SFG1136 China/Global Environment Facility Project Project Number：QT2014-30 Landscape Approach to Wildlife Conservation in Northeast China Project Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report Heilongjiang Province · Jilin Province · China Executive Office of Siberian Tiger Habitat Protection Project in Jilin Province Executive Office of Siberian Tiger Habitat Protection Project in Heilongjiang Province Executive Office of Siberian Tiger Protection Project of the General Bureau of Heilongjiang Forest Industry Planning and Design Institute of Forest Products Industry of the State Forestry Administration March, 2015 Content 1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background .......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Preparation of Environment Assessment Report ............................................. 4 1.3 Assessment Process ......................................................................................... 5 1.4 Assessment Scope, Period and Protection Objectives ..................................... 6 1.5 Environmental Impact Factors Identification and Assessment ........................ 7 2 Analysis of Applicable Laws and Regulations ......................................................... 10 2.1 Policy Planning .............................................................................................. 10 2.2 Conformity Analysis of Policies and Plans ................................................... 12 3 Project Description .................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Construction Objective and Content .............................................................. 15 3.2 Construction Scheme ..................................................................................... 19 3.3 Project Analysis ............................................................................................. 27 3.4 Project Implementation Progress and Investment .......................................... 32 4. Current Situation of the Environment in Project Areas ........................................... 33 4.1 Natural Environment ...................................................................................... 33 4.2 The Ecological Environment ......................................................................... 34 4.3 Social Environment ........................................................................................ 43 5 Analysis of Zero Plan ................................................................................................ 47 6 Positive Impact Assessment of the Project ............................................................... 58 6.1 Ecological Benefits ........................................................................................ 58 6.2 Social Benefits ............................................................................................... 60 7 Negative Impacts Assessment of the Project on the Environment and Mitigation Measures ...................................................................................................................... 62 7.1 Impacts of Project on Residents’ Livelihoods and Related Mitigation Measures .............................................................................................................. 62 7.2 Impacts of the Project Implementation on Human and Livestock Security and the Related Mitigation Measures ......................................................................... 64 7.3 Impacts of Prey Reintroduction on the Environment and Corresponding Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................ 66 7.4 Impacts of the Project Implementation on the Vegetation and Biodiversity . 67 7.5 Impacts of Pest Management on Environment and Mitigation Measures ..... 69 7.6 Impacts of Project Implementation on the Development of Ethnic Minorities69 7.7 Impacts of Small Civil Engineering Construction on Environment and the Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................ 71 8 Public Participation and Information Disclosure ...................................................... 72 8.1 Identification and Analysis of the Stakeholders ............................................ 72 8.2 Public Participation Methods ......................................................................... 74 8.3 Status of Environmental Assessment Information Announcement ............... 74 8.4 Status of Forum and Interview ....................................................................... 78 8.5 The First Questionnaire Survey ..................................................................... 80 8.6 The Second Questionnaire Survey ................................................................. 88 8.7 China-Russia Cooperation Mechanism of Siberian Tiger Protection ............ 91 8.8 Summary ........................................................................................................ 91 9 Environment Management Plan ................................................................................ 93 9.1 Mitigation Measures of Environmental Impacts ............................................ 93 9.2 Environmental Supervision ............................................................................ 99 9.3 Environment Monitoring ............................................................................. 100 9.4 Staff Training ............................................................................................... 102 9.5 Estimate of Environmental Protection Investment ...................................... 103 9.6 Social Management Plan .................................................................................. 1 10 Conclusion of the Assessment .................................................................................. 7 Appendix： 01 List of Animals and Plants in the Project Area Attachment： 1 Sample Questionnaire of Forest Farm Staffs (Staff from Nuanquanhe Forest Farm of Suiyang Forest Bureau) 2 Sample Questionnaire of Villagers (Villager from Lishugou Village, Chunhua Town, Hunchun City) 3 Sample Questionnaire of Administrative Village (Songlin Administrative Village, Yangpao Town, Hunchun City) 4 Sample Questionnaire of Ethnic Minorities (Villager of Korean Nationality in Lishugou Village, Chunhua Town, Hunchun City) 5 Sample Questionnaire of Experts (Reply by Electronic Documents) 6 Sample Questionnaire of Non-government Organization (Reply by Electronic Documents) Attached Tables： 01 Information Table of Forest Sub-compartments of Tiger-Friendly Tending Forest Lands 02 Information Table of Sub-compartments of Vegetation Restoration Forest Lands Attached Figures： 01 The Project Location Map 02 The Satellite Image Map 03 The Topographic Map 04 The Project Layout Map 05 The Scope Map of Assessment 06 Detail Expansion Map of the Niaoqingshan Nature Reserve 07 Detail Construction Map of the Tianqiaoling Nature Reserve 08 Detail Construction Map of the Lanjia Protected Areas 1 Overview 1.1 Project Background 1.1.1 Geographical Location of the Project This project is located in Jilin Province and the east part of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, mainly including Hunchun City, Wangqing County of Jilin Province, and Dongning County, Muling City of Heilongjiang Province. The east part of the project area is contiguous to Primorsky Region of Russia; the west part is contiguous to Tumen City and Mudanjiang City; the southwest part is contiguous to Qingxing County and Xiongji County of North Korea across the Tumen River; and the north part is contiguous to Jixi City in Heilongjiang Province. The project covers 4 existing reserves (Hunchun Nature Reserve, Wangqing Nature Reserve, Laoyeling Nature Reserve, and Muling Nature Reserve), 3 projected reserves and reserve communities (Tianqiaoling Nature Reserve, Lanjia protected areas, and Niaoqingshan Reserve), and working circles in subordinate forest farms of Hunchun Forestry Bureau, Hunchun City Forestry Bureau, Wangqing Forestry Bureau, Wangqing County Forestry Bureau, Tianqiaoling Forestry Bureau, Dongning County Forestry Bureau, Suiyang Forestry Bureau, and Muling Forestry Bureau, etc. The total area is about 15337.08 square kilometers. Detailed information is shown in Figure1.1-1, attached Figure 1, attached Figure 3 and attached Figure 4. Legend project area 1 country boundary provincial boundary county boundary Cities and counties 1.1.2 Project Content In order to promote the protection and management of the Siberian tiger （Panthera tigris altaica), also known as Amur tiger, and its habitat, the State Forestry Administration and World Bank jointly applied for the GEF “Landscape Approach to Wildlife Conservation in Northeast China Project”, and got approval in principle on Feb 29th, 2012. This project is implemented in Northeast China, at the junction area of Heilongjiang Province and Jilin Province, close to the Primorsky Region of Russia and Hamgyong Province of North Korea. It involves Hunchun City, Wangqing County, Dongning County, and Muling County, with a total area of 15337.08 square kilometers. The aggregate amount of the project is 18 million US dollars. The undertaking units of the project include Jilin Forestry Department, Heilongjiang Forestry Department and the General Bureau of Heilongjiang Forest Industry.