China's Ministry of Finance and State Forestry Administration have
decided to allocate 75 million yuan (US$9.38 million) a year to the
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest for its
forest protection, officials say on November 19.
Under a central government forest protection subsidy scheme,
Xinjiang has been listed as one of 11 major provinces and
autonomous regions which will receive special state funding for
forest protection and ecological improvement.
Officials say Xinjiang will use the financial assistance for forest
protection in an area of one million hectares.
- Altogether 11 Provinces and Autonomous Regions
Involved
All the 11 provinces and autonomous regions involved will carry out
forest protection in a combined area of 13 million hectares with
the annual state subsidy, which means 75 yuan for one hectare of
forest.
Sources said that this forest protection subsidy scheme does not
overlap with the national forest protection project launched in
1998.
- Detailed Schemes to Be Worked out
The Chinese government has asked the 11 provinces and autonomous
regions to work out detailed schemes according to their various
climate and geological conditions and their different ecological
situations.
( November 19, 2001)