Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration's Nature Reserves in Jingpohu Lake Area

Integration and Optimization Seminar Held in Our City

On November 19, the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau held a seminar in our city on the integration and optimization of protected areas within the Jingpohu Lake region. The meeting focused on advancing the integration and optimization plans for various protected areas, including Jingpohu Lake National Scenic Area, the UNESCO Global Geopark (National Geopark), Xiaobeihu National Nature Reserve, Volcanic Crater National Forest Park, Jingpohu Lake National Forest Park, Baihuachuan National Wetland Park, and Jingpohu Lake Provincial Nature Reserve. The session was chaired by Bai Xuhui, Director of the Protected Area Management Department of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau.

Relevant officials from the Planning and Design Institute of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Nature Reserve Management Department of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, as well as responsible personnel from the Jingpohu Lake Management Committee, Municipal Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Municipal Natural Resources Bureau, Ning'an Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Ning'an Natural Resources Bureau, and Dongjingcheng Forestry Bureau Co., Ltd., along with heads of nature reserve management agencies within the Jingpohu Lake area, attended the meeting. During the meeting, the Jingpohu Lake Management Committee, Xiaobeihu Nature Reserve Administration, Huoshaokou National Forest Park, Jingpohu Lake National Forest Park, and Baihuachuan National Wetland Park delivered special reports on issues such as the approving departments, approval dates, institutional staffing, funding, overlapping jurisdictions, and management systems of the reserves. They also proposed suggestions and opinions for future integration and optimization. Moving forward, the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau will thoroughly consider the current practical issues in the Jingpohu Lake area's nature reserves, along with the opinions and suggestions from various management agencies, to scientifically study the integration and optimization of the reserves.

This meeting was a significant step in implementing the "Guidelines on Establishing a Nature Reserve System with National Parks as the Mainstay" issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. It aimed to advance the integration and optimization of nature reserves in Heilongjiang Province, accelerate the construction of a new provincial nature reserve system, and explore solutions to the overlapping jurisdiction issues in the Jingpohu Lake area. The meeting holds great importance in expediting the integration and optimization of regional nature reserves, effectively resolving problems such as redundant institutions, fragmented management, unclear boundaries, ambiguous responsibilities, and conflicts between conservation and development.

Since the beginning of the year, in accordance with the instructions from the main leaders of the municipal party committee and under the personal promotion of Vice Mayor Qi Zhongyan, the Jingpohu Lake Management Committee has actively %% advanced the reform of the management system for Jingpohu, further adjusted and improved the %% "Three Determinations Plan" to prepare for the system reform. Especially after the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the %% "Guidelines on Establishing a System of Protected Natural Areas with National Parks as the Main Body" in June 2019, the Jingpohu Lake Management Committee carefully studied the policies, proactively planned the integration of protected natural areas and system reform, communicated and reported multiple times to the national and provincial forestry and grassland administrations, actively sought support from all sides, and received high attention, strong support, and specific guidance from the national and provincial forestry and grassland administrations. The provincial forestry and grassland administration designated Jingpohu Lake as a pilot for %% "multi-plan integration" of protected natural areas in the province, and conducted an in-depth analysis using the overlapping protected natural areas in the Jingpohu Lake region as a case study. They compiled and submitted the "Heilongjiang Province Protected Natural Areas Optimization and Integration Work Plan" to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, which has become the guiding plan for the current integration and optimization of protected natural areas in the province.On November 19, the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau held a seminar in our city to discuss the integration and optimization of protected areas within the Jingpohu Lake region. The meeting focused on advancing the integration and optimization plans for various protected areas, including Jingpohu Lake National Scenic Area, UNESCO Global Geopark (National Geopark), Xiaobeihu National Nature Reserve, Volcanic Crater National Forest Park, Jingpohu Lake National Forest Park, Baihuachuan National Wetland Park, and Jingpohu Lake Provincial Nature Reserve. The session was chaired by Bai Xuhui, Director of the Protected Areas Management Department of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau.The "Three Determinations Plan" prepared the groundwork for institutional reform work. Particularly after the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Guidance on Establishing a Protected Natural Areas System with National Parks as the Main Body" in June 2019, the Jingpohu Lake Management Committee thoroughly studied the policies, proactively planned the integration of protected natural areas and institutional reform, and frequently communicated with the National and Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administrations to report progress, actively seeking support from all sides. This effort garnered high attention, strong support, and specific guidance from both national and provincial forestry authorities. The Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration designated Jingpohu Lake as the pilot site for "multi-plan integration" in the province's protected natural areas, using the overlapping protected areas in the Jingpohu Lake region as a case study for in-depth analysis. They submitted the "Heilongjiang Province Protected Natural Areas Optimization and Integration Work Plan" to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, which has now become the guiding plan for the integration and optimization of protected natural areas across the province.