Voluntary Report - Public distribution

**Date:** 1/16/2008

**GAIN Report Number:** CH8003

CH8003

**China, Peoples Republic of**

**Solid Wood Products**

**Forest Certification - Forest Management**

**2008**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Mark Petry

AgBeijing

**Prepared by:**

Zhang Lei

**Report Highlights:** In September 2007, the State Forestry
Administration of the People's Republic of China published a new
forestry standard that applies to forestry certification and forest
management practices. This standard details the auditing and assessment
criteria necessary for certification of sustainably produced forestry
products. This report contains an OFFICIAL TRANSLATION provided by the
Chinese Government.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Annual Report

Beijing \[CH1\]

\[CH\]

**Executive Summary**: In September 2007, the State Forestry
Administration of the People's Republic of China published a new
forestry standard that applies to forestry certification and forest
management practices. This standard details forest management practices,
performance measurements, and auditing and assessment criteria relating
to certification of sustainably produced forestry products. This report
contains an OFFICIAL TRANSLATION provided by the Chinese Government.

BEGIN TRANSLATION

**Standard in Forestry Sector of the People's Republic of China**

**Forest Certification\-\--Forest Management**

LY/T 1714-2007

Issued on September 10, 2007

Implemented on October 1, 2007

Issued by the State Forestry Administration, P.R. China

**Introduction**

Appendix A lists the national laws and regulations abided by forest
management, Appendix B lists the relevant binding international
conventions and agreements to which China is a signatory.

Appendix A and Appendix B are informative appendices.

The Standard was proposed by the State Forestry Administration, P. R.
China.

The Standard is subject to the centralized management of the Chinese
Academy of Forestry.

The drafting agencies of the Standard include: The Research Institute of
Forestry Science and Information of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the
Research Center of Sustainable Forest Development of the Chinese Academy
of Forestry, Science and Technology Development Center of the State
Forestry Administration, P. R. China.

The key drafters of the Standard are: Zhang Shougong, Lu Wenming, Xu
Bin, Zhao Jie, Yu Ling, Liu Kailing and Guan Baijun.

This is the first release of the Standard.

The right to interpret the Standard hereof rests on the State Forestry
Administration, P.R. of China.

Forest Certification: Forest Management

**1. Scope**

The Standard prescribes the principles, criteria and indicators that
shall be followed by the certification of sustainable forest management
and the performance requirements that forest management unit shall
realize in order to achieve sustainable forest management.

The Standard is applicable to the auditing and assessment of the forest
management status of all the forest management units throughout the
country conducted by accredited independent certification bodies. The
standard is an integrated whole, with all principles interconnected and
balanced and the order arrangement irrelevant to the importance.

**2. Terms and definitions**

The following terms and definitions are applied to the Standard.

**2.1 Forest certification**

As a tool to promote sustainable forest management through market
mechanism, forest certification includes two basic components, forest
management certification and chain of custody (COC) certification.
Forest management certification is to testify whether a forest is
managed sustainably by assessing the forest management activities of the
forest management unit. COC certification covers the whole process
throughout the production and circulation of forest based products so as
to verify the origin of the raw materials involved thereof. In other
words, CoC certification is a comprehensive assessment on each of the
links ranging from the processing, manufacturing, transportation,
storage through sales of forest based products to the final consumers.

**2.2 Forest management**

Forest management is a floorboard of the production and management
activities of scientifically breeding existing forests for the purpose
of increasing the output and improving the quality of the forest.

**2.3 Chain of custody**

Chain of custody is the supervision process of all the links from the
forest to consumers that raw materials, processed semi-finished products
and finished products have passed through, including all the stages of
processing, manufacturing, transport, storage and sale.

**2.4 Sustainable forest management**

Sustainable forest management is, through the scientific and rational
management of the existing and potential forest ecosystem, to maintain
the health and vitality of the forest ecosystem, conserve its
biodiversity and ecological functions so as to satisfy the demand for
forest products and its environmental service function in the process of
social-economic development and guarantee and promote the sustained and
coordinated development of population, resources, environment and
society, and the economy.

**2.5 Forest management unit**

Forest management unit is an enterprise, government organ, consortium or
its certain part or association, who is engaged in forest management
activities in the forest-covered areas with clear boundaries according
to the forest management plan and management targets, regardless of its
legal personality, public or private.

**2.6 Forest management plan**

Forest management plan is a document programmed and designed for the
scientific arrangement of forest management activities with the
sustainable use of forest as its objective.

**2.7 Forest tenure**

Forest tenure includes the ownership and the use right of forests,
trees, and forest land. The owner or user of the forest, trees and
forest land has the rights to possess, use, benefit from and dispose
them.

**2.8 Local community**

Local community is the social group composed by residents inhabiting in
the forest or surrounding areas, whose interests touched by the forest.

**2.9 Stakeholder**

Stakeholder is an association or individual who has direct or indirect
interests related to or impacted by forest management, e.g. government
organs, local communities, forest laborers, investors, environmental
protection organizations, consumers and the general public.

**2.10 Certification body**

Certification body hereby means forest certification body, a third-party
organ with certain capacity and qualification and accredited by the
state accreditation organ, audits and assesses the forest management
status or timber processing of forest management units and the chain of
custody of trading enterprises according to the forest certification
standards and chain of custody (COC) standards.

**2.11 Protected zone**

Projected zone is an area under special protection for its ownership of
representative natural ecosystem, rare and endangered wild fauna and
flora and genetic resources for the purpose of preserving rare
biological resources and meet the demand of scientific research. The
protected zone can be a nature reserve established by the state or local
government or a national forest park as well as an area set up by the
forest management unit at its own initiative.

**2.12 Forest monitoring**

Forest monitoring refers to the constant or periodic measurement and
assessment of the forest in terms of management operations,
environmental impacts and social influence of the forest.

**2.13 Silviculture**

Silviculture means the forest operations, tending measures and timber
production that satisfy the forest management targets to the largest
extent by optimizing the structure and growth of the forest.

**2.14 Cutting license**

Cutting license is the lawful document that permits forest or timber
harvest activities.

**2.15 Environmental impact assessment**

Environmental impact assessment is a process of assessing the actual or
potential impacts of forest management on the environment so as to mark
out how to reduce or avoid negative impacts and expand positive ones.
The forest management unit can assess the environmental impacts by
themselves except for the cases to be conducted by qualified
environmental impact assessment bodies upon relevant laws and
regulations.

**2.16 Biodiversity**

Biodiversity is the diversification, variability and ecological
complexity among the biological species and it is the synthesis and
generalization of the diversity and complexity of the ecosystem formed
by the interaction between the environment and all the flora, fauna and
microbe species, their genes and various life-forms on earth.

**2.17 Endangered species**

Endangered species are the species that gradually decay and reduce and
tend to distinct due to the inadaptability to the environment or
disturbance of biological factors.

**2.18 Threatened species**

Threatened species are those species tend to be endangered in all or
most part of its distributional areas in the forseeable future.

**2.19 Integrated pest management**

Based on economics, biology, and ecology, integrated pest management
admits that pathogen and insect are the components of forest ecosystem.
It emphasizes to choose optimal technical plan to control pest and
disease by systems analysis.

**2.20 Chemicals**

Chemicals include chemical fertilizer, pesticide, germicide, herbicide
and hormone etc. in the forest management.

**2.21 Non-timber forest product (NTFP)**

Non-timber forest product (NTFP) is the forest product gained from the
forest except for timber, e.g. rosin, mushroom, potherb and other fauna
and flora product.

**2.22 Natural forest**

Natural forest is the forest that naturally spreads or germinates and
boasts most of the main features and key elements (e.g. complexity,
layer of structure and diversity) of the local ecosystem.

**2.23 Native species**

Native species is the original and naturally-distributed local tree
species.

**2.24 Exotic species**

Exotic species are those species introduced from outside the
distributional area.

**2.25 Invasive species**

The invasive species are species boasting the following characteristics
simultaneously: 1) introduced from outside the distributional area; 2)
capable of reproducing by themselves in the local natural or artificial
environment; 3) Apparently damaging or influencing the local ecosystem
or geographic structure.

**2.26 Habitat**

Habitat is the ecological environment where an animal or plant community
inserts and distributes.

**2.27 Landscape**

Landscape is a geographic compound of ecosystems formed by the
interacting geology, landform, soil, climate, biology and human beings.

**2.28 Forest fragmentation**

Forest fragmentation refers to the process that uninterrupted forest
cover is divided by non-forest area into forest fragments.

**3. National legal framework**

Forest management unit shall respect all applicable laws of China and
international conventions and agreements to which China is a signatory.

**3.1 Abiding by all the relevant laws of China**

3.1.1 Texts of existing national laws shall be available in the forest
management unit, such as the Forest Law of the People's Republic of
China, Regulations for the Implementation of Forest Law of the People's
Republic of China etc. (see Appendix A).

3.1.2 Forest management shall be in line with relevant laws and
regulations of the state.

3.1.3 Managers and laborers of the forest management unit have adequate
knowledge of relevant laws and regulations of the state.

3.1.4 Forest management units that ever violated laws have take
correcting measures timely according to law, which is kept on file.

**3.2 Taxes and fees paid in conformity with the law.**

3.2.1 Managers of the forest management unit are well informed of the
taxes and fees that shall be paid.

3.2.2 Taxes and fees shall be paid timely and in accordance with the
law.

**3.3 Protecting the forest area from illegal logging, illegal
settlement, deforestation and other unauthorized activities**

Forest management unit has taken effective and tangible measures to
protect the forest area from illegal logging, illegal settlement,
deforestation and other unauthorized activities.

**3.4 Protecting forest land according to law and prohibiting the
illegal conversion of forest land**

3.4.1 Activities of occupying, expropriating and converting forest land
shall comply with relevant laws and regulations upon the written
approval of relevant agencies.

3.4.2 The conversion of the forest land shall not damage the integrity
of the forest ecosystem and result in the fragmentation of the forest.

**3.5 Abiding by international conventions and agreements to which China
is a signatory**

Forest management unit shall respect relevant clauses of international
conventions and agreements concerning forest management and to which
China is a signatory. (See Appendix B)

**4. Principle 2: Forest tenure**

The long-term tenure or use right of forests, trees and forest land
shall be clearly defined, filed and forms into legal document.

**4.1 Clear forest tenure**

4.1.1 Forest management unit shall have the forest tenure certificate
issued by the responsible agencies such as government above the county
level or the forestry administration department authorized by the State
Council. The ownership and use right of forests, trees and forest land
shall be clearly defined.

4.1.2 Contractors or leaser have relevant legal certificates, e.g. land
contracts and lease agreements.

4.1.3 Forest management unit has clear boundary and mark it on the map.

**4.2 Settling disputes over the ownership and use right of forests,
trees and forest land according to law.**

4.2.1 Disputes over the ownership and use right of the forests, trees
and forest land shall be resolved according to the Dispute Settlement of
Forest Trees and Forest land tenure.

4.2.2 Existing disputes and conflicts haven't significant negative
impacts on forest management. Forest management units significantly
impacted by disputes and interest conflicts shall not pass forest
certification.

**5. Principle 3: Local community and laborer's rights**

Forest management unit shall recognize the legal right of local
community to use and manage the land and resources, respect the customs
and habits of local residents, safeguard and improve the long-term
social and economic benefits of laborers and local community.

**5.1 Providing the forest area and surrounding residents with
opportunities of employment, training and other social services.**

Forest management unit has provided opportunities of employment,
training and other social services to the forest area and surrounding
residents.

**5.2 Abiding by all applicable laws and regulations concerning labor
and safety and guarantee the health and safety of the employees.**

5.2.1 The health and security of the forest laborers shall be guaranteed
in accordance with the requirements of the Labor law of People's
Republic of China, Law on Production Safety of the People's Republic of
China and other applicable laws and regulations.

5.2.2 Forest management unit shall provide laborers with salary and
other welfare, e.g. social security, pension, medical services etc.
according to laws and regulations.

5.2.3 Operation safety of laborers engaging in forest management shall
be guaranteed, necessary uniforms and safety facilities shall be
equipped and emergent medical treatment and necessary security training
shall be provided.

**5.3 Guaranteeing the legal rights and interests of the employees and
encouraging their participation in the decision-making process of forest
management**

5.3.1 The legal rights and interests of employees shall be guaranteed by
means of employee congress, congress of employee representatives or
labor's union.

5.3.2 Forest laborers shall be provided with opportunities to
participate in decision-making of forest operations through various
channels.

**5.4 Forest management unit shall not encroach upon the legal rights of
local residents on trees and other resources**

5.4.1 Forest management unit shall not take appropriate measures to
prevent the resources of local residents from being directly or
indirectly damaged and their use right being impacted by forest
management.

5.4.2 If local residents voluntarily entrust the resource management
right to the forest management units, clear agreements or contracts
shall be signed by both sides.

**5.5 Local residents shall be consulted when it is necessary to zone
and protect forest land with special cultural, ecological, economic or
religious significance to them.**

5.5.1 Local residents shall be consulted and consensus shall be reached
when it is necessary to zone and protect forest land with special
cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance them
(especially in the agglomeration of ethnic groups).

5.5.2 Appropriate measures shall be taken to protect the above-mentioned
forest land.

**5.6 Respecting and safeguarding the traditional or authorized rights
of local residents to enter into or use forest preconditioned by
guaranteeing the legal rights and interests of the forest management
unit**

5.6.1 Under the condition of not impacting the integrity of the forest
ecosystem and the fulfillment of forest management targets, the
traditional and authorized right of local residents to enter into or use
forest, such as picking forest products, entertaining, passing,
environmental education etc..

5.6.2 Regulations shall be clearly defined and informed by local
residents if there are forests that can only be entered into or used at
certain circumstances or at a certain time.

**5.7 In the case that forest management results in the loss of or
negative impacts on the legal right, property, resources, or life of
local residents, they shall be consulted and fairly compensated.**

5.7.1 Appropriate measures shall be taken to avoid the loss of or damage
to the legal right, property, resources, or life of local residents.

5.7.2 Local residents shall be consulted and fairly compensated if the
above-mentioned damages take place.

**5.8 Traditional knowledge of local residents shall be respected and
paid when used.**

5.8.1 Traditional knowledge of local residents shall be respected and
rationally used in the forest management.

5.8.2 Local residents participating in forest management planning shall
be appropriately paid.

**5.9 Forest management plan shall be adjusted according to the results
of social impact evaluation and consultation mechanism shall be
established in cooperation with local communities.**

5.9.1 Social impact of forest management shall be assessed according to
its scale.

5.9.2 Results of the social impact evaluation shall be considered in the
forest management plan and operation plan.

5.9.3 Communication and consultation mechanism shall be built with
relevant agencies through local communities.

**6. Principle 4: Forest management plan**

Forest management unit shall develop and implement scientific forest
management plan, define the targets and measures of forest management
and constantly adjust and perfect it during the implementation.

**6.1 Forest management plan shall be made and implemented based on the
long-term forestry layout developed by superior forestry
administrations.**

6.1.1 Forest management unit has timely, effective and scientific forest
management plan.

6.1.2 Opinions of administrations, management units, local communities
and other stakeholders are extensively solicited in the process of
developing forest management plan.

6.1.3 The development of forest management plan is based on sound and
correct information on forest resource, including updated forest
resource files, effective results of second-grade forest resource
inventory and specialized technical files.

6.1.4 The forest management plan and its supporting documents shall
include:

-   Natural socio-economic status, including forest resources,
    environmentally limiting factors, land use and ownership status,
    socio-economic conditions, social development and dominant demands,
    forest management evolution and a profile of adjacent land status.

-   Evaluation of forest resource management.

-   Forest management guidelines and targets.

-   Forest function zoning, forest categories and forest management
    types.

-   Forest breeding and silviculture, including seedling production,
    reforestation, tending and forest stand improvement.

-   Forest harvest and regeneration, including annual harvest area,
    harvest volume, harvest intensity, timber output volume, harvest
    method, logging area allocation and reforestation operation etc.

-   Non-timber resources management.

-   Forest and environmental protection, including forest disease and
    pest control, forest fire prevention, soil conservation, control of
    chemicals and toxic substances, occupation of forest land etc.

-   Wildlife conservation, especially the rare, threatened and
    endangered species.

-   Development and maintenance of infrastructures of forest management.

-   Investment estimation and benefit analysis.

-   Ecological and social monitoring measures and impact evaluation of
    forest management.

-   Guarantee measures of the implementation of the forest management
    plan.

-   Necessary charts related to forest management.

6.1.5 Annual operation plan shall be developed based on the forest
management plan.

**6.2 Revising the forest management plan timely**

6.2.1 Latest development of science and technology and policy trends
related to forest management shall be learned timely.

6.2.2 Forest management plan shall be periodically revised (5-10 years)
according to forest resource monitoring results, new information and
policies on science and technology and environmental, social and
economic circumstances.

**6.3 Forest operations are consistent with the operation design.**

6.3.1 Forest operations are consistent with the operation design.

6.3.2 Appropriate adjustments are proper with the precondition that the
management activities are guaranteed to be more conducive to realizing
management targets and safeguarding the integrity of the forest
ecosystem.

6.3.3 Adjustments to the forest management plan shall be put on file.

**6.4 Necessary training and guidance shall be provided to forest
employees to ensure that they are capable of operating correctly.**

6.4.1 Forest management unit establishes system on providing forest
employees with training and guidance.

6.4.2 Forest employee shall receive sound training, understand and grasp
the operation requirements.

6.4.3 Professional technicians provide forest employees with necessary
technical guidance in their field operation.

**6.5 Give public notice of primary elements of the forest management
plan with the premise of respecting information confidentiality.**

While respecting the confidentiality of information, forest managers
shall give public notice of the primary elements of the forest
management plan to the local communities or relevant agencies.

**7. Principle 5: Silviculture**

Forest management unit shall conduct silviculture activities according
to the principle of sustainable development, breed, protect and use
forest resources in a scientific and efficient manner and develop
diversified forest products.

**7.1 Forest management shall strive toward economic benefits, while
taking into full account of the environmental and social costs of the
production and ensuring the necessary investment to maintain the
productivity of the forest ecosystem.**

7.1.1 Forest management shall take into full consideration of its
management and operation costs and be ensured to be economically viable.

7.1.2 Rational investment scale and structure shall be guaranteed for
sustainable forest management.

**7.2 Forest management unit shall conduct diversified economy in the
forest area so as to promote the development of local economy.**

7.2.1 The diversified economy, sustainable use of various timbers and
non-timber forest products shall be conducted, such as forest fruit, oil
plants, food, beverages, herbs and chemicals etc.

7.2.2 Management plan of important non-timber forest products shall be
made, including measures on the breeding, protection and use.

**7.3 Introduction, production and management of seeds and seedlings
shall be in line with national laws or local regulations and the quality
of seeds and seedling shall be guaranteed.**

7.3.1 Introduction, production and management of forest seeds and
seedlings shall be in line with the requirement of national laws or
local regulations.

7.3.2 Units engaged in forest seedling production and management shall
gain Forest Seeds Production License and Forest Seeds Management License
issued by forestry administration above the county level and conduct
production and management activities according to the requirements of
the licenses.

7.3.3 Quality check shall be made according to the national or local
standards before transferred and transplanted from the nursery and
quality check certificate of forest seeds and seedlings shall be filled
in.

7.3.4 Quarantine and Approval Document of Introducing Tree Seeds and
Seedlings and other Propagating Materials issued by the State Forestry
Administration, P.R. China or the forestry departments of various
provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities shall be gained prior to
the introduction of forest seeds, seedlings and other propagating
materials (including fruit trees, flowers, herbs and grass seed for
greening and soil conservation). And quarantine shall be conducted
according to relevant regulations.

**7.4 Tree species suitable to local conditions shall be selected for
afforestation in line with the management targets and indigenous species
shall be prioritized. Exotic species shall be used cautiously.
Monitoring shall be made on the growth status, disease and pest and
impacts on ecological environment after exotic tree species are used for
afforestation.**

7.4.1 Afforestation species shall be selected based on the management
targets and the principle of proper tree species for proper sites.

7.4.2 Indigenous tree species shall be selected with priority.

7.4.3 Introduction of exotic species is limited to those that are not
invasive, do not affect the growth of local plants and can make
environmental and economic benefits. Monitoring shall be made on their
survival rate, preserving rate, disease and pest, and environmental
impacts.

**7.5 Afforestation design and operation in forest-free area (including
land without standing forest and land suitable for afforestation) shall
meet the local land conditions and management targets and shall be
conducive to improving the benefits and stability of the forest.**

7.5.1 Afforestation design and operation shall be developed according to
national and local technical standards and regulations, including Codes
for the Design of Afforestation Operations etc..

7.5.2 Afforestation design conforms to management targets and rational
afforestation, tending, thinning, final felling and regeneration plan
shall be developed.

7.5.3 One or several of the following afforestation measures shall be
adopted to promote the diversification of the structure of forest stand
and strengthen its stability.

-   Using diversified tree species and rationally establishing mixed
    forest.

-   Avoiding intensified felling in a short period in the management
    design.

-   Encouraging afforestation of diversified ages and periods.

7.5.4 Wildlife corridors shall be established based on the scale of
forest management and the migrating rules of wildlife.

7.5.5 Afforestation layout and planning is conducive to maintaining and
improving the value and features of the natural landscape.

7.5.6 Transfer of forest of the same age to forest of different ages and
diversified habitat structure shall be encouraged.

**7.6 Forest harvest and regeneration shall be conducted according to
law and the consumption of timber and non-timber forest products shall
not exceed their capacity of reproduction.**

7.6.1 Forest management unit shall make the annual harvest plan and
annual harvest quota based on the principle of rational management,
sustainable use and timber consumption volume less than growth volume
and submit it to the superior forest administration for approval.

7.6.2 Timber harvest can only be conducted with harvest license and
according to its regulations.

7.6.3 Record shall be kept on timber harvest volume and sites.

7.6.4 Forest harvest and regeneration follow the requirements of New
Regulations on Forest Harvest and Regeneration and relevant operation
codes of forest harvest of the state.

7.6.5 Use of timber and non-timber forest products shall not exceed the
level allowed by sustainable development.

**7.7 Forest management shall be favorable to the conservation and
regeneration of natural forests.**

7.7.1 Effective measures shall be adopted to promote the conservation
and regeneration of natural forests.

7.7.2 Natural forests shall not be converted into plantations.

7.7.3. A certain area of forest land shall be kept to promote the
gradual transfer to natural forest on the plantations established on the
damaged natural forest or secondary natural forests according to its
scale and management targets.

7.7.4 Eco-function-oriented plantations established on the neighboring
area of natural forests shall be guided to gradually transfer from the
landscape and structure of plantations to those of natural forests and
to be conducive to natural forest protection.

**7.8 Forest management shall minimize the waste and damage to
resources.**

7.8.1 Approaches with the least environmental impacts shall be adopted
in forest management operations so as to reduce the damage to the forest
resources and environment.

7.8.2 Measures shall be taken to reduce the waste and degrading of the
timber grade in the process of timber harvest and production.

**7.9. Optimal use and further processing of timber and non-timber
forest products shall be encouraged.**

7.9.1 Measures shall be made and implemented to promote the best use of
timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

7.9.2 Further processing of timber and non-timber forest products
(NTFPs) shall be encouraged to improve their added value.

**8. Principle 6: Biodiversity conservation**

Forest management shall help to conserve and improve the biodiversity,
protect typical and fragile forest ecosystem, maintain and improve the
structure of the forest ecosystem.

**8.1 Protected zone compliant to the scope and scale of forest
management and the features of resources in need of protection shall be
established and protective measures shall be made accordingly when rare,
threatened and endangered species exist.**

8.1.1 The rare, threatened and endangered species and their habitats
within the area shall be identified and marked on the map.

8.1.2 Certain protected zone and biological corridor shall be lined out
to serve as habitats of the rare, threatened and endangered species in
accordance with the local conditions. If the protected zone and
biological corridors can't be clearly mapped out, adequate area shall be
kept for each forest type. Zoning of the above-mentioned sites shall
take into full consideration of the wildlife migration in the forest.

8.1.3 Protective measures of the protected zones shall be made
accordingly

8.1.4 Species banned by the national laws and regulations, international
conventions or agreements shall not be developed or utilized.

**8.2 Unauthorized hunting, trapping and collecting practices shall be
controlled.**

8.2.1 Hunting, trapping and collecting activities shall be consistent
with laws and regulations on wildlife protection. Hunting license and
collecting license shall be applied in accordance with the law.

8.2.2 Hunting, trapping and collecting activities shall follow the quota
regulations of the state in hunting and collecting volume.

**8.3 Typical forest ecosystems shall be protected and their natural
status shall be maintained.**

8.3.1 Typical forest ecosystems shall be identified through inventory
within the forest management unit.

8.3.2 Measures on the typical ecosystem protection shall be made.

8.3.3 Protective measures shall be implemented to maintain the natural
status of the typical ecosystems.

**8.4 Measures on restoration, conservation and improvement of
biodiversity of the forest shall be taken in forest management.**

The following measures can be considered in the forest management to
maintain and improve the biodiversity.

-   Select operation methods that can reduce the negative impacts.

-   Adopt suitable forest breeding system

-   Maintain and improve the natural features of the forest.

**9. Principle 7: Environmental impact**

Forest management shall consider its impacts on environment, bring the
service function of the forest into full play and be conducive to
environmental protection and improvement.

**9.1 Forest management shall consider its impacts on the ecological
environment.**

9.1.1Forest management unit can make first-party, second-party or
third-party environmental impact assessment on the forest management
operations based on the scale and intensity of forest management and
features of resources.

9.1.2 Forest management patterns shall be adjusted in accordance with
the assessment results in order to reduce the impacts on the forest
ecosystem made by forest management operations.

**9.2 Various protective measures shall be taken in forest management
operations so as to maintain the natural features of forest land,
protect the water resources and prevent the land degradation.**

9.2.1 Effective measures shall be taken to minimize the damages to
forest land caused by such human activities as land preparation,
afforestation, timber harvest, regeneration, road construction etc. in
order to maintain the natural features of the soil and its long-time
productivity in the forest.

9.2.2 Negative impacts on the quality and quantity of water resources
shall be reduced, soil and water erosion shall be controlled and severe
damages to the catchments in the forest shall be avoided.

9.2.3 Adequate buffering zone shall be built to conserve water and soil
at the bank of rivers and streams.

9.2.4 Organic and biological fertilizer shall be used to the best to
enhance soil fertility and the use of chemical fertilizer shall be
reduced.

**9.3 The use of chemicals shall be strictly controlled and the
environmental impacts caused accordingly shall be minimized**

9.3.1 Chemical pesticide banned by national laws and international
conventions shall not be used.

9.3.2 Proper equipments and technical training shall be provided to
minimize the pollution to the environment and damages to people's health
of the use of chemicals.

9.3.3 Methods consistent with the requirements of environmental
protection shall be adopted to dispose the wastes and containers of
chemicals.

**9.4 Introduction of exotic species shall be strictly controlled and
negative ecological impacts brought by invasive species shall be
prevented.**

9.4.1 Exotic species can only be introduced with the precondition that
they have passed strict quarantine and are guaranteed to do no harm to
the environment and biodiversity.

9.4.2 Record shall be kept on the use of exotic species and their
ecological impacts shall be monitored.

9.4.3 Measures on controlling the harmful invasive species shall be made
and implemented.

**9.5 The environmental service function of the forest shall be
maintained and improved in forest management operations.**

9.5.1 Forest managers understand and identify the environmental service
function of the forest in the forest management area, such as forest
carbon sequestration, entertaining, eco-tourism, landscape aesthetics,
education, scientific research, fishery and animal husbandry resources
etc.

9.5.2 Measures shall be taken to maintain and improve the relevant value
and service function of the forest.

**10. Principle 8: Forest Protection**

Forest management unit shall prevent the forest from the damages caused
by disease, pest and forest fires and safeguard the health and safety of
the forest.

**10.1 Disease and pest control plan shall be made on the basis of
silviculture measures and biological, chemical and physical methods
shall be adopted to conduct integrated pest management.**

10.1.1 Disease and pest control measures shall conform to the
requirement of Regulations on Forest Pest Control of the People's
Republic of China.

10.1.2 Prediction and forecast shall be made to assess the potential
influence of disease and pest on the forest and prevention and control
plan shall be developed accordingly.

10.1.3 Integrated pest management measures shall be employed which focus
on silviculture measures and incorporate biological, chemical and
physical prevention. The use of chemical pesticide in the forest shall
be limited to reduce its impacts on the environment.

10.1.4 Effective measures shall be employed to protect the various
beneficial organisms in the forest and improve its own pest control
capacity.

**10.2 Sound forest fire prevention system shall be established and fire
prevention measures shall be made and implemented.**

10.2.1 Forest fire prevention system shall be established on the basis
of Regulations on Forest Fire Prevention of the People's Republic of
China.

10.2.2 Areas of different grades of forest fire risk shall be zoned.

10.2.3 Measures on forest fire monitoring (included into "early
warning") and control shall be made and implemented.

10.2.4 Forest fire control facilities shall be built, forest fire
control organizations shall be established and the work of forest fire
control and fighting in the unit shall be organized.

10.2.5 Statistics of forest fires shall be kept and forest fire shall be
kept on file.

**11. Principle 9: Forest monitoring**

**Forest management unit shall monitor and evaluate the forest status,
forest products, management activities and their social and
environmental impacts.**

**11.1 Establishing forest monitoring system and forest resource files
and monitoring forest resources continuously or periodically**

11.1.1 Forest resource inventory shall be conducted and forest resource
files shall be established according to the unified arrangement of
superior forestry administration.

11.1.2 Based on the scale and intensity of forest management activities
and the local conditions, proper monitoring system and procedures shall
be established and approaches, frequency and intensity of forest
monitoring shall be clearly defined.

11.1.3 Monitoring activities shall be made continuously or periodically
in accordance with the monitoring system.

11.1.4 Monitoring results shall be compared, analyzed and evaluated.

11.1.5 Monitoring results shall be reflected in developing or revising
forest management plan and operation plan.

**11.2 Forest monitoring shall cover the resource status, forest
management and its social and environmental impacts.**

11.2.1 Forest monitoring shall include:

-   Stock volume, yield and resource consumption volume of main forest
    products.

-   Structure, growth, regeneration and health condition of the forest.

-   Varieties of wild fauna and their changing trends.

-   Dynamics and trends of disease, pest and forest fires.

-   Environmental and social impacts of timber harvest and other
    management activities.

-   Costs and benefits of forest management.

-   Implementation status of the annual operation plan.

**11.3 Files on timber tracking management shall be kept in order to
guarantee the origin of forest products can be traced.**

The whole process from timber harvest, transport, processing and sale
shall be tracked, recorded and marked. Tracking management files of
timber and other important forest products shall be kept.

**11.4 Releasing the summary of monitoring results to the public**

11.4.1 While respecting the confidentiality of information, summary of
monitoring results shall be released to the public periodically.

**Appendix A**

**（Relevant Materials）**

**Relevant National Laws, Administrative Regulations and Rules**

**A.1 Laws**

Forest Law of the People's Republic of China (1984, revised in 1998)

Sandification Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of
China (2001)

Water Law of the People's Republic of China (1998)

Soil and Water Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China (1991)

Law on Water Pollution Prevention and Control of the People's Republic
of China (1984, revised in 1996)

Land Management Law of the People's Republic of China (1999)

Wildlife Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China (1988)

Seed Law of the People's Republic of China (2000)

Labor Law of People's Republic of China (1994)

Worker's Union Law of the People's Republic of China (1992, revised in
2001)

Property Right Law of the People's Republic of China (2007)

Rural Land Contracting Law of the People's Republic of China (2003)

Safe Production Law of the People's Republic of China (2002)

Environment Impact Assessment Law of the People's Republic of China
(2002)

Environment and Natural Resources Protection Law of the People's
Republic of China (2001)

Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People's Republic of China (1997)

Flood Control Law of the People's Republic of China (1997)

Law on Imported and Exported Fauna and Flora Quarantine of the People's
Republic of China (1991)

Law on Hunting Gun and Bullet Management of the People's Republic of
China (1993)

Law on Promoting the Transfer of Science and Technological Achievements
of the People's Republic of China (1996)

**A.2 Regulations**

Regulations for the Implementation of the Forest Law of the People's
Republic of China (1986, revised in 2000)

Regulations on Nature Reserves of the People's Republic of China (1994)

Regulations for the Implementation of Terrestrial Wildlife Conservation
(1992)

Regulations on Wild Flora Conservation of the People's Republic of China
(1997)

Regulations on Protecting New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic
of China (1997)

Regulations for the Implementation of the Soil and Water Conservation
Law of the People's Republic of China (1993)

Regulations on Converting Cropland to Forests of the People's Republic
of China (2003)

Regulations for the Implementation of the Land Management Law of the
People's Republic of China (1999)

Regulations on Forest Disease and Pest Control of the People's Republic
of China (1989)

Regulations on Forest Fire Prevention of the People's Republic of China
(1988)

Regulations on Seed Management of the People's Republic of China (1989)

Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on the Imported and
Exported Wild Fauna and Flora of the People's Republic of China (1996)

Regulations on Flood Control of People's Republic of China (1998)

**A.3 Administrative Regulations and Rules**

Measures for the Registration of Timber and Forest Land Tenure (2001)

Measures for the Verification and Approval of the Occupation and
Confiscation of Forest Land (2001)

Measures for Dispute Settlement on Timber and Forest Land Tenure (1996)

Measures for Nature Reserves of Forest and Wildlife Category (1985)

Measures for the Natural Forest Protection Program (2006)

Measures for Forest Harvest and Regeneration (1987)

Measures for Forest Resources Files (1986)

Interim Measures for Afforestation Quality Control (2003)

Interim Regulations on Developing Annual Forest Harvest Quota (1985)

Measures for Seed Quality (2007)

Measures for Prompting the Use of Good Forest Breeds (1997)

Measures for the Package and Label of Forest Seeds (2002)

Measures for the Production and Management License of Forest Seeds
(2002)

Regulations on the Annual Verification System of Production and
Management License of Forest Seeds (2003)

Measures for the Quality Supervision of Tree Seedling of the State
Forestry Administration of China (2002)

Measures for Quarantine Approval of Introducing Exotic Species (1980)

Measures for the Implementation of the Management and Supervision of the
State-owned Forest Resources and Assets (Try out) (1996)

Measures for the Implementation of the Regulations on Protecting New
Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China (1999)

Regulations on the Quarantine, Approval and Supervision of Introducing
Tree Seeds and Seedlings and other Propagating Materials (2003)

Note: All above-mentioned regulations or rules were released by State
Forestry Administration or former Forestry Ministry.

**A4. Technical Codes and Guidelines**

List of Species and Countries Prohibited Trading Released by CITIES
Secretariat (2001)

List of Wild Flora under Priority State Protection (First Group) (1999)
(State Forestry Administration and Ministry of Agriculture)

GB/T 18337.3-2001 Technical Codes for the Establishment of Public
Benefits Forest (2001)

Outlines for Developing and Implementing Forest Management Plan (2006)
(State Forestry Administration)

Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management in China (2006) (State
Forestry Administration)

LY/T1646-2005 Codes for Forest Harvest Operations (2005)

LY/T 1607-2003 Codes for the Design of Afforestation Operations (2003)

LY/T 1706-2007 Technical Codes for Breeding Fast-growing and
High-yielding Timber Forest (2007)

GB/T 1690-2004 Technical Codes for Mountain (Sand) Closure (2004)

LY/T 1690-2007 Technical Codes for the Improvement of Low-yielding
Forest (2007)

LY/T 1692-2007 Technical Codes for the Importance Evaluation of
Genetically-modified Forest Plants and their Products (2007)

**Appendix B**

**(Relevant Materials)**

**International conventions and agreements to which China is a
signatory**

Convention on Biological Diversity

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Convention on International Labor Organization

International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

International Tropical Timber Agreement