Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 19. The investigation team of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the National Forestry and Grass Administration announced on the 19th the investigation of the destruction of the shelter forest in the Dunhuang Yangguan Forestry Farm in Gansu Province.

  In January 2021, after the relevant media reported the destruction of the shelter forest in the Yangguan Forest Farm in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, the leaders of the central government attached great importance to it.

The Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the National Forestry and Grass Administration, together with the Gansu Provincial Government, went to Dunhuang City to conduct field investigations.

The investigation team conducted in-depth investigations by means of comparison and analysis of remote sensing images, on-site surveys, surveying and mapping of drone status, data access, and inquiries.

  1. Basic situation

  Dunhuang Yangguan Forest Farm was established in 1963 and is owned by the whole people.

In 2006, the system was restructured and enterprise-oriented operation was implemented.

In 2020, it will be changed to a public institution with a balance allocation, and the establishment of 4 enterprises has been approved.

Yangguan Forest Farm is about 70 kilometers away from Dunhuang City.

  Regarding the ownership scope and area of ​​Yangguan Forest Farm, there are different understandings, mainly in whether its scope is limited to the southwest area or also includes the northeast area.

In December 2004, the number map of the "Forest Right Certificate" issued by the Dunhuang Municipal Government to Yangguan Forestry Farm did not match. The number filled in the area column was 25,700 mu. This figure did not match the four-to-th scope map attached to the "Forest Right Certificate". The map only included the southwestern area. It covers an area of ​​more than 10,000 mu, excluding the northeast area.

From the original ledgers and base map ownership boundaries of the first national land survey in 1990 and 2009, the ownership scope of Yangguan Forest Farm is only in the southwest area, excluding the northeast area, and the land area is 11,600 mu.

Judging from the “one map” of national forest resource management, the results of the forest resource renewal survey reported from Dunhuang to Jiuquan and the province level by level to the National Forestry and Grass Administration for 4 consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 show that the scope of the Yangguan Forest Farm has always been southwest. Area.

Therefore, the investigation team believes that the scope of ownership of Yangguan Forest Farm is the southwest area, covering an area of ​​11,600 mu.

  At the same time, Yangguan Forest Farm has afforestation management activities in the northeast area.

Yangguan Forest Farm completed a total of 3,630 acres of afforestation in the northeast area from 2009 to 2018. The tree species are mainly shrubs such as Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarisk, and 2,200 acres of forest have been established.

In 2019 and 2020, Dunhuang City will plant a total of 3,100 acres of Haloxylon ammodendron in the northeast area in the voluntary tree planting activities in 2019 and 2020. The current unformed forests are currently under the responsibility of Yangguan Forest Farm for land leveling, tree planting ditches, and waterway dredging.

In 2020, Yangguan Forest Farm built 4.2 kilometers of forest roads in the northeast area.

  Two, the main problem

  Related issues reported by the media are in the southwest area.

The investigation found that the Yangguan Forest Farm in the southwest area has problems such as decrease in shelter forests, increase in vineyards, deforestation for reclamation, and decline in the quality of shelter forests.

  (1) The area of ​​protection forests has decreased and the area of ​​vineyards has increased.

  Yangguan Forest Farm tried to introduce grapes from the 1970s, and developed vineyards within the forest belt grid according to the idea of ​​“protecting fruits by forest, growing forests by fruits, diversified management, and comprehensive development”.

The results of the national land survey since 1990 and this aerial survey show that the total existing forest land in the southwest area of ​​Yangguan Forest Farm is 4,509.57 mu, and garden land is 4704.1 mu.

Due to diversification, deforestation and reclamation, compared with 1990, the southwest area has reduced 3,850.59 acres of arbor forest, increased 518.93 acres of shrub forest, and 3547.5 acres of vineyards and other gardens, compared with 1990.

  (2) There are problems such as deforestation for reclamation and unlicensed logging.

  The first is to approve the occupation of shelterbelts to construct vineyards and jujube orchards in violation of regulations.

From 2004 to 2012, the Dunhuang Municipal Government and Forestry Bureau illegally approved Dunhuang Wine Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Dunhuang Wine Industry Company") to build a desert forest park, plant jujube trees, and grape variety gardens in Yangguan Forest Farm.

From 2013 to 2014, Dunhuang Winery Company destroyed forests and reclaimed 567 acres for planting grapes and jujube trees, including 400 acres of vineyards and 167 acres of jujube orchards.

The second is the illegal occupation of forest land for construction projects.

Since 2013, newly built gravel roads and other facilities in Yangguan Forest Farm have illegally occupied 99.85 mu of forest land.

The third is the phenomenon of deforestation.

After on-site inspections, 7 roadside shelterbelts were harvested without a license, and the supplementation and renewal were not timely, the forests were sparse, and gaps appeared.

Since 2010, villagers felled and destroyed 604 trees and were investigated and dealt with.

  (3) The quality of protection forests has declined.

  Some trees were severely damaged due to lack of water and the number of arbor forests decreased, resulting in the weakening of the wind-proof function of the shelterbelt.

Since 2008, Dunhuang Feitian Ecological Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Feitian Company") has violated regulations to recirculate the lake and repair dams in the upper reaches of Xitugou to control the amount of water discharged, causing the ecological water shortage in the downstream.

From 2009 to 2012, Dunhuang City and Dunhuang Wine Company successively built ponds and dams in the low-lying sand dunes, which affected the water supply in the surrounding areas.

In 2018, the Dunhuang Municipal Government determined that 26% of the water resources in the lower reaches of Xitugou were used for ecological flow, and 74% was used for production; after the end of agricultural irrigation each year, the shelter forest and nursery land of Yangguan Forest Farm were irrigated from November to December.

According to field inspection, nearly 600 acres of poplar forest near the south side of the forest farm was destroyed due to lack of water, and about 200 acres died due to lack of water.

  (4) Irregular transfer of national public welfare forests.

  In 2004, there were 5,500 mu of national public welfare forests in the southwest area of ​​Yangguan Forest Farm.

From 2012 to 2013, the Dunhuang Forestry Bureau and other forestry authorities at all levels did not strictly review and control the national public welfare forests during the delimitation of the national public welfare forests, and adjusted all the national public welfare forests of Yangguan Forest Farm to local public welfare forests.

  (5) Misappropriating national forest ecological benefit compensation funds in violation of regulations.

  After Yangguan Forest Farm transferred the National Public Welfare Forest in 2013, the Dunhuang Forestry Bureau and the Finance Bureau transferred 260,000 yuan of national forest ecological benefit compensation funds to Yangguan Forest Farm from 2013 to 2018.

  (6) Approval of contracting forest land to enterprises in violation of regulations.

  In 2007, the Dunhuang Municipal Government and the Municipal Forestry Bureau violated the regulations and agreed to the Yangguan Forestry Farm contracting 2000 acres of woodland in the southwest area to Dunhuang Liquor Company to build the Shaanxi Animal and Botanical Garden.

In 2007 and 2011, the Dunhuang Forestry Bureau violated regulations and agreed to Yangguan Forestry Farm to contract 1,000 acres and 2,000 acres of forest land in the southwest area to Yongdeng Bibo Industry Co., Ltd. and Feitian Company for development and operation.

The above three companies did not strictly perform the contract. From 2014 to 2017, Dunhuang City successively terminated the contract with the three companies and recovered 4,433 acres of forest land. However, until the investigation, the right to use the 567 acres of forest land was signed on February 22, 2021. .

  The problems of Yangguan Forest Farm have a long history. The reasons for the above problems are not only the contradictions and difficulties accumulated for a long time in the reform and development of the forest farm in history, but also the inadequate implementation of the concept of ecological priority and protection priority, and insufficient attention to forest and grass work. The allocation of water resources is unreasonable, management is more important than protection, and internal management is very chaotic.

The Dunhuang municipal government and forestry departments also have problems with ineffective supervision.

  Regarding the above problems, Gansu Province has determined a rectification plan, which will be implemented by Jiuquan City and Dunhuang City. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grass Administration are responsible for overseeing the rectification.

The main tasks of the rectification work are as follows: First, for the problem of 567 mu of deforestation to reclaim vineyards and jujube orchards, Dunhuang City must immediately formulate specific work plans, implement the currently signed recovery agreement, and restore the use of shelter forests as soon as possible.

Second, for the unreasonable distribution of water resources, Dunhuang City must re-study and formulate water resources distribution plans, rationally allocate water resources, and rectify illegally constructed ponds and dams and other facilities in accordance with the law to ensure protection forest ecological water use.

The third is to correct the problem of the original forest tenure certificate of the Yangguan Forest Farm, clarify the fourth boundary of the ownership scope, and conduct standardized registration in accordance with the law.

Fourth, it is necessary to investigate and deal with issues such as unlicensed logging and contracting forest land to enterprises in violation of regulations, and strictly hold accountable.

  At present, Gansu Province has established a rectification work steering group, and has initiated rectification work on the specific problems that have been verified. At the same time, in response to possible dereliction of duty, the Jiuquan Municipal Party Committee and Government has formed a special task force stationed in Dunhuang City to carry out investigations on relevant departments and units. Investigation work on issues such as ineffective supervision and poor performance of duties.

  At the same time, the Ministry of Natural Resources stated that it will further study and implement Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization together with the National Forestry and Grass Administration, draw inferences from one another, and strengthen management.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grass Administration will conduct in-depth investigations and studies on the registration of forest rights across the country, and clean up and standardize the historical issues; the National Forestry and Grass Administration will further strengthen the standardized construction of protection forests and public welfare forests. Strengthen supervision.