ADB Environmental Assessment Report
Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Final Project Number: 42022 June 2010
People's Republic of China: Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
Prepared by the Jiangxi Provincial Government for the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This initial environmental examination report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature.
Asian Development Bank Final Report
Asian Development Bank
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION
Prepared by: Jiangxi Provincial Government
Supported by: AFC Consultants International GmbH (TA 7179-PRC)
J u,ne 2010
u ADB TA 7179-PRC: Preparing the Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
Contents
ABBREVIATIONS IV
1. INTRODUCTION 2 1.1. General 2 1.2. Legal and Administrative Framework 2
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 3 2.1. Project Scope 3 2.2. Analysis of Alternatives 4
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 5 3.1 Physical and Ecological Resources 5 3.1.1 Location and Geography 5 3.1.2 River System and Hydrology 6 3.1.3 Ecological Environment 6 3.2 Human, Social and Economic Conditions 8
4. POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 9 4.1 Environmental Benefits and Positive Impacts 9 4.2 Potential Adverse Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures 10 4.2.1 Conservation of Natural Resources and Biodiversity 10 4.2.2 Sustainable Natural Resource Management 11 4.2.3 Pollution prevention 12 4.2.4 Infrastructure Construction 13 4.2.5 Health and Safety 14 4.2.6 Physical Cultural Resources 14 4.3 Due Diligence of State Forest Farms, Enterprises and Large Households 14 4.4 Environmental Management Plan 16
5. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN17 5.1 Institutional Arrangements 17 5.2 Environmental Monitoring 17 5.3 Training for Environmental Monitoring 17
6. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE 19 6.1 Public Consultation 19 6.2 Information Disclosure 20
7. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 21
8. CONCLUSIONS 22
ANNEXES 23 Annex 1: References 24 Annex 2: Environmental Management Plan 26
III Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
MEASUREMENT UNITS g = gram ha = hectare kg = kilogram m = meter m3 = cubic meter mu = Chinese area unit, 1 mu = 1/15 ha t = ton kg/ha = kilogram per hectare m3/a = cubic meters per annum mg/1= milligram per liter mg/m3 = milligram per cubic meter ppm = part per million t/a = tons per annum
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (As of 1 August 2009) Currency Unit -- Yuan (CNY) CNY 1.00 = $0.1464 $1.00 = CNY 6.840
ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank CEPB County Environmental Protection Bureau DDR Due Diligence Report EA Executing agency EIA Environmental impact assessment EMP Environmental management plan EMA Environmental Monitoring Arrangement EMU Environmental Monitoring Unit EPB Environmental protection bureau FYP Five-Year Plan GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism IA Implementing agency IEE Initial environmental examination IPM Integrated pest management
IV
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
PIO Project Implementation Office county level PLG Provincial Leading Group PMO Provincial Project Management Office PPTA Project preparatory technical assistance PRC People's Republic of China SEIA Summary environmental impact assessment SEPM State Environmental Protection Ministry SFA State Forestry Administration TA Technical assistance TIO Technical Assistance Implementation Office TMO Technical Assistance Management Office TSP Total Suspended Particulates WHO World Health Organization
Note In the report, "$" refers to US dollars, and CNY refers to Chinese Yuan
V Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Location Map of project counties (Jiangxi Province)
1
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. General
1. The Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project (the Project) will develop new forest resources and contribute to the rehabilitation of forest resources damaged from the snowstorms in early 2008 through adoption of innovative and environmentally sound practices to meet requirements of social and economic development as well as sustainable forest development. These practices will emphasize economic viability, environmental friendliness. 2. Jiangxi Province Government (JPG) is requesting the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to realize its forest development objectives in the "11 th Five-Year Plan" (FYP) and "Medium- and Long-term Development Plan" (MLTDP) and to rehabilitate forests damaged in the snowstorms of early 2008. The project will serve as a pilot or demonstration for further forestry production activities in Jiangxi and other similar provinces in the southern People's Republic of China (PRC), and at the same time this is consistent with the "All China Ecological Environment Development Plan" (EEDP) issued by the State Council in January of 1999.
1.2. Legal and Administrative Framework
3. In accordance with the PRC Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, an EIA report was drafted out for the proposed Project by the Jiangxi Academy of Agriculture Science (JAAS) accredited with Class II EIA certification and sponsored by the Utilizing Foreign Funds Office of Jiangxi Forestry Department (FD). A first draft of the EIA report was completed in August 2009, revised based on comments from PPTA and then submitted to the Jiangxi Environment Protection Department (JEPD) for appraisal. JEPD approved the EIA report in January 2010. 4. The ADB classified the Project as Category B. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) was prepared in accordance with Environmental Policy (2002) and the Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) of the ADB. The title of the project "Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project" speaks for itself. It indicates the turn from the traditional "afforestation" or "tree planting" to forest ecosystems development. It is based on a multifunctional forest management approach and emphasizes the links between sustainable forest development and management practices and the conservation and improvement natural ecosystem functions. The provisions to avoid negative environmental impacts are not seen as additional measures but integrated part of the project design. The IEE emphasize the difference to the so far prevailing procedures and give indications for the efficient monitoring of the mitigation activities. 5. The IEE is based on the EIA report for the Jiangxi Project combined with field visits and interviewing different stakeholders and includes an environmental management plan (EMP) and environmental monitoring arrangement (EMA). The EMP outlines the mitigation measures and institutional responsibilities; the EMA stipulates monitoring baselines, monitoring content, methods, frequency and duration.
2 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
2.1. Project Scope
6. The proposed project will contribute to an increase in forest coverage, improve quality and function of existing forest stands and promote sustainable development of the forest ecosystem and biodiversity conservation in the project areas. The project include four components (i) sustainable forest plantation and rehabilitation in a total of about 50,000 hectare (ha) of forestland, (ii) forest insurance against natural risks, (iii) capacity development for sustainable forest management, and (iv) project management support. 7. Component 1 will develop about 35,700 ha of timber plantation in degraded forest- land to meet local demand for fibre, pulp, plywood, and construction materials. Major timber species include Chinese fir and slash pine. Broadleaf trees will be planted in fire protection belts to improve the ecological diversity and multiple function of the timber plantation. Planta- tion sites will be selected based on vegetation cover being lower than 40%, canopy closure being less than 0.3. Component I will also rehabilitate 11,200 ha of low-yield and snow storm damaged bamboo forests, with financing support to forest farmers in removing dead culms and ploughing soil. The project will encourage farmers to plant broadleaf species in mix with bamboo groves to protect them from climate disasters, and against pest and dis- ease. The component will also support farmers in establishing about 4,000 ha of economic tree crops, including orange, oil tea trees, and tea trees to improve productivity of the project land and rural households' income. 8. Component 2 will insure 35,700 ha of timber plantation to improve the risk resilience of forest farmers and forest enterprises, and to support the government's initiative in estab- lishing a safeguard system in the forestry sector. The component will also organize aware- ness-raising training workshops on the impacts of natural risks on forest development and their mitigation measures. A local private insurance company will support the workshops by providing resource persons to the awareness-raising training. 9. Component 3 will introduce an ecosystem management approach to the develop- ment and management of forest resources that requires changes in farmers' behavior, and adaptation of new plantation skills and techniques. Component 3 will implement a training and extension program to disseminate sustainable forest management concepts and corre- sponding technical silvicultural guidelines to project staff at the provincial, county, and town- ship levels and to project beneficiaries. Component 3 will also support environmental moni- toring actvities and related training, which is part of the project performance monitoring pro- gram. 10. Component 4 will establish an adequate project organization at the three levels of forest administration: province, county, and township. Training will be provided to enable the staff of the project management office (PMO), project implementation offices (PlOs), and the corresponding forest administration units to manage the project, and to support the benefici- aries in the implementation of the afforestation tasks. 11. It is expected that through the implementation of the project the forest administration staff, forest managers, and farmers will gain the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable forest ecosystem management through domestic training, study tours in China and abroad, and consulting with experts. 12. The Project will be implemented over a period of 6 years from 2010-2015. 19. The government has requested a loan of $42 million from ADB's ordinary capital resources to finance the project, mainly for forest plantation and rehabilitation, and financing charges during implementation. The government will provide counterpart funds of $11.4 million equivalent for plantation, forest insurance, capacity development, and project management support; and the project beneficiaries will provide $9.1 million equivalent for labor and 3 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project contingencies. The loan will have a 26-year term, including a grace period of 6 years; an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB's London interbank offered rate (LIBOR)-based lending facility; a commitment charge of 0.15% per year; the interest and other charges during construction, as applicable, to be capitalized in the loan; and such other terms and conditions set forth in the draft loan and project agreements. Table 2 shows the tentative financing plan for the project.
2.2. Analysis of Alternatives
13. The no-project alternative would result in serious environmental risks. The high percentage of underutilized and poorly managed forest lands in the province is not only a waste of land resources; but also causes serious environmental problems such a soil erosion, siltation, and flooding. Experience shows that poorly managed forests are subject to natural disasters such as the massive snow storm of January 2008. Until June 2009, only less than 30% of the damaged forests were cleared and restored, which aggravates the already existing problem of poorly stocked and underutilized forest land and the related environmental hazards.
4 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
3.1 Physical and Ecological Resources
3.1.1 Location and Geography
14. Jiangxi Province is located in the south east of the PRC, and situated south of the lower reach of the Yangtze River. It is linked to Zhejiang and Fujian Province in the east, to Guangdong province in the south, to Hunan Province in the west, and to Hubei and Anhui Provinces in the North. 15. The territory of Jiangxi province is almost rectangular in shape, the length from North to South is 620 km, and the width from west to east is 490 km. The total area is 166,947 km2, 1.74% of the total area in China, with an estimated population of 44 million (2008). Except for the northern plain, it is encircled by Mu ridge, Wuyi ridge, Huaiyu ridge, Jiulian ridge and Jiuling ridge in the east, west and south sides. Hills are dominant in the central area. The whole landscape is tilted from west, east and south to the Poyang Lake where there is a huge basin and outlet in the north. 16. Jiangxi is a mountainous province, and possesses a variety of land types. The mountains span an area 60,101 km 2, 36% of the total area; the hill area is 70,117 km2 or 42% of the total area; plains and hillside fields make up 20,022 km 2, share 12%; and water surfaces comprise 16,667 km2, share 10%. In addition to the land types mentioned above, there are other special landforms such as Karsts, Danxias and glacier landforms. General land forms could be categorized as 9 types: • Low-middle mountain and hill regions in the North West. The area is about 35,000 km2. It is a grain and cash-crop production area in the lower altitudes and in the higher altitudes the area is suitable to develop forestry. Lushan, the famous tourism site, is located in this region. • Alluvial plains surround the Poyang Lake region. The alluvial plains were formed by alluvial and silted earth, covering 15,000 km 2, surrounded by low and gentle hills. Low to middle mountains and hill regions lie in the North East. The area covers 25,200 ▪ km2 and is traversed by the Huaiyu Ridge characterized by a high mountain in the middle with undulated hills or basins on both sides. It is suitable for developing cash trees. Wuyuan tea, a world famous tea, is produced in this area. • The middle reaches are formed by the valley terraces of the Gan and Fu rivers and the hilly region. The area covers about 21,900 km 2. Different landforms, such as river terraces, hills and basins crisscross each other with gentle slopes. Due to a distribution of bare or underutilized mountain sides, there is a great potential for developing agriculture and forestry. • Western low-middle mountain regions. The region covers about 10,400 km2 and is characterized by steep peaks, deep valleys and torrential rivers. It has nourished plenty of forests and water resources. • The central-southern is an area of low mountains and hill regions. The region is covering 59,400 km2 and is comprised of low mountains, hills and basins composed of red rock and granite and formulating very special and strange Dianxia landforms. Near these special landforms, water and soil erosion is very serious. Recovering the vegetation and controlling the water and soil erosion in this region requires urgent action. 23. The climate in Jiangxi is subtropical, as indicated by average annual temperatures of 16.2 - 19.7°C (Jan. 3-9°C / July 27-31°C). It is characterized by having four seasons with moderately cold winters (extremes of -18.9°C), hot summers (maximum of 44.9°C), warm springs, and dry autumns. 18. Meanwhile, the spring and autumn are very short, and summer and winter are lengthy. 5
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project The annual average frostless period is 240-300 days. Generally, snow is rare; only a few years offer inclement weather. In early 2008, Jiangxi had suffered from severe snow storm, causing great losses in the forest areas. 19. Jiangxi boasts a rich rainfall and average annual precipitation of 1635 mm, with an annual maximum of 2142.4 mm (in 1975), and a minimum of 1143.2 mm (in 1963). Its distribution is uneven during the year, with a peak in the transition period from spring to summer (4th-6th months) with plentiful rains and intermittent drizzles; average rainfall during the three month period reaches about 800 mm, accounting for 45-50% of the total per year. 20. In Jiangxi Province, the total water and. soil erosion area is about 33472 km 2, accounting for 20% of the total land area. Generally speaking, slopes of 5 - 10 degrees (depending on the soil type) without dense and deep root vegetation cover are prone to soil erosion depending on the climate, landforms, soil type and makeup. Wherever forests disappear or are poorly managed, soil erosion is a critical issue. For example, Poyang Lake is the biggest fresh water lake in Jiangxi province, but because of the sedimentation from higher areas, storage capacity has been decreasing and the water level is becoming higher and higher. 21. Soil types in forest areas include red loam, mountainous yellow and red loam, mountainous yellow loam and mountainous yellow and brown loam and are 40 - 100 cm thick, characterized by acidity. The top soil layer is between 8 - 12 cm soil humus and generally suitable to forest development and growth.
3.1.2 River System and Hydrology
22. Within the boundary of the province, there are 3,700 rivers (with a total watershed of more than 10 km2) and 451 rivers (with a watershed area of more than 100 km 2) The 5 biggest rivers are Gan River, Fu River, Xin River, Xiu River, and Rao River, all of which flow into Poyang Lake, which then flows into the Yangtze River through the northern end of the lake. The Poyang Lake includes 162,225 km2 watersheds, 156,977 km2 of which are located within the Jiangxi province and take up 94% of the provincial area. 23. Underground water reservoirs in Jiangxi province total 38.2 billions m3, taking up 24% of the overall provincial water resources. Based on the watershed and water system, the underground water reservoirs are generally distributed more in mountainous and hilly areas than in the plains, more in upper reaches, and more around branch rivers than mainstream ones. 24. Ground water quality was monitored in 2006 for the 8 main rivers in the province, which were mostly identified as class I-III, taking up 85.3% in total river horizontal section, of which class II accounts for 67.0%. River horizontal section with worse than class III represents 14.7%.
3.1.3 Ecological Environment
3.1.3.1 Forest Land and Resources
25. Total forest area within the project domain is 2.71 million ha, accounting for 72% of the total land within the project domain; 2.1 million ha are afforested land, accounting for 78 % of the forest land. Partially afforested land of 47 thousand ha is roughly 2.0% of the forested area; bush forest is 0.35 million ha, about 12% of the forest; newly planted land of 50 thousand ha accounts for 2.2% of the forest. Treeless forest land of 34 thousand ha takes up 1.5%of the forest. In addition, 530 ha is forest nursery and 165 ha is auxiliary land for forest production. Forest coverage rate in total is 72.5%. 6 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 26. Arborous forest in the project area is 1.33 million ha with 67.78 million m3 in stock volume. Based on the origin, the forest could be divided as 0.42 million ha plantation with 23.73 million m3 stock volume and 0.91 million ha natural forest with 34.96 million m3 stock volume. Based on the structure, the forest could be categorized as 1 million ha monoculture forest with 43.46 million m3 stock volume and 0.33 million ha mixed forest with 15.15 million m3 stock volume. Based on the age, the forest could be divided into 0.52 million ha young forest with 12.97 million m3 stock volume, 0.59 million ha medium age forest with 28.26 million m3 stock volume, 0.14 million ha close to matured forest with 9.22 million m3 stock volume, 70 thousand ha matured forest with 6.48 million m3 stock volume and 10 thousand ha over-matured forest with 1.69 million m3 stock volume. 27. In January 2008, damage caused by continuous low temperatures and snowstorms affected 53.5 million mu of forest (3.6 million ha) including bamboo (11.09 million mu), slash pine (7.99 million mu), oil camellia (3.05 million mu), Chinese fir (13.06 million mu), Masson pine (8.27 million mu) and other forest (10.04 million mu), which resulted in an economic loss of 11.26 billion CNY, and 4 million mu requiring re-afforestation.
3.1.3.2 Plant Resources and Vegetation Types
28. In Jiangxi province, there are more than 4,000 species living, including 470 species of ferns (pteridophyte), 100 species of liverwort (bryophyte), more than 500 varieties of large fungi, and 100 or so varieties of edible fungi. Plants from every evolutionary stage can be found, which means that the sub-tropical area which includes Jiangxi province is one of the origins of modern flora. 29. The vegetation of the province can be divided into 12 categories. They are: timber including bamboo, pine, fir, etc; fuel plants including Sim's azalea; food plants including different oaks and evergreen Chinkapins; wild edible fruits including hawthorne trees, wild persimmons, kiwis; wild vegetables and wild fodder plants including many different herbs and grasses; and fragrant plants, Chinese medicine plants, and those for tanning, fiber, oil, and ornamental uses, and those useful in purifying and monitoring the environment. 30. Typical vegetation types consist of evergreen broadleaf forest, coniferous forest, coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest, evergreen and deciduous broadleaf mixed forest, deciduous broadleaf forest, coppice forest on mountain tops and bamboo forest. Other vegetation types include bush and grass on bare mountain slopes, sandy vegetation, and grassy marshland vegetation. It is worth pointing out that bush and grass on the mountain slopes are a result of human activities, which have caused damage to the local ecosystem and crowded out existing vegetation. 31. Rare and endangered plants in the province include 110 species unique in PRC, 60 species unique in the subtropical zone and 16 species unique to Jiangxi province. In addition, the province is home to many ancient trees, with approximately 40 species belonging to 13 families, distributed on 95 sites.
3.1.3.3 Wild Animal Resources
32. Jiangxi province has vast surface water and many water bodies, steep and imposing mountains, and a high vegetation coverage rate offering abundant food, which contribute to the area being a favorite habitat for wild animals and regularly strengthened protection measures. There are over 600 kinds of vertebrates, including more than 170 varieties of fish, accounting for 21.4% of the fresh water fish in PRC; 40 varieties of amphibians, roughly accounting for 20.4% of those in PRC; 70 types of reptiles (23.5% of PRC's total); 270 kinds of birds, 23.2% of those in PRC; and 50 varieties of mammals, 13.3% of PRC's.
7 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 3.2 Human, Social and Economic Conditions
33. The total population in the province is 43 million, comprised of 11.9 million urban residents (27.67%) and 31.10 million in rural areas (72.33%). 7.23% more people resided in urban areas in the most recent census compared with the previous one. 34. The project operation sites are scattered throughout 23 counties (forest farms) in 8 municipalities. The project area covers 326 townships (forest farms). The total population in selected project counties is 6.487 million (1.804 million households), accounting for 15% of the total Jiangxi population. Rural population is 4.891 million in the project area, accounting for 75.4% of the total. In addition, ethnic minorities account for 56 thousand or 0.8% of the population in the project area. The total labor force of 3.4 million, approximately 40% of which are women. 35. The selected project counties cover 3.36 million ha, cultivated farming land of which is 0.36 million ha, 10.7% of the project county land, with a per capita of 1 mu for the rural population in the project area. Total annual output of grain within the project area is 5.47 million tons, a per capita total of 843 kg. The average income per capita (rural) is 3,084 CNY, lowest in Guangchang county (1,614 CNY) and highest in Anyuan district (6,788 CNY). 36. Economic development in the province is rapidly accelerating. It was announced by the Jiangxi Statistics Bureau that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in FY2008 was 648.03 billion CNY, a 12.6% increase over 2007 and the sixth straight year with an increase over 12%. Financial income also increased very fast; annual financial income in 2008 reached 81.68 billion CNY 22.8% more than the previous year and the sixth straight year with a greater than 20% improvement. GDP in the selected project counties was 6.445692 billion CNY and the forest output value was 461.301 million CNY. 37. Highways accessible by motors include 62,300 km of roadway (2007), with a highway density of 37.4 km/100 km2 and 86% of villages offering motor access. Besides highways, waterways of more than 5,638 km are also convenient. The complete and convenient transportation system offers a good foundation for project implementation. 38. Since 2004, the provincial government has carried out collective forest tenure reform. By the end of 2007, management rights of 134.4753 million mu of forest have been allocated to 6.9156 million households, averaging 19 mu per household in rural areas. In order to encourage proper management, complementary policies including ecological compensation, forest resource transfer changes, logging policy adjustments and mortgage loans have been issued, which has thoroughly altered farmer attitudes towards forestry activities. At present, farmers are quite enthusiastic to participate in forest construction. But the forest farmers lack of skills and must be trained in soil preparation, planting, tending, and pest control etc. to achieve the anticipated environmental and economic impact.
8 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 4. POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
39. The project will establish or improve forest ecosystems over a large geographical area and is expected to have complex and long-term positive environmental impacts. The IEE focus on demonstrating how the design of the project (a) establishes clear and appropriate goals, objectives and principles for management activities, (b) ensures that the management activities are as consistent as possible with ecological processes and "mimic" natural ecological structures and processes to increase their stability and resilience, (c) limits site disturbance and soil degradation, (d) minimizes environmental contamination, and (e) establishes well-conceived environmental monitoring programs.
4.1 Environmental Benefits and Positive Impacts
40. According to the design of the project, the plantation sites have to be selected based on vegetation cover being lower than 40%, canopy closure being less than 0.3 including, clear cutt land, low quality bush land, bare mountainous and slope regions as well as bamboo and other types of forests seriously affected by snowstorms which are located at the first and second ridge of the main rivers. These sites are vulnerable to water and soil erosion, pest infection and forest fire. Through biological measures (reforestation of multifunctional forest, improvement of bamboo forests affected by snowstorms), the project intervention will contribute to water and soil conservation, improve stand quality, and convert bare mountain and slope into ecological stable forest stands. 41. Local species by natural selection and succession are most suitable for local climates and natural conditions and key elements to develop stable forest ecosystem which fulfill multifunctional roles. The planting materials selected by the project include Chinese fir, slash pine (or loblolly pine), native broadleaf species, oil camellia, orange and tea, which have been cultivated for many generations and are adapted to the specific site conditions. 42. The increase of forest coverage rates will have a positive impact on the local ecological environment. Project implementation will reduce land surface runoff through tree canopies and trunks, thus preventing flood, extension of the water flow period and increased permeation, improvement of water quality and adjustment of water supply downstream. As trees grow, the ability to fix CO2 and maintain air balance, minimizing dust and pollutants, will be greatly enhanced. Soil stability and fertility after project implementation will be improved by humus accumulation under canopy and top soil. Environmental improvements will offer favorable living conditions for soil micro organisms. Furthermore, the biodiversity of the area will be improved. Detailed environmental benefits are listed as the following: • Forest coverage rate in project area will increased by 1.2%. • An annual 100,000 tons of soil erosion will be effectively reduced (annual soil erosion reduction 2 tons/ha according standards of the Soil & Water Conservation Department)). • Annual water conservation 19 million m3 will be achieved (annual water conservation 377 tons/ha according standards of the Soil & Water Conservation Department). • Annual carbon sequestration 150,000 tons (based on the calculation of annual carbon sequestration 3 tons/ha). • Annual oxygen production 150,000 tons (based on the calculation of annual oxygen production at 3 tons/ha). • Mixed forest plantations (a proportion of 60% conifer and 40% broadleaf trees mixed in patches or strips) will further improve the structure of forest stands to 9
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project enhance resistance to pests and fire, increase biodiversity and water and soil conservation, thus to reduce pesticide application for pest control, forest fire damage and soil erosion. • According to experiences from previous pest outbreaks, damage of forests from pernicious biological creatures will reach its peak 2-3 years after suffering massive damage, such as through a snowstorm, and if damaged trees cannot be removed from the stand in time, the affected stands will become bases for explosive occurrences of pests. Therefore, project implementation in snowstorm- affected sites will decrease the possibility of pest outbreaks. • Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and increased use of compound and organic fertilizers or manure and compost on over 50,000 ha. • Incremental increases of biodiversity in bare mountain and slope ecosystems will be correspond to improved habitat conditions for a wide variety of flora and fauna. • Households and enterprises with forest management tenure will strictly follow the environmental policies and regulations both from the Chinese government and the ADB. Through project implementation practices, different stakeholders will reinforce environmental protection awareness and will have a sound foundation for future forest activities.
4.2 Potential Adverse Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures
4.2.1 Conservation of Natural Resources and Biodiversity
43. Plantation site selection. Plantation site selection will be one of the most important steps for project preparation. If the site selection is wrong, project activities will trigger adverse impacts on the local environment and cultural heritage. If planting land is selected at higher levels of bushes or scarcely afforested land in drought areas this would be detrimental to regional biodiversity and integrity. In the case of slope degree with more than 35 degrees, serious water and soil erosion could occur. Distribution of planting land is not only affects the efficiency of mixed forests but also the habitat of wildlife and the landscape of nature reserves. 44. Adverse impacts of site selection will be mitigated through: (i) Land with more than a 35 degree slope could not be selected as project plantation sites to avoid water and soil erosion. (ii) Planting sites must be selected on the principle of forest classification management and strictly exclude valuable natural forests and community forests and protecting habitats of rare and endangered plants and ecosystems. (iii) Site selection must keep the passageway of wild animals and the original vegetation between the nearby planting patches. (iv) The planting sites must keep away from nature reserves, cultural heritage and natural heritage sites by 1000 m, public benefit forest by 100 m, main rivers by 50 m and branch rivers by 20 m. (v) On the planting sites existing natural regeneration must be preserved and integrated in the reforestation or rehabilitation schemes.
10 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 45. Planting material selection. Planting material selection needs to be raised from seeds originating from provincial proveniences and match well to the local site conditions. The species mixture has to respect the individual growth characteristics and to be geared to generate synergies in the vegetation cover and improvement of soil quality. 46. The following mitigation measures must be used: (i) Planting material selections have to focus on tree species suitable for site conditions and prevent unreasonable species selection from resulting in slow growth, less water and soil conservation and pest or disease outbreaks. (ii) Selecting local species as planting materials, since natural selection and succession are most suitable for local climates and natural conditions. (iii) Seedling quarantine is critical to future forest growth. It is imperative to avoid buying planting material susceptible to pests, instead of purchasing planting material from strong and excellent seed origin or seeds cloned with pest resistant features. (iv) Single species or clone monoculture will be forbidden in timber forest. Economic tree plantations will use different varieties or clones (5-7 clones). The area of each clone should be within 10 ha and intercropped with srubs or short crops to build up a diversified ground cover and fix the soil. 47. Impacts on Biodiversity and Protected Species. No impacts on nature reserves or protected species were identified. It is expected that the project will have a positive effect on biodiversity if correct forestry management practices are applied. Construction activities will be halted and preventive action will be taken if impacts on protected species is discovered during implementation.
4.2.2 Sustainable Natural Resource Management
48. Clearing planting sites. Clearing planting sites may cause permanent or temporal disturbances or damage original vegetation and incur water and soil erosion, increase rainfall runoff and soil nutrient loss, break animal passageways and create potential forest fire hazards in a wide area. 49. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts of clearing planting sites include the following: (i) Strict prohibition to burning out vegetation and residual bushes and grasses when clearing planting sites, based on the "water and soil conservation law" and "forest fire prevention and control regulation". (ii) Only cutting grasses or bushes which are obstacle to planting activities and tree growth in patches or strip shape and pilling them up between planting rows or holes to allow them to naturally decay. (iii) When clearing planting sites in patches or strips on land with slopes of more than 15 (to 25) degrees, every 30 m clearance cutting should skip a 3 m contour strip to allow for the original vegetation. (iv) Where the land slopes are more than 25 degrees, cutting bushes and grasses must be done in narrow strips and keep original vegetation between planting rows. (v) Vegetation including bushes and grasses on steep slopes, tops of slopes, gully bottoms and bank of rivers cannot be cut. (vi) Natural broadleaf trees must be kept when preparing planting sites so as to develop coniferous with evergreen or deciduous broadleaf mixed forests.
11 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 50. Soil preparation, planting and tending. Soil preparation, planting and tending purposefully disturb existing vegetation and soil surfaces in order to create a favorable environment for the growth of the new plants. However, these activities can easily cause new water and soil erosion and furthermore affect the surroundings of the project area. Establishment of multifunctional timber forests, economic forest and improvement of bamboo forests will be implemented on different site conditions. Based on the different slope degree, soil quality and the objectives of forest development, different measures should be taken to reduce adverse impact. 51. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts must include the following: (i) Based on the type of site condition, different soil preparation methods will be taken including pit, strip, anti-slope etc. (ii) Slope land of more than 35 degrees is not allowed to be reclaimed. Slope land of lower than 15 degrees and gentle land could be completely reclaimed but vegetation belt and water and soil conservation measures must be set up. (iii) All reclaimed soil preparation will not be large scale; strip preparation will be conducted along contour lines; pit soil preparation will follow contour lines arranged in a triangle shape (Pingzi). (iv) Regardless of strip or pit preparation, they must be anti-slope or internally inclined to conserve water and soil. (v) Soil preparation and planting must be conducted one month ahead of the rainy season and covered by cut grasses or bush branches to avoid wind or water erosion. (vi) Area with serious water and soil erosion due to soil, climate, rainfall and landform conditions should use anti-slope terrace preparation regardless of slope angle; at the same time, biological and engineering measures should be taken to prevent soil and water erosion. (vii) During planting, surface soil including humus must be fill planting holes, tamped down and covered by grass, bushes or stones. (viii) Young forest tending requires enlarged planting pits and loosening of the soil. The rule is to keep as much vegetation as possible and at the same time leaving cut grass on the planting hole or under the canopy to conserve water and soil and increase soil fertility.
4.2.3 Pollution prevention
52. Fertilizer. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers, inappropriate application methods and wrong proportions result in the seepage of chemicals into underground aquifers as well as loss through surface runoff and rain water discharge. Excessive and continuous application of chemical fertilizers over a long duration will change physical and chemical features of the soil and result in soil hardening and damage, and deteriorate soil quality and reduce productivity. In addition, excessive and inappropriate application of fertilizers will affect the quality of nearby water bodies. 53. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts of chemical fertilizers include: (i) Advocate the use of organic fertilizers, compounds and compost as base fertilizers to reduce nutrient loss. (ii) Intercropping legume crops (fixed nitrogen crops) helps not only in reducing chemical fertilizer use, but also in reducing the cost of chemical fertilizers.
12 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project (iii) Apply compound fertilizers including nitrogen, phosphate and potassium according to soil nutrient tests based on the requirements of tree growth. (iv) Application of inorganic fertilizers must abide by guidelines, including strictly forbidding spraying of chemical fertilizers to prevent fertility loss and contamination of nearby water bodies. 54. Pesticides and herbicides. During the application of pesticides, most of the pesticide will fall on the surface of the ground directly. The pesticide adhering to the surface of tree leaves and trunks will partially fall onto the ground due to rain and wind. Some pesticide application methods such as seed soaking and seed dressing will also put pesticides directly into the soil. Use of chemical pesticides can result in severe soil pollution incurred from residual pesticides, contamination of the food chain and even enter affect humans and wild animals. Increased amount of residues in water threaten the water quality the area and those downstream. The application of herbicides also results in the accumulation of toxic chemicals in the soil and causes similar problems as pesticides. 55. Measures to mitigate pesticide and herbicide pollution include: (i) Select tree species which have the capacity to resist pests and diseases. (ii) Quarantine seeds and seedlings before plowing and planting to prevent dissemination of any pests or diseases. (iii) Enhance tree species' resistance against pests and diseases through cultivation techniques including the use of multiple varieties and strong seedlings, tending, and management. (iii) In case of a pest/disease breakout, physical control methods must be applied, including removal of sick plants, artificial capture, and trapping to reduce or remove problems. (iv) Use mineral agents, biological agents of low toxicity and high efficiency; do not use pesticides that are forbidden or restricted by WHO and limit use to preferred pesticides only. (v) Herbicides are commonly used by nurseries and tending during first three years after planting. Selection of herbicides will follow the guidelines on application and physical and chemical features of the herbicide. Application of herbicides is affected by many different factors including dose types, soil microorganisms, soil condition, climate, time, etc. (vi) Provide training to relevant technicians and operators about proper pesticide and herbicide application techniques and procedures including time, weather effects, and appropriate methods. (vii) Adopt pollution-free cultivation techniques which are being carried out in many fruit gardens currently.
4.2.4 Infrastructure Construction
56. Forest path construction. Forest paths will be built based on the calculation of 90 m/ha and with a width of 1-1.5 m in newly planted forest land. The construction can destroy a vegetation strip and digging trail base can loosen soil and generate a slope which can cause water and soil erosion.
13
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 57. The following mitigation measures need to be taken: (i) Utilization of present trails combined with village trails and fire control trails to reduce disturbance of surface soil. (ii) Direction of forest trail will be carefully designed and places for construction, earthworks and digging selected correctly to reduce vegetation disturbance as much as possible. After trails have been built, the vegetation will be immediately rehabilitated. (iii) During trail construction, deeper ditches can minimize disturbed soil. (iv) Excavating simultaneously with construction and refraining from excavating long distances at once but conducting construction over time. (v) After construction is complete, it is important to level the ground, fill in any open pits or ditches and remove excess soil as soon as possible to assist in recovering vegetation and avoiding long-term bare land.
4.2.5 Health and Safety
58. Transportation. Transportation will be required for planting materials, construction materials and fertilizer. During transportation of above mentioned materials, they will pass through residential areas and produce dust and noise, impacting local people and the environment. To mitigate adverse impacts transport will not be dons during night and early morning hours, at sensible points water will be sprayed to rescue dust during transportation, and overloading of trucks is strictly forbidden. 59. Healthy working environment. The application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the plantation sites and nurseries will be drastically reduced. However in case of emergency it would be inevitable. The workers will be instructed about the health hazards, provided with appropriate equipment to minimize risks, and receive training to use and comply with health and safety procedures and protective equipment. 60. Community Health and Safety. During the implementation of the project ample attention will be given to avoid exposure to both accidental and natural hazards, especially where the failure could result in injury to the community. The EA will avoid or minimize the exacerbation of impacts caused by natural hazards, such as landslides or floods, that could result from project activities. The EA will inform affected communities of significant potential hazards in a culturally appropriate manner and where necessary prepare to respond to accidental and emergency situations.
4.2.6 Physical Cultural Resources
61. Project implementation site selection is following regulations of Chinese national environmental policies and ADB environmental policies. The selected sites are away from nature reserves, historical heritages and drinking water origins.
4.3 Due Diligence of State Forest Farms, Enterprises and Large Households
62. The project implementation bodies include state forest farms, enterprises, big households and individual households. During field visits, an environmental due diligence of relevant implementation bodies has been conducted to assess the environmental performance and practices. 10 representatives from state forest farms, enterprises and big households have been interviewed. The interview mainly focused on the knowledge of 14
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project environmental policies and, through their explanation for procedures and methods of different operation phases, to compare consistency with environment protection requirements. The 10 representatives were comprised of 5 directors and vice directors of forest farms, 3 bosses of big households and 2 managers of enterprise. Through the interview of 10 different stakeholders combined with observations in the field, the following conclusions will have been reached. 63. The assessment has shown that the performance of the executing units (forest farms. forest enterprises, big households) can basically meet national environmental policies and ADB's environmental safeguard requirements. Logging quota was applied by each forest farm or enterprise annually (subject to county forest bureau's approval) or per five years (subject to Jiangxi Forest Department approval) based on the result of forest inventory each five years. The logging quota include timber harvesting form clear cutting, thinning and other occasions such as forest road construction or removal of forest fires damages. The interviewed forest mangers confirmed that over-logging has not yet happened and the approved plan was strictly followed. 64. The state forest farms, enterprises and big households are eager to expand the plantation area and cooperate with local individual households who have forest land management rights due to collective forest tenure reform. Cooperated forest land has accounted for more than 50% compared with their own forest management land. Cooperative methods are basically the same for forest farms, enterprise or big households who manage and maintain freely forested land from individual households. The farms, enterprise and big households will be responsible for plantation, tending and maintenance, pest and disease control and forest fire prevention. Income from thinning and harvest, except for cutting costs will be divided into 30% to 70% respectively for land owner and management units. This kind of cooperation will benefit both land owners and management units and overcome shortages of technology and capital for individual households and exert scale benefits of forest in ecology, society and marketing. 65. Clearing bushes and grasses before soil preparation is a key issue for the interview partners. 8 of the 10 interviewees mentioned that burning bushes and grasses is an essential step for developing excellent forest stands. Otherwise the cut of residual bushes and grasses will influence the operation of planting activities and impair seedling growth. After their opinion burning can be applied if burning of residuals is done in the right season after piling the residuals together and taking provisions to avoid a breakout of fire and employing forest fire extinguishers if necessary. However, they ignore the biodiversity damage and water and soil erosion that occurs from this process. Although burning residuals is not prohibited by law, the provincial government has issued regulations to ban burning the residuals of forest and agricultural activities. 66. Tree species selection has been discussed with 10 different stakeholders, especially the percentage of conifer and broadleaf. All stakeholders agree that mixed forest (approximately 40% broadleaf) will benefit pest and disease control, prevention of forest fires and soil fertility. They prefer mixed patches instead of planting broadleaf trees in row or narrow strips. The broadleaf trees should be planted along mountain ridges as fire breaks. The promoted mixed forests in forest farms and enterprises are comprised of Chinese fir, slash pine and loblolly pine mixed with shima, sweet gum and fortune Chinabells. 67. Based on the introductions from interviewees, pest and disease outbreaks have not appeared on a large scale in recent years due to precautions taken, such as spraying the biological agent Fungi Imperficti each year. But some pest and diseases can still be found, such as Dioryctria splendidella Dendrolimus punctatus WIK and Ceracris Kiangsu Tsai. According to their experiences in pest and disease control, they select pesticide with low toxicities and high effects instead of using pesticides listed as first and second types in class I by the World Health Organization (WHO). 68. Herbicide application is common in nurseries and partially in tending practices. It could 15
Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project be confirmed that herbicide use has not hurt the targeted cultivation seedlings and samplings. It was reported that applicants could follow application instructions. 69. The general impression from the interviews is that state forest farms and enterprises know more about environmental protection policies than big households that are involved in the plantation activities. In addition, forest farms and enterprises have mastered more technologies in forest cultivation and environmental protection. In the future, big households or individual households should get more training opportunities in forest cultivation technologies, environmental protection and forest management. 70. From the above discussion, it is concluded that in the process of project implementation, special attention should be paid to burning residuals of cut bushes and grasses before soil preparation. Especially during the planting season, supervising and monitoring must be enforced. Further detailed findings and analysis about due diligence can be found in a separate due diligence report.
4.4 Environmental Management Plan
71. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared to ensure that the institutions and mechanism are compliant with environmental regulations for the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures during project preparation, construction and operation in order to prevent, reduce or eliminate adverse impacts. (see EMP in Annex 2.) As shown in the EMP, most of the mitigation measures will be shouldered by the executing units (forest farms, forest enterprise, big households, united households, individual households) through field workers, however, project executing agency (EA) and project implementation offices (PIO) at county level will ensure that the agreed mitigation measures in the EMP will be included in the construction contracts and will be monitored and implemented. The mitigation measure costs are embedded and secured as part of the design and construction costs of the Project. PMO and PlOs will ensure that adequate costs for mitigation measures and monitoring activities are allocated accordingly. 72. Grievance Redress Mechanism. Public participation, consultation and information disclosure undertaken as part of the local EIA process, and consultations undertaken by the project consultants have discussed and addressed major community concerns. Continue public participation and consultation has been emphasised as a key component of successful project implementation. As a result of this public participation and safeguard assessment during the initial stages of the project, major issues of grievance are not expected. However, unforeseen issues may occur. In order to settle such issues effectively, an effective and transparent channel for lodging complaints and grievances has been established, in parallel with the mechanism developed under the resettlement planning process (refer to subproject resettlement plans). 73. A Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) has been prepared at Project level to deal with possible complaints during implementation of the Project (see Annex 3). The GRM will be further disseminated and discussed with the participating communities prior to the start of the project activities. The EMP and GRM and EMP will be updated between Board approval and Loan Inception Mission following detailed design, if necessary.
16 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
5. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN
5.1 Institutional Arrangements
74. Project Leading Group (PLG). To ensure project implementation goes smoothly, a Project Leading Group (PLG) has been established by the Jiangxi provincial government under the leadership of the vice governor of the Jiangxi Province People's Government. The PLG is comprised by heads of relevant departments or bureaus, including Development and Reform Commission, Financial Department, Environmental Protection Department, Auditing Department, Administration of Foreign Exchange and Forest Department. The office of the PLG is established in Forest Department. 75. Executing Agency (EA). The Department of Forestry, Jiangxi Provincial Government (JPG), being the Executing Agency (EA), will be responsible for the overall implementation and compliance with the EMP and Environmental Monitoring Arrangement (EMA). The EA will actively coordinate the provincial and the county environmental protection department bureaus to review and approve environmental assessment reports prepared for the project. As a membership of PLG, EPD or EPBs will be also responsible for evaluation and approval of environmental assessment reports of sub-project/activities based on the PRC's regulations and guidelines. The EPD or EPBs will instruct and supervise EA's environmental performance during operational periods according to PRC and provincial regulations and guidelines. In addition, EA will coordinate internal and external professional sectors to make their contribution to environmental management plan and monitoring arrangements. 76. Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Implementation Offices (PIO). PMO and PIOSs will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and compliance with the environmental management plan and environmental monitoring arrangement to ensure implementation of mitigation measures. As described in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental Monitoring Arrangement (EMA), they will support the EA in handling any disputes arising from the non-compliance with the EMP and EMA. The environmental monitoring is part of the project performance monitoring system (PPMS). An adequately staffed monitoring unit (MU) will be established in the PMO with members nominated for the environmental monitoring. PMO and PlOs will work closely with concerned EPD or EPB staff at the provincial, municipal and county levels to oversee environmental compliance. They are not only conducting monitoring activities but also instructing and supervising operators from different stakeholders to implement mitigation measures.
5.2 Environmental Monitoring
77. The established MU will strictly follow the stipulated monitoring content, frequency and time schedule to conduct monitoring activities. The monitoring results will be documented and regularly submitted to relevant organizations including ADB, PMO and EPD. If any conflict arises, MU will analyze and make necessary suggestions to PMO or ADB to take further measures. Environmental monitoring reports will be combined with project progress reports comprised of the implementation of environmental laws, regulations and policies, mitigation measures taken, training and capability building. It is necessary to point out that forest pest and disease prevention and control plans will be formulated as soon as possible and assessed by relevant experts as guidelines for the pest and disease monitoring plans.
5.3 Training for Environmental Monitoring
78. To assist the PMO and PlOs to conduct and supervise monitoring of environmental impacts and mitigation measures, the project has to provide technical support for nominated 17 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project MU staff and field operators from state forest farms, enterprises, big households and individual households before implementation. This training will assist the operation unit to raise environmental awareness and willingness and implement environmental mitigation measures. Details of the training program are included in the EMP (Annex 2).
18 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
6. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE 6.1 Public Consultation
79. Public consultation in the environmental assessment process was to use participatory approaches to investigate awareness and willingness of different stakeholders about project objectives, tasks, content, and further to collect recommendation and suggestion from them. Participatory tools have been used, including public meetings, interviews, field visits and questionnaires. Questionnaires were comprised of public participation surveys, environmental impacts for different plantation models and the environment impact assessment for bamboo improvement and due diligence questionnaires on State-owned forest farms, companies and big households. 460 questionnaires (20 questionnaires per county) on public consultation were issued to different stakeholders including officials from project counties and township, staff from enterprises and state forest farms, owners of big households and individual households. 385 were collected back. The questionnaires were answered by people from a wide range of demographics in such categories as sex, age and education. For different stakeholders the data is given in the following tables.
Table 1: Demographics of questionnaire respondents
Sex Age Education 40 Coll. % Sec. % Pri. M % F % < 40 % % > % ° -50 50 Univ. Edu. Edu. /0 363 94.0 22 6.0 173 44.9 161 41.9 51 13.2 107 27.8 155 40.2 123 32.0 Note: < 40 = below 40 years old, > 50 = above 50 years old; Coll. Univ. = college and university education; Sec. Edu = secondary education; Pri. Edu = primary education
Table 3: Distribution of questionnaires for different stakeholders
^^tak Officials from Staff from Big Staff from Individual counties and forest household enterprises households Number townships farms s
107 1 27.8% 35 1 9.1 % 62 16.1 % 129 33.5% 385 52 13.5% 1 1
80. A statistical analysis of the questionnaire on public consultation was conducted and the following results have been achieved.
Table 4: Results from public consultation questionnaires
Know well Generally know Do not know Background 225 58.4% 155 40.3% 5 1.3% 235 61.0% 150 39.0% 0 0% Do you Objectives know the Tasks 218 56.5% 164 42.5% 3 1% project? Content 231 60% 148 38.4% 6 1.6% Measures 175 45.5% 198 41.4% 12 3.1% Do you agree to implement 377 97.9% 6 1.6% 2 0.5% the project? Do you agree with the project implementation 369 95.8% 10 2.6% 6 1.6% site?
19 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project 81. From the above statistics, it is very clear that more than 96% of stakeholders know well or generally know about the ADB project background, objectives, tasks and measures and only very few (less than 4%) of stakeholders do not know the project in detail. In addition, more than 97% of the stakeholders agreed to implement the ADB project and more than 95% of stakeholders already know the project site. It is necessary to mention that column of "Do not know" almost all come from individual households and big households. This means that the public relationship for the implementation project still needs to be reinforced among the households. 82. Consultation meetings were held in three key counties (Guangchang, Suichuan and Xiangdong County) and Fengshushan forest farm. The participants included officials from county governments, forest bureaus, townships and environmental bureaus, staff from state forest farms and enterprises, owners of big households and representatives of individual households. Comments from their speeches and from individual interviews could be summed up as: adverse environmental impacts of project implementation are limited to an acceptable degree and the adverse impact exists for a short period only. The positive long- term environmental impacts of the project greatly exceed the negative impacts. Most of interviewees recommended that clear bushes and grasses and soil preparation should be in strips or hole-shaped and there should be an increase in the percentage of broadleaf trees. For pest and disease control, prevention is more important than control, especially prevention with bio-agents. It is commonly recognized by interviewees that strictly following the procedure and regulations of operations are fundamental to mitigation measures needing to be taken during the operation period. Project implementation not only improves the local ecological environment but also makes contributions to poverty reduction. Finally they suggest implementing project activities as soon as possible, to reduce damage caused by the 2008 Chinese winter storms.
6.2 Information Disclosure
83. A first disclosure of Project information was carried out at the end of January 2009, during the selection of project counties. PMO issued official documents including project content, schedules, scopes, and impacts. Mitigation measures are being specially introduced. The documents required each anticipated county to solicit local people's opinion about the project implementation sites and environmental impact. The contact method of PPMO and CPMO is also introduced; local people were able to submit their opinions on the project freely. 84. A second round of information disclosure was carried out from July to August 2009 by the Jiangxi Academy of Agriculture Science, which is responsible for environmental assessment reports. Within its questionnaires on environmental impact assessment, project introductions were included to familiarize different stakeholders with the project. At the same time, the project summary was publicized and posted in county governments, including the project name, scope, development agency and contact method, EIA institute and contact method, anticipated environmental impacts and mitigation measures. 85. In addition, the following environmental information will be disclosed during the preparation and implementation of the Project: • The domestic EIA report prepared by Jiangxi Academy of Agriculture Science will be made available on the website of the Jiangxi Forest Department. Copies of the EIA report will be made available upon request. • All environmental monitoring reports will be disclosed and made available by the PMO. Copies will be provided to the JEPD and environmental bureau of project counties. • The MU of PMO will distribute environmental monitoring results to each operator of the project. 20 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
7. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
86. Environmental assessment shows that the project will have positive environmental impacts in the long term. Since the project will be implemented on the land of burned forest sites, bare mountains and hills, open or sparsely forested land, as well as bush and grass land, new establishments will greatly improve forest land productivity and environmental function and increase carbon sink. Local tree species selection and mixed forests will prevent or reduce damage from pests and diseases, forest fires and soil erosion. Since appropriate mitigation measures will be taken against adverse impacts resulting from clearing bushes and grasses, soil preparation, fertilizer application and construction, potentially adverse impacts will be reduced to the lowest degree possible and quickly reverse trends towards positive impacts. Integrated pest management and organic fertilizers will have an especially positive impact on the environment. No significant adverse environmental impacts are anticipated from project implementation. 87. Public consultation indicated that most of the affected people have a positive attitude toward the project being implemented and that they believe adverse impacts are limited to an acceptable degree, will only be for a short period and in the end will improve their local environment, living standards, and economic development. Negative opinions on the project did not appear. 88. It is recommended that a full-scale environmental impact assessment (EIA) is not required. If all the environmental protection measures will be strictly implemented and the environmental management be strengthened in the whole process of the project implementation, from the environmental point of the project will improve the environmental quality in the project area. The possible negative impacts have been identified in the environmental management plan (EMP) and for each impact the specific mitigation measures have been presented. The mitigation measures included in the EMP are feasible and based on practical experiences in the province or neighboring provinces. 89. Project monitoring is the key link to check the implementation progress with regard to the achievement of environmental protection measures. The main monitoring factors include:
• Progress indicator: . Area of established forest. • Quality indicators: • Plant diversity (number of species; share of broadleaf trees). • Use of I class seedlings. Survival rate of plantations. • Infrastructure indicator: Length of working path (share of correct construction without environmental damages). Capacity building indicator: Persons participated in the training. ▪
21 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
8. CONCLUSIONS
90. The proposed Project will have significant positive environmental impacts on the project area, including erosion reduction, water conservation, carbon sequestration and oxygen production. Mixed plantation establishments will promote and improve quality and biodiversity of anticipated planting sites and introduce new plantation models to Jiangxi province and southern PRC. Replacement of chemical fertilizers by organic manure, compounds and compost will change the cultivated customs of local people and make positive contributions to the local environment including the reduction of contaminates from chemical fertilizers. Application of integrated pest management (IPM) and bio-agents will prevent air pollution and pests and diseases from breaking out. Costs of proposed mitigation measures have been included in the funding of operations and the budget of the EMP and environmental monitoring plans have been calculated into the feasibility study report to guarantee implementation of forest ecosystem development.
22 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
ANNEXES
23 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
Annex 1: References
A. Laws and Requlations of the PRC (1) "The Environmental Protection Law of the PRC", 1989 (2) "The Environmental Impact Assessment Laws of the PRC" (3) "The Forestry Laws of the PRC", 1998 (4) "The Wildlife Protection Laws", 1988 (5) "The Water Laws of the PRC", 1988 (6) "The Water Pollution Prevention & Control Laws of the PRC", 1996 (7) "The Water and Soil Conservation Laws of the PRC", 1991 (8) "The Cultural Relic Protection Laws of the PRC" (9) "Nature Reserve Regulations of the PRC" 167 # State Council Decree, 1994 (10) "Wild Plant Protection Regulation of the PRC" 204 # State Council Decree, 1996 (11) "The Circular on Further Strengthening National Nature Reserve Administration" 111 # State Council Decree, 1998 (12) "The Management Regulations on Environmental Protection for Construction Projects" SEPM, 1998 (13) "The Circular on Strengthening the Management of EIA for the Construction Projects Financed by the International Financial Organizations" 324 # 1993 issued by SEPM (14) "Category Management Name List of Environmental Protection for Construction Projects" SEPM, 2008 (15) "Forest Pests and Disease Prevention and Protection Regulations" SFA, 1989 (16) "Plantation Quality Management Regulations" SFA, 2001 (17) "Feasibility Study Report Compiling Regulations for Forest Construction Projects" (Try out) SFA 2006.8 (18) "National Ecological Environment Construction Plan" (Forestry Topic), 1999 (19) "Plantation Technology Regulations" (GB/T15776-95) (20) "Forest Seedling Technology Regulations" (GB/6001-85) (22) "Public Benefit Forest Construction Technology Regulations" (GB/T 18337.3) (23) "Plantation Operation Design Regulation" (LY/T 1607-2003) (24) "Seedling Quality Classification for Main Planting Species" (GB 6000)
24 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
B. Technical Policies for Environmental Protection (25) "Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment" (HJ/T2.1-2.3-93) (26) "Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment-Non Pollution Ecological Impacts" (HJ/T19-1997) (27) "Integrated Control Standards of Water and Soil Conservation" (GB/T16453.1- 16453.6-1996) (28) "Technical Standards of Water and Soil Conservation Program for Development and Construction Projects" (SL204-98)
C. Relevant Documents and Development Plans (29) "National 11 th Five-Year and Medium- and Long-term Development Plan for Forestry" (30) "National Ecological Environment Protection Outline" (31) "Decision on Speeding Up Forest Development by CCCPC and SC" (32) "Jiangxi Provincial 11 th Five-Year and Medium- and Long-term Development Plan for Forestry" JFD, May 2006 (33) "Jiangxi Provincial Public Welfare Forest Management Methods" JFD, June 2009 (34) "Forest Management Scheme Compiling and Implementation Guidelines" SFA, Nov. 2006
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Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
Annex 2: Environmental Management Plan
I. Introduction An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared to ensure that the institutions and mechanism are compliant with environmental regulations for the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures during project preparation, construction and operation in order to prevent, reduce or eliminate adverse impacts.
II. Institutional Arrangements Project Leading Group (PLG). To ensure project implementation goes smoothly, a Project Leading Group (PLG) has been established by the Jiangxi provincial government under the leadership of the vice governor of the Jiangxi Province People's Government. The PLG is comprised by heads of relevant departments or bureaus, including Development and Reform Commission, Financial Department, Environmental Protection Department, Auditing Department, Administration of Foreign Exchange and Forest Department. The office of the PLG is established in Forest Department. Executing Agency (EA). The Department of Forestry, Jiangxi Provincial Government (JPG), being the Executing Agency (EA), will be responsible for the overall implementation and compliance with the EMP and Environmental Monitoring Arrangement (EMA). EA will actively coordinate the provincial and the county environmental protection department bureaus to review and approve environmental assessment reports prepared for the project. As a membership of PLG, EPD or EPBs will be also responsible for evaluation and approval of environmental assessment reports of sub-project/activities based on the PRC's regulations and guidelines. The EPD or EPBs will instruct and supervise EA's environmental performance during operational periods according to PRC and provincial regulations and guidelines. In addition, EA will coordinate internal and external professional sectors to make their contribution to environmental management plan and monitoring arrangements. Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Implementation Offices (PIO). PMO and PIOSs will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and compliance with the environmental management plan and environmental monitoring arrangement to ensure implementation of mitigation measures. As described in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental Monitoring Arrangement (EMA), they will support the EA in handling any disputes arising from the non-compliance with the EMP and EMA. The environmental monitoring is part of the project performance monitoring system (PPMS). An adequately staffed monitoring unit (MU) will be established in the PMO with members nominated for the environmental monitoring. PMO and PlOs will work closely with concerned EPD or EPB staff at the provincial, municipal and county levels to oversee environmental compliance. They are not only conducting monitoring activities but also instructing and supervising operators from different stakeholders to implement mitigation measures.
III. Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan The environmental mitigation measures are summaries in Table 2.1. Most of the mitigation measures will be shouldered by the executing units (forest farms, forest enterprise, big households, united households, individual households) through field workers, however, project executing agency (EA) and project implementation offices (PIO) at county level will ensure that the agreed mitigation measures in the EMP will be included in the construction contracts and will be monitored and implemented. The mitigation measure costs are embedded and secured as part of the design and construction costs of the Project. PMO and 26 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
PIOs will ensure that adequate costs for mitigation measures and monitoring activities are allocated accordingly. The monitoring arrangements are summarized in Table 2.2. The established MU will strictly follow the stipulated monitoring content, frequency and time schedule to conduct monitoring activities. The monitoring results will be documented and regularly submitted to relevant organizations including ADB, PMO and EPD. If any conflict arises, MU will analyze and make necessary suggestions to PMO or ADB to take further measures. Environmental monitoring reports will be combined with project progress reports comprised of the implementation of environmental laws, regulations and policies, mitigation measures taken, training and capability building. It is necessary to point out that forest pest and disease prevention and control plans will be formulated as soon as possible and assessed by relevant experts as guidelines for the pest and disease monitoring plans.
IV. Mechanism of Feedback and Adjustment A Grievance Redress Mechanisms has been designed and will be implemented for the Project. In the event of a grievance issue, the basic stages established for redress are: (i) Stage 1: If a concern arises during project implementation, the affected person tries to resolve the issue of concern directly with the contractor and the project manager. If successful, no further follow-up is required. (ii) Stage 2: If not successful, the affected person can submit an oral or written petition/complaint to the village committee. For an oral complaint, the village committee must make written records properly. The village committee must give a clear reply within 2 weeks. The staff from county environmental protection bureau (CEPB) may assist the village committee in replying to the affected person. (iii) Stage 3: If the affected person is not satisfied with the reply in Stage 2, he/she can appeal to the township government after receiving the reply in Stage 1 and the township government must give a clear reply within 2 weeks. The CEPB will assist the township government in replying to the affected person. (iv) Stage 4: If the affected person is still not satisfied with the reply of township government, he can appeal to the IA. The IA, through the PMO, must report to the ADB project officer as soon as the complaint is recorded, by submitting relevant documents. The IA, through the environmental monitoring unit established in the IA, must prepare a clear reply in consultation with the JEPD, and give it to the affected person within 30 days. (v) Stage 5: If the affected person is still not satisfied with the reply of the IA, he/she can appeal to the PMO after receiving the reply of Stage 4. The PMO must report to ADB as soon as the complaint is recorded by submitting relevant documents, and prepare a clear reply in consultation with ADB and JEPD. The PMO must give the reply to the affected person within 30 days. ADB project team will assess the situation, contact the affected people and Government project counterparts and design and implement the course of actions. Stages (ii)-(v) will be further refined during the detailed design stage.
In addition to the established project specific channel above, ADB's overall accountability mechanism (2003) appliesl . The mechanism provide opportunities for people adversely
1 The accountability mechanism replaced ADB's Inspection Function (1995). 27 Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project Final Report
affected by ADB-financed projects to express their grievances; seek solutions; and report alleged violations of ADB's operational policies and procedures, including safeguard policies. ADB's accountability mechanism comprises two separate, but related, functions: (i) consultation, led by ADB's special project facilitator, to assist people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects in finding solutions to their problems; and (ii) providing a process through which those affected by projects can file requests for compliance review by ADB's Compliance Review Panel.
V. Training Program To assist the PMO and PlOs to conduct and supervise monitoring of environmental impacts and mitigation measures, the project will provide technical support for nominated MU staff and field operators from state forest farms, enterprises, big households and individual households before implementation (Table 2.3). This training will assist the operation unit to raise environmental awareness and willingness and implement environmental mitigation measures. PMO will be responsible for organizing training programs, which will cover (i) environmental laws, regulation and policies, both PRC and ADB; (ii) implementation of mitigation measures; (iii) handling environmental conflicts with nearby surroundings; (iv) environmental monitoring facilities setup and equipment procurement; (v) facility maintenance and operation; (vi) environmental monitoring and supervision methods; and (vii) documentation and reporting systems. Trainers should be experienced experts from relevant monitoring stations or centers including hydrological monitoring stations, water and soil erosion monitoring stations, biodiversity monitoring centers and forest fire control centers. Training costs are included in the project training plan.
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Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
Table 2.1: Summary of the Environmental Management Plan
Environmental Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated Mitigation measures impact / issue responsibility responsibility costs (USS)
A: Design and Pre-Construction Phase
1. Optimize Project Design and Plan to minimize potential adverse environmental Impacts 2. Ensure not to obstruct wild animals from moving, drinking water and searching for food 3. Ensure top forest succession communities and biodiversity is protected 4. Selection of planting materials will be among local species and in cases of outside species not be detrimental to local species 5. Establish mixed forest comprised of coniferous Included in and broadleaf trees and forbid monoculture on a PMO Project design Office Preparation PMO project design large scale PlOs cost 6. Forest fire breaks will be taken into consideration along mountains or hill ridges with broadleaf trees 7. Design of plantation will follow technical regulations and environmental protection guidelines, especially for clearing plantation sites, soil preparation and planting 8. PPMO will motivate CPMO to consult with potential beneficiaries about project design, implementation and management
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Environmental Mitigation measures Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated impact I issue responsibility responsibility costs (US$) 1. Selection of plantation sites will be based on the forest ecological development plan 2. Project area selection will be away from environmentally sensitive sites, including nature reserves, natural, historical and cultural heritages, water source origins, etc 3. Slope land of more than 35 degrees must not be Included in Project site selection allowed to implement project activities PMO Office Preparation PMO the. project and infrastructure 4. Forest protections shelters will be designed at PIOSs design cost the entrance of forest land and minimize land use 5. Design of forest trail construction will be suitable for forest tending and maintenance and occupying forest land as little as possible to avoid destroying vegetation and water and eroding soil
Based on the census of pests and diseases combined with experience in prevention and control, first selecting biological agents, e.g., Fungi imperficti, PMO Included in Pesticides as a precaution. If something stronger is needed, Office Preparation PMO the. project PlOs pesticides with high effect, low acidity and low design cost residual will be used. Pesticides classified by the WHO as category 1 or 2 will be strictly forbidden
Manures, compound and compost will be selected Included in PMO Fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers which will cause soil Office Preparation PMO the. project PIOSs hardening and lower soil fertility in the long term design cost
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Environmental Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated Mitigation measures impact I issue responsibility responsibility costs (USS)
B. Construction and Operation Phase
1. Construction sites will be away from nature reserves and wildlife habitats by 1000 m 2. Construction machines will be away from nature reserves and wildlife habitats. If construction sites are close to buffer zones, corresponding measures will be taken, such as installing mufflers PMO, nature 3. Construction workers are not allowed to enter Construction Inc. Nature reserves Construction Contractors, reserves and buffer zone, study and core area and contract of and wildlife site Executing units wildlife 4. Hunting and destroying wild vegetation are maintenance operation administration strictly prohibited 5. Garbage and residual of construction will be taken away from nature reserves and habitats 6. Construction activities will be halted and preventive action will be taken if impacts on protected plants or wildlife are discovered during implementation. 1. Construction sites will be away from natural and historical heritage by at least 1000 m 2. Make sure contractors and construction workers realize the importance of protecting natural and Construction PMO and Inc. Natural and Construction Contractors, historical heritage and Historical Relic contract of historical heritage site Executing units 3. During construction, if new cultural heritage maintenance Administration operation relics are found, immediately stop and protect the sites, then report to the necessary organization
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Environmental Mitigation measures Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated impact / issue responsibility responsibility costs (US$) 1. Construction sites will be away from water source origins 2. Construction sites close to the protection area of water source origins will plant mixed forest with Construction Inc. Water source Construction Contractors, PMO large proportions of broadleaf trees and contract of origins site Executing units and CPMO 3. Chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides will maintenance operation be strictly prohibited 4. Clear cutting bushes and grasses for planting site preparation are not allowed 1. Clear cutting bushes and grasses will be forbidden 2. Strip-shape (width 30 m) cutting will be used and then remaining original vegetation will be in strips of 3 m 3. Vegetations on the tops and bottoms of mountains and hills will be kept 4. Cut bushes, grasses and residual of harvest cannot be burned 5. Soil preparation will be carried out one month Construction Inc. Water and soil Construction Contractors, PMO ahead of the rainy season and, except for and contract of erosion site Executing units PiOs excavating holes, the soils surface will not be maintenance operation disturbed 6. During planting of seedlings, excavated earth will be refilled, trampled down and covered with stones or something along that line 7. Rain water discharge channels will be built immediately after the completion of forest roads and construction of shelters 8. Take biological measures to improve soil structure, increase soil fertility and biodiversity
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Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
Environmental Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated Mitigation measures impact / issue responsibility responsibility costs (USS)
1. Forest fire breaks will be established with broadleaf trees along mountains or hill ridges 2. No fire or burning activities for construct workers within forest stands will be allowed in case forest fires occur Construction Inc. 3. During critical periods of forest fires, supervision Construction Contractors, PMO Forest fires and contract of and patrol of the forest fire guard is necessary to site Executing units PiOs maintenance operation avoid local farmers burning residual farming land leading to forest fires 4. Training local farmers, construction workers and contractors about regulations, methods of and general knowledge of forest fire prevention 1. Select improved varieties and strong seedlings which have the capacity to resist pests and diseases 2. Conduct quarantine of outside seedlings 3. Take precautions to prevent pests and diseases breaking out on a large scale, such as spraying the biological agent Fungi imperficti 4. No use of pesticides that are restricted by the WHO, environmentally friendly pesticides only 5. Disposal containers for pesticides and cleaning Construction Inc. Construction PMO Pests and disease spraying machines without the use of or near and Executing units contract of site PlOs drinking water maintenance operation 6. Monitor and forecast development trends of pests and diseases, prevention combined with control 7. Provide training to forest farmers about on proper pesticide selection, application and procedure 8. Adaptation of pollution-free cultivation techniques that are currently being carried out in many fruit gardens.
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Environmental Mitigation measures Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated impact / issue responsibility responsibility costs (US$) 1. Apply fertilizers according to soil nutrition and demand of tree growth 2. Apply compounds, including nitrogen, phosphate and potassium in the proper ratio Construction Inc. 3. Intercropping of legume crops (green manure Construction PMO Fertilizers and Executing units contract of crop) and cash forests site maintenance PlOs 4. Collecting bags of fertilizers operation 5. Ditch or hole application methods will be used and covered with earth to increase fertilizer effects and lower pollution 1. Apply adequate construction methods and maintain professional standards 2. Conduct adequate construction supervision 3. Minimize land use as little as possible 4. After completion of infrastructure construction, it is necessary to remove construction garbage, residual waste and rehabilitate vegetation as soon as possible. Construction Inc. 5. Water discharge channels for forest roads and Construction Contractors, PMO Infrastructure and contract of shelters will be built to prevent erosion site Executing units maintenance PIO 6. Refine and maintain a grievance redress operation mechanism 7. Avoid exposure of communities to both acciden- tal and natural hazards, especially where the failure could result in injury to the community. 8. Inform affected communities of significant poten- tial hazards and where necessary prepare to re- spond to accidental and emergency situations.
1. Training to enhance awareness and willingness Constructio of environmental protection for local residents Construction n and PMO Social impacts Executing units 2. Help local residents or forest farmers manage site maintenan PlOs healthy forests and maximize income from forest ce
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Location Time frame Implementation Supervision Estimated Environmental Mitigation measures impact I issue responsibility responsibility costs (USE)
1. Training about clearing planting sites that means First year County with PMO Included no burning activity and organize study tours to no burning Training share information among different counties PMO in training 2. Training about pesticides and herbicide Consnructio Program application Project area FPDPDB 1. Reduction of erosion of 100,000 tons of soils per year (i.e. 2 tons/ha/year)) 2. Annual water conservation 19 million m3 (i.e. 377 tons/ha/year) 3. Annual carbon sequestration 150,000 tons (i.e. 3 Local forest Inc. Sustainable Forest All project Executing units bureaus and contract of tons/ha/year) sites Operation Management 4. Maintain mixed forest plantations with proportion EPBs operation of 60% conifer and 40% broadleaf 5. Strict compliance with forest management tenure and contracts (no annual decline in biomass). Notes: PDO: PMO: Provincial Project Management Office, PIO; County Project Implementation Office; Executing units: forest farm, forest enterprise, big household; united household, individual household; FPDPDB: Forest Pest and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau
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Table 2.2: Summary Environmental Monitoring Arrangement
Item Parameters Location Time and Frequency Implementing Supervising Agency Agency
General Mitigation Mitigation measures to All project construction sites Regular onsite checks Contractors PMO, Provincial, Measures by Contractors be implemented by city and county contractors EPBs
Natural reserves and Location of project All project construction sites Regular onsite checks lAs, executing units, PMO, Provincial, contractors city and county wildlife activities Semi-annual through pro- EPBs gress reports
Natural and historical Occurrence of natural All project construction sites Regular onsite checks !As, executing units, PMO, Provincial, heritage and historical heritage contractors city and county Semi-annual through pro- EPBs gress reports
Water Source Origin Occurrence of natural All project construction sites Regular onsite checks lAs, executing units, PMO, Provincial, and historical heritage contractors city and county EPBs
Water and Soil erosion Land preparation All project construction sites Regular onsite checks !As, executing units, PMO, Provincial, practices contractors city and county EPBs
Forest fires Adequate forest fire All project areas and county Regular onsite checks !As, executing units, PMO, Provincial, offices contractors city and county patrols during critical Semi-annual through pro- EPBs periods gress reports Provided training
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Jiangxi Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Development Project
Item Parameters Location Time and Frequency Implementing Supervising Agency Agency
Pest and disease Proper usage of agro- All project areas Regular onsite checks lAs, executing units, PMO, Provincial, chemicals contractors city and county Semi-annual through pro- EPBs Provided training gress reports
Fertilizers Proper usage of agro- All project areas Regular onsite checks [As, executing units, PMO, Provincial, chemicals contractors city and county EPBs
Infrastructure Mitigation measures to All project construction sites Regular onsite checks Contractors, executing PMO, Provincial, be implemented by units city and county contractors (listed in EPBs Table 2.2)
Social Impacts Provided training PMO and all county offices Semi-annual through pro- Contractors, executing PMO, Provincial, gress reports units city and county EPBs
Training Provided training PMO and all county offices Semi-annual through pro- Contractors, executing PMO, Provincial, gress reports units city and county EPBs
Note: EPB: Environmental protection bureau (county); JEPD: Environmental protection department (Jiangxi province; EU: executing unit (forest farm, forest enterprise, big household, united households, individual household); PIO: project implementation office (county), PMO: project management office (Jiangxi provincial forestry department)
Source(s): Domestic ElAs, and consultations with PPMO, city and county EPBs, and !As.
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Table 2.3: Technical training
Price/ Total Peron Target group Trainer day price Level Training scope day CNY CNY
Project Provisions and management and regulations related to technical staff of project quality city and county PMO; management; project level project office Relevant technical provisions; Province for planning, specialist 500 200 100,000 project material and environmental from other equipment procurement; protection, services project's environmental procurement, pest protection and pest control and other control related works
Pest control and safety rules for using Managers and Monitoring pesticides; seedling technical staff of units technologies; forestation township level, PMO, PIO technologies (soil County technical staff in specialists 2000 100 200,000 preparation, pruning, the forest station, from other tending, fertilizing, and forest mangers, county intermediate cutting), rural household bureaus environmental regulation for the project
Related project management and Environmental Technical technical staff at National monitoring and 20 1,000 20,000 consultation the province, city, consultant supervision methods and county levels project offices
Domestic observation and study in the area like foreign invested Project project management management and / and operation, efficient technical staff at National Study tour 600 200 120,000 visits operation and the province, city, consultant management and county levels technologies for multi- project offices purpose ecological forest
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