中华人民共和国法律法规/水土保持法

Article 1 This Law is formulated for the purpose of the prevention and control of soil erosion, the protection and rational utilization of water and soil resources, the mitigation of disasters of flood, drought and sandstorm, the improvement of ecological environment and the development of production.

Article 2 As used in this Law, the term "water and soil conservation" means preventive and rehabilitative measures taken against soil erosion which is caused by natural factors or human activities.

Article 3 All units and individuals shall have the obligation to protect water and soil resources, prevent and control soil erosion, and also have the right to report against and unit or individual that damages water and soil resources and causes soil erosion.

Article 4 The state shall, in relation to the work of water and soil conservation, implement the policy of prevention first, overall planning, comprehensive prevention and control, adoption of measures suited to local conditions, strengthening management and stress on beneficial results.

Article 5 The state council and the local people's government at various levels shall regard the work of water and soil conservation as an important duty, and adopt measures to ensure the prevention and control of soil erosion.

Article 6 The department of water administration under the State Council shall be in charge of the work of water and soil conservation throughout the county.

The departments of water administration under the local people' governments at or above the county level shall be in charge of the work of water and soil conservation in areas under their respective jurisdiction.

Article 7 The department of water administration under the State Council and those under the local people's governments at or above the county level shall, on the basis of investigation and assessment of water and soil resources, draw up water and soil conservation plans in conjunction with other departments concerned.

Such water and soil conservation plans shall be subject to the approval by the people' government at the corresponding levels.

Any water and soil conservation plan approved by the local people's government at or above the county level shall be submitted to the department of water administration under the people's government at the next higher level for the record.

Any modification to be made to an approved water and soil conservation plan shall be re-submitted for approval to the original approving department.

The people's governments at or above the county level shall incorporate the tasks specified in the water and soil conservation plans into their respective plans for national economic and social development, allocate special funds therefor and organize the implementation thereof.

The people's government at or above the county level shall, in line with the actual conditions of soil erosion, designate key areas on which preventive and rehabilitative efforts against soil erosion shall be focused.

Article 8 Units and individuals engaged in production and construction activities which may cause soil erosion must adopt measures, and construction activities which may cause soil erosion must adopt measures to protect the water and soil resources, and shall be responsible to take rehabilitative measures against the soil erosion resulted from their production and construction activities.

Article 9 The people's government at various levels shall intensify the publicity of and education in water and soil conservation, and popularize scientific knowledge concerning water and soil conservation.

Article 10 The state shall encourage the research in and raise the level of science and technology of water and soil conservation, popularize the advanced technological personnel in the field of water and soil conservation.

Article 11 Units and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in the prevention and control of soil erosion shall be awarded by the people's government.

Article 12 The people's governments at various levels shall organize every citizen to engage in afforestation and encourage the p1anting of grass, thereby enlarging forest-covered areas and increasing vegetation.

Article 13 The local people's governments at various levels shall, in light of respective actual conditions, organize agricultural collective economic organizations as well as state-owned agricultural, forest, and livestock farms to plant firewood forests, forage and green manure crops, and to conduct in a planned way the closing of hillsides for facilitating afforestation and growing grass and the rotation of closing and grazing periods, so as to checked winds, fix drifting sand and preserve vegetation.

The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government may, in line with the actual conditions of the areas under their respective jurisdiction, prescribe the reclamation-forbidden slope of below 25 degrees.

The specific area of the reclamation-forbidden slope shal1 be determined and announced by the local people's government at the county leve1.

Anyone who has conducted reclamation for cultivation of crops on the reclamation-forbidden slopes before the entry into force of this Law shall, on the basis of capital farming construction and in the light of the actua1 conditions, gradually stop the cultivation and, instead, plant trees, grow grass and restore the vegetation, or build terraced fields thereon.

Article 15 Anyone who reclaims waste hillsides with a slope of above 5 degrees but under the prescribed reclamation -- forbidden degrees must obtain prior approval from the department of water administration under the people's government at the county level1 anyone who intends to reclaim waste hill slopes owned by the state may apply to the people's government at or above the county level for going through the procedures for land reclamation on1y after obtaining approval from the department of water administration under the people's government at the county level.

Article 16 Felling of forest trees must be carried out in a rational manner and in line with the local conditions, and clear felling shall be strictly controlled.