Forest Resources According to the Fourth Survey on Forest Resource of China, forestry land-use area was 260 million hectares, among which forested areas covered 130 million hectares, or 13.92% of China.

Forest resources were 0.11 hectares per capita in China, which is only 17.2% of the world average, and ranks 119th in the world. The forest stumpage was 8.6 m³ per capita in China, which are only 12.0% of the world average. China is one of the countries with the lowest per capita existing forest stumpage.

Grassland Resources China has abundant grassland resource with 390 million hectares of different types of grasslands, which is 40% of the territory. But the area of grassland per capita was only 0.33 hectares, which is one half of the world average.

In recent years, because of over-use of grasslands, irresponsible cultivation and long-standing overgrazing, grassland area decreased gradually and the quality of grassland also declined year by year. Due to the decrease of coverage rate, the ability of grasslands to hold water and soil has decreased. At present, 90% of the grasslands have been degraded or are in the process of degrading. Up to 130 million hectares are degraded to moderate or worse degree.

Fires and pest attacks In 1998, 4455 forest fires occurred which affected 27,424 hectares of forested area. 7013 thousand hectares of forested area was affected by pest attacks. The pests that affected large areas were Dendrolimus, which affected 695,000 hectares and rats that affected 719,000 hectares. The most dangerous pest was Nematoda that affected 72,400 hectares.

In 1998, 39.48 million hectares of grassland was affected by pest and rat attacks, 26.25 million hectares had been seriously damaged. There were 384 grassland fires, including 7 very serious and 6 extraordinarily serious ones. The affected area was 274 thousand hectares.

In 1998, the State Council ratified and published the National Plan for Grassland Ecological Environmental Construction, and issued an urgent notice to curb deforestation for land reclamation, illegal occupation of forested area and felling of natural forests. Projects for national natural forest protection were started. Sichuan Province planned using various measures to protect natural forest resources during 1998-2000. 690,225 hectares of forest area would be closed off for protection, 840,375 hectares of forest would be tended, and 422,766 hectares of land would be reforested. Yunnan Province planned to stop cutting natural forests within the range of projects for natural forest protection during 1998-2000. The forest area in Jinsha River Basin and 3.3 million hectares of national natural forest in ecologically vulnerable areas would be managed and protected all the year. From now to 2010, 820,000 hectares of public use forest would be cultivated at a rate of 63 thousand hectares per year.Now, the situation of forest resource conservation is very serious in China. There are some problems in the enforcement of the Forest Law.

In 1998, 2.195 billion trees were planted producing 4.725 million hectares of forested land, including 3.952 million hectares of man-made forests and 0.773 million hectares of aerial seeded ones. 9.037 million hectares of forested area were closed off for protection. As part of the five large shelter belt projects (namely the North, Northeast and Northwest China shelter belt Project, the Middle and Upper Yangtze River Afforestation Project, the Coastal Shelter belt Project, the Taihang Mountain Afforestation Project and the Plain Cultivated Land Shelter belt Project), 2.23 million hectares were reforested, of which 1.86 million hectares was man-made. Moreover, the China's Agenda 21 Forestry Action has developed the goals of development in 2010.

      Projects that aimed at grassland conservation and construction have been carried out. These projects include: demonstration projects for pasture area development, demonstration projects for grass mountains and slopes in southern China, protection of livestock against disasters, the planting of grass by aerial seeding, elimination of rats and pests, and prevention of grasslands from fire. They have increased the productivity of grasslands and improved the ecological environment of the grasslands. In 1998, the prevention and treatment of pest attacks has saved 6 million hectares of grassland, including 3.14 million hectares of grassland were saved using biological methods.

The activities of Sichuan and Yunnan Province for stopping cutting natural forest

Now China has 87264.3 thousand hectares natural forest that lies mainly in sources of great rivers and ecologically weak areas. Natural forest can protect the rich biological species and genetic gene's diversity, but also preserve water and soil, adjust climate, improve environment and provide forestry products. For many years, we had pay attention to the great amount of forestry products and millions of employment chance that natural forest provided, but ignored its major function as land economical environment. This was an important factor that caused frequent occurrence of flood and drought in recent years.

Sichuan and Yunnan Province are located in the upstream of the Yangtze River. They are the major areas that forest is distributed in the country and the major areas that preserve the source of the Yangtze River. For long time, we have ignored ecological function and sustainable development roles of forest, and excessively cut and used forest resource. So ecological environment has worsen, natural disasters have occurred frequently, animals and plants resources have decreased, economical development of the two provinces and regions in middle and upper Yangtze River has been effected and the Three Gorges Project has been threatened.

Premier Zhu had given a series instructions such as cutting fewer trees, planting more trees, inviting forest tigers to go down and making overall plans for forest industries in Sichuan and Yunnan Province and trying to reduce cutting. Under these instructions, Sichuan Province taken the lead in staring projects for natural forest protection in the country. Leaders of Sichuan Province examined the complement of the projects in the south of Sichuan Province, issued a paper strip seal to seal up all oil-saws, and hold a ceremony for stopping cutting natural forest. On October 1, Yunnan Province started projects for natural forest protection in Jinshajiang Basin. The municipal government paid great attention to the construction of the projects. Because the construction areas were underdeveloped areas, the municipal government promised all planning indexes of national special funding, so effectively avoided sudden cutting before the starting of the projects. The two provinces respectively formulated the implement plan of projects for natural forest resources protection in national forest areas.

The goals of forestry development were decided by China's Agenda 21 Forestry Action. To 2000, the net increase of forested land will be 9,980,000 hectares and forested areas will covere 15-16% of China. The living forest stumpage will be 12.66billion m3, desertificated land that has been harnessed will be 3,430,000 hectares and farmland area of forest network will be 43.990,000 hectares. The area of natural reserves for forest, wild animals and plants all over the country will be 60,590,000 hectares. To 2010, the net increase of forested land will be 28,980,000 hectares and forested areas will covere 17% of China. The living forested stumpage will be 13.96 billion hectares, desertificated land that has been harnessed will be 11,430,000 hectares and farmland area of forested land area will be 59,060,000 hectares, covering 94% of available farmland. Urban green land coverage will be 35%. The area of natural reserves for forest, wild animals and plants all over the country will be 70,680,000 hectares.

In the eleventh meeting of the Ninth National People's Congress Standing Committee, Buhe, the associated leader of the Committee reported the enforcement of the Forest Law, he also pointed that the situation of forest resource conservation is serious. The directed reasons are the main problems in the enforcement of the Forest Law, which are:

(1) Illegal deforestation is very serious. In 1998, the case of deforestation found by forest police is 21,005, which is an increase of 11% compared with that of 1997.

(2) Deforestation for land reclamation and illegal occupation of forested area hasn't been prohibited in some time. According to incomplete statistics, from 1994 to 1998, the number of case of deforestation for land reclamation is over 980,000 and the affected area is 18,700,000 mu. The number of cases of illegal occupation is 45,000, the affected area is 2,600,000 mu .

(3) The enforcement of destroying forest resource is not severe in some places.

(4) The forest tax is heavy and the statute of supporting forest is not completely enforced. Especially the system of forest ecological efficient compensation fund has not been constructed.