Yunnan Province Report on Inadequate Protection of Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark, Inadequate Supervision and Implementation of Supervision Team | Protection | National
The Office of the Leading Group for Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection in Yunnan Province announced on the 15th that in June, the sixth ecological and environmental protection inspection group of the second batch of the second round of Yunnan Province found that Lufeng City did not effectively protect the Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark in Chuxiong Prefecture, and the adjustment of the protected area did not follow the relevant approval procedures, resulting in lax management.
Yunnan Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark, covering an area of 101.44 square kilometers, was approved by the former Ministry of Land and Resources in January 2004. It is a large-scale national geological park, with the main geological relics being paleontological fossils, mainly dinosaur and Lama ape fossils. It showcases the geological processes, biological evolution, and human evolution history since the Mesozoic era, and has extremely high cultural and scientific value. Geoparks, as an important component of nature reserves, have significant ecological functions.
The inspection team found that the main problems include the failure to follow the relevant approval procedures for adjusting the scope of the protected area, lax management of the protected area, inadequate supervision of the protected area, and potential pollution hazards caused by landfills on geological relics.
The notice states that the "Technical Requirements for Planning and Compilation of National Geoparks" issued by the former Ministry of Land and Resources clearly states that "any changes to the park scope must be approved by the original approval unit.". The inspection found that in 2016 and 2021, Lufeng City twice revised the overall plan of Yunnan Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark approved by the former Ministry of Land and Resources Office. The special, first, second, and third level protected areas within the protected area were adjusted, and natural ecological areas were added. In the case of adjustments to the scope of the protected area, the People's Government of Lufeng City did not strictly comply with the technical requirements for compilation and carried out relevant approval procedures, and approved the implementation of the plan.
In 2007, the General Plan of Yunnan Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark, approved by the former Office of the Ministry of Land and Resources, clearly stated the construction of an identification system for the establishment of a special level protection zone, 2750 boundary markers for the first level protection zone, 2000 boundary markers for the second level protection zone, and 2200 boundary markers for the third level protection zone. As of now, Lufeng City has only completed the construction of a small number of boundary markers in the special and first level protected areas, while the construction of boundary markers in the second and third level protected areas has not been completed, resulting in unclear management boundaries for a long time. At the same time, since its establishment, no corresponding management measures have been introduced for the protected area, and strict protection without regulations can be followed.
The inspection found that Lufeng City has not established a patrol system for geological parks, and has not carried out targeted rectification of livestock and poultry breeding, production and business activities within the protected area, nor has geological environment monitoring been carried out. After on-site verification, there are 8 livestock and poultry breeding companies, 3 agricultural production enterprises, and 3 fish ponds in the geological park, including 1 fish pond in the first level protection zone, 4 large-scale breeding companies in the second level protection zone, 2 agricultural production enterprises, and 1 fish pond. The above situation does not comply with relevant requirements such as the Regulations on the Protection and Management of Geological Relics.
In July 2018, the former Land and Resources Bureau of Lufeng County approved the use of 5.46 hectares of collective land as temporary land for abandoned soil and construction access roads in the Kunming Chu Expressway renovation and expansion project. The temporary land is adjacent to the first site of Bian's animal fossils in Yunnan, covering an actual area of 5.72 hectares and encroaching on about 0.27 hectares of the first-class protected area. Currently, the ecological restoration effect is not significant.
In addition, the landfill near Huangjia Village in Ana Community, Dinosaur Mountain Town is located less than 200 meters from the boundary of the geological park. Currently, approximately 4000 tons of garbage have been stored, and about 2 tons of household waste from Dinosaur Valley Scenic Area, Dinosaur Mountain Town, and some villages are also stored daily. The landfill site has not undergone any approval procedures, and since its use in 2016, no safety protection measures have been taken or any anti-seepage treatment has been carried out. The overflow of leachate poses a significant pollution hazard to geological relics.
The Office of the Leading Group for Ecological and Environmental Protection Supervision in Yunnan Province stated that Lufeng City, Chuxiong Prefecture, does not attach enough importance to the supervision of national geological park protection, does not strictly implement regulatory requirements, and has not effectively addressed long-standing problems, which has affected the protection of national geological parks. The inspection team will further investigate and verify the relevant situation, and carry out follow-up inspection work as required.