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.

(People's Daily November 19, 2001)