Measures of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for Implementing the Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) on Sand Prevention and Control

Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) on National Defense and Desertification Prevention and relevant laws and regulations of the state and in light of the actual situation of the autonomous region. Article 2 These Measures shall be observed in engaging in land desertification control, protection and management of desertified land, and development and utilization activities within the administrative area of the autonomous region.

The term "desertified land" as mentioned in these Measures includes desertified land and land with obvious desertification trend. The specific scope and type area of desertified land shall be determined by the planning of desertification control in the autonomous region. Article 3 The people's governments at or above the county level in areas where desertified land is located shall incorporate the prevention and control of desertification into the national economic and social development plan, and guarantee and support the development of the cause of prevention and control of desertification. Article 4 The people's governments at all levels in areas where desertified land is located shall establish a system of assessment, reward and punishment for the target responsibility of the executive leadership in the term of office to prevent and control desertification, and sign a target responsibility certificate step by step according to the annual task of preventing and controlling desertification.

The people's governments at or above the county level in the areas where desertified land is located shall report the work of preventing and controlling desertification to the people's congresses at the same level and their standing committees. Article 5 The forestry administrative department of the people's government at or above the county level shall, under the leadership of the people's government at or above the county level, be responsible for organizing, coordinating and guiding the work of preventing and controlling desertification within their respective administrative areas.

The competent meteorological departments of forestry, agriculture and animal husbandry, water conservancy, land resources and environmental protection of the people's governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the division of responsibilities, carry out their duties and cooperate closely to do a good job in sand prevention and control.

The working organization responsible for sand prevention and control in Sumu Township is engaged in relevant sand prevention and control management and technical services, and guides the sand prevention and control activities of rural and pastoral areas. Article 6 Units and individuals that use land have the obligation to prevent land desertification; Units and individuals that use desertified land have the obligation to control desertified land. Article 7 No unit or individual may infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of those who prevent and control desertification. Article 8 Units and individuals that have made remarkable achievements in the prevention and control of desertification shall be commended and rewarded by the people's governments at or above the county level, and those who have made outstanding contributions shall be rewarded handsomely. Article 9 People's governments at all levels shall organize relevant departments to carry out publicity and education on knowledge of sand prevention and control, enhance citizens' awareness of sand prevention and control, and improve citizens' ability of sand prevention and control. Chapter II Planning for Desertification Control Article 10 Unified planning shall be implemented for desertification control. The administrative department of forestry of the people's government of the autonomous region shall, in accordance with the national plan for preventing and controlling desertification, work out the plan for preventing and controlling desertification in the autonomous region in conjunction with the administrative department of development and reform and the relevant departments of agriculture, animal husbandry, water conservancy, land resources and environmental protection. And organize relevant experts to demonstrate, and the people's government of the autonomous region shall report to the relevant departments designated by the State Council or the State Council for approval and organize the implementation.

The people's governments at or above the county level where the desertified land is located shall organize forestry and other relevant departments to prepare the plan for desertification control in their respective administrative areas according to the plan for desertification control of the people's government at the next higher level, and organize its implementation after being reported to the people's government at the next higher level for approval.

The forestry administrative department of the people's government at the county level where the desertified land is located shall, jointly with the relevant departments, formulate specific implementation plans according to the approved plan for preventing and controlling desertification, and incorporate them into the five-year plan and annual plan for national economic and social development with the consent of the people's government at the same level. Article 11 When making plans to prevent and control desertification, we should implement classified protection, comprehensive management and rational utilization according to the geographical location, land type, vegetation status, climate and water resources status, land desertification degree and other natural conditions and their ecological and economic functions. Twelfth desertified land is divided into closed protected areas, recovery protected areas and control and utilization areas.

Closed protected areas refer to contiguous sandy land that does not have control conditions due to ecological protection, has an important ecological position and fragile ecological conditions and is not suitable for development and utilization.

Restoration reserve refers to contiguous sandy land with obvious desertification trend and natural restoration ability, and contiguous sandy land that has basically formed fixed sandy land after treatment, but has poor stability and is easily weathered and activated once it is destroyed.

Harnessing and utilization area refers to the desertified land that should be harnessed or can be moderately utilized after harness. Article 13 In areas with typical natural landscapes of desertified land, sandy vegetation and rare and endangered wild animals, or areas with special protection value for sand prevention and control, the people's governments at or above the banner level shall establish nature reserves in accordance with the relevant provisions of the state and autonomous regions, and strengthen protection and management. Chapter III Prevention and Control of Land Desertification Article 14 The forestry administrative department of the people's government of the autonomous region shall organize relevant departments to carry out monitoring, statistics and analysis of land desertification in the whole region, and publish the monitoring results regularly.

The forestry administrative department of the people's government at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the technical regulations of the state on land desertification monitoring, monitor the land desertification in areas with frequent sandstorms, areas with rapid expansion of land desertification and important ecological locations, and report the monitoring results to the people's government at the same level and the forestry or other relevant administrative departments at the next higher level. Article 15 The competent forestry authorities of the people's governments at or above the county level shall strictly control the regeneration and cutting of windbreak and sand-fixing forest nets and forest belts. Tree-type windbreak and sand-fixation forest nets and forest belts built on the edge of desert and flowing sandy land shall not be approved for cutting if they have not reached over-mature forests or have not built alternative forest nets and forest belts. Shrub windbreak and sand-fixation forest network and forest belt should be leveled and maintained in accordance with relevant technical regulations.