilinji Forestry Bureau now is Fuke Mountain. "There's not too much though," says Mr. Sun, adding that although logging in this area was approved only a few years ago, people have been logging secretly there since early 1990s. Today, all of the five forest farms under the Bureau are operating in the Fuke Mountain. "By my count, there will be nothing left to log after three years," he says.

Among the 3,000 workers under the Bureau, 2,000 are working in the Fuke Mountain, the rest have traveled across the Heilongjiang River to log in Russian forests. Like Xilinji, the other bureaus in Daxing'an area are running out of resources, except for the ones that have been made natural reserves by the government. Those traveling the nine-hour train journey from Jiagedaqi to Mohe are reminded of this when they can only see  newly planted trees in the forests surrounding the tracks.

Leave, or stay? As the reporter poses this question to the Daxing'an people, a glimmer of hope has been spreading around this once impressive, ancient forest:

Haven't you heard that the protection project will be extended for another seven years?