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Impacts and Effectiveness of Logging Bans in Natural Forests: People's Republic of China

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Impacts and Effectiveness of Logging Bans in Natural Forests: People's Republic of China Page 1 of 20 IMPACTS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LOGGING BANS IN NATURAL FORESTS: PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Yang Yuexian BACKGROUND Distribution of natural forest resources The fourth inventory of national forest resources in China indicated that natural forests total 87.3 million ha, representing 65 percent of the 133.7 million ha of total forest area. These forests cm be divided roughly into three categories: natural forests under protection, scattered natural forests, and natural forests that urgently require protection. Natural forests under protection total approximately 20 million ha and account for 23 percent of natural forests. Scattered natural forests total 17.7 million ha and account for 20 percent. Natural forests urgently requiring protection are concentrated near major rivers such as the Yangtze, Yellow and Songhuajiang Rivers, around large-scale water control projects, and at the core zones of important mountains. These are located in the provinces and autonomous regions of Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and Hubei (the Yangtze River basin); Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi (the Yellow River basin); and Jilin, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia (the Songhuajiang and Nenjiang River basins). Together, these forests total 49.6 million ha, or about 57 percent of all natural forests in the country. The Chinese Government and the State Forestry Administration (SFA) have always given significant attention to natural forest protection and several laws and regulations have been formulated to protect these forests. Forest protection includes monitoring and control of timber establishment of nature reserves, development of integrated wood utilization and. These activities play important roles in reducing the loss and depletion of natural extensive utilization has yet to be adequately resolved. In 1998, the Government imposed logging bans on natural forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River to halt the deterioration of the natural environment and safeguard sustainable development. As part of this plan, the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) to cover China's chief natural forest areas was formally initiated. Current state of natural forest resource protection Government and the SFA, executing forest management on behalf of the State, have initiated laws, regulations and programs to enhance natural forest protection, including: 1. Normalizing felling systems and controlling the consumption of wood from natural forests. Timber output has been reduced systematically since the early 1980s; selective cutting is replacing traditional large-scale clear cutting. 2. Expediting the development of nature reserves and parks with natural forests as the main constituent component. China has already successfully established the Xishuangbanna and Hainan tropical rainforest nature reserves. The Changbai Mountain, Wuyi Mountain and Shen Nong Jia nature reserves emphasize the protection of different forest vegetation types. The Wo Long and Di Qing nature reserves protect rare and endangered animal species, such as the giant pandas, golden monkeys and Manchurian tigers. The national forest parks of Er Mei Mountain, Huangshan Mountain and Zhang Jia Jie highlight forest-based ecotourism as a priority. Several forestry centers stress research and teaching. 3. Developing the wood-based panel industry to reduce dependence on natural forests. As of the end of 1998, the annual output of fiberboard and particleboard made from logging and processing residues totalled 1.4 million m 3 and 1.1 million tons respectively, which helped reduce the annual consumption of standing timber by approximately 5.1 million m 3. 4. Cultivating additional planted forest resources to reduce the reliance on natural forests. China has established timber and fuelwood plantations since the early 1950s. By the end of 1998, 17.5 million ha of timber plantations and 610 000 ha of fuelwood plantations had been established. These types of plantations play an important role in reducing harvests in natural forests. Page 2 of 20 Due to the lag in the development of timber substitutes and comprehensive timber utilization, as well as the rapid pace of economic development, the commercial timber output targets set by the State could not be fully reduced to sustainable levels. The industrial timber deficit during the planned adjustment period could not be met from domestic sources alone. Moreover, the redeployment of laid-off workers in the forest areas became increasingly difficult; the financial burden on local Governments, schools, hospitals and judiciaries in the forest areas grew heavier; and the enterprises had little choice but to over-log the natural forests to generate revenues and meet timber production targets. In mid-1998, the Government decided to remove large areas of natural forests from timber production. This was carried out first in the ecologically fragile upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River and the upper reaches of the Songhuajiang River. Strengthening the management of natural forests to maintain and restore ecological functions, China began large-scale protection of natural forests. Evolution of macro-policies relevant to natural forest protection since 1949 Since founding the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Government focused mainly on developing the economy. Forestry science and technological information received relatively lower priority. The consequent lack of public awareness about the importance of forest resources resulted in a dramatic decline in China's natural forest area. From the 1950s to the 1990s, forest harvesting took place in virgin forests and natural secondary forests. China has recently raised awareness about the importance of preserving the natural environment. The country has subsequently shifted from a mentality of exploitation to one of preservation. While the forests were being harvested to fuel the developing economy, certain sectors of the Government were concerned with the level of timber consumption. Several events and initiatives illustrate support for forest protection, even during early stages of the country's economic development. At the first national forestry conference, held in 1950, a guiding principle of "protecting forests in an all-round way, afforestation in key localities, rational felling, and rational utilization" was formulated. In 1962, the late Premier Zhou Enlai stressed the need to reconcile better forest management and utilization with forest protection during an inspection of northeast China's forest area. In the 1970s, the Ministry of Forestry (MOF) revised the "Management Measures of Felling and Regeneration." The main components of these measures include banning clearcuts around large reservoirs, lakes and near major rivers and their first and second order tributaries. Clearcuts were also restricted in natural forests and ecologically fragile areas. In 1979, China promulgated the Forest Law, 1 Wildlife Protection Law, and Regulations on Wildlife-based Forest Reserves. These laws were the first to use legal means to enforce forest protection. They include clear stipulations about the felling and utilization of forests and natural resources, especially the protection of tropical rainforests and wildlife. After participating in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992, the Chinese Government formulated several forest protection directives, including the "Guidelines of Forest Activities," and the "Action Plan on Biodiversity Maintenance." Unfortunately, the guiding principles, policies, and regulations regarding the protection of natural forests and the control of over-cutting were not effectively implemented. More than two-thirds of the natural forests have suffered varying degrees of destruction. Protected natural forests are less than one-third of China's total forest area, the majority of which are nature reserves designated as special purpose areas, or natural forests in Tibet that are very difficult to access by loggers. In 1993, Hainan province first proposed a logging ban for its 320 000 ha of tropical rainforests, which was subsequently approved by the People's Congress in 1994. In 1997, President Jiang Zemin called on the people to rebuild a beautiful northwest China by restoring degraded natural areas. The following year, the Government decided to ban logging in natural forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the medium and upper reaches of the yellow River, and in State-owned forests in 17 provinces of northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Hainan by establishing the NFCP. The decision was reflected in the "Suggestions of Central Committee and State Council on Reconstruction after Flood, Harness of Rivers and Lakes and water Conservancy Project Construction." To effectively implement the logging ban of 1998, the following measures are being taken. First, a special team of forestry police and full-time guards is being employed to enforce forest protection and suppress illegal cutting. Second, forest workers are being re-deployed and resettled. Third, several small investment projects are being introduced in phases to demonstrate the potential for new profitable State-owned and private activities. Fourth, provincial Governments are receiving funds from the national Government to assist workers Page 3 of 20 unemployed as a result of the logging bans. Fifth, retirees receive a pension from
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