The first national park in the Yangtze River Delta will be born
In 1989, at the age of 23, Chen Shengwen graduated from the Landscape Architecture major and came to work as a technician at the Gutianshan Nature Reserve in Suzhuang Town, Kaihua County, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province. Wang Shulong, a 20-year-old local, was engaged in logging and occasionally hunting. Both of them can't remember each other's first encounter, they only remember that there was always an intersection.
Since then, Chen Shengwen has been working at Gutian Mountain, including mountain patrols, forest protection, scientific monitoring, and other aspects. He is now a staff member of the Qianjiangyuan National Park Management Bureau. Wang Shulong once went out to do a timber business and returned to his hometown in 2008 to work as a forest ranger. Due to his familiarity with the mountain and forest conditions, Wang Shulong often served as a guide for scientific researchers entering the mountains and learned new skills such as using GPS locators and installing infrared cameras, becoming a somewhat famous "farmer scientist". Slowly, the intersection between the two increased. Nowadays, infrared camera grids are scattered throughout the protected areas, with most of them having their footprints.
Chen Shengwen witnessed several changes in Wang Shulong's identity. At the same time, this is also a microcosm of the transformation of development ideas in Kaihua County in recent years. In the eyes of the locals, the transformation of civilization has gone through a quite long process. In 1997, Kaihua first proposed and implemented the "ecological county" development strategy. Before this, forestry was once one of the economic pillars of civilization. In 2016, the pilot work of the national park system was launched, and Qianjiangyuan National Park was included in the first batch of pilot projects. Compared to the highest level of natural land protection standards, the ecological protection of Kaihua has a "Shangfang Sword" and specific goals. For this reason, Kaihua has implemented strict environmental protection mechanisms, and the county has made a clear statement: "Any project that has a significant impact on the ecological environment cannot enter the Qianjiangyuan National Park."
Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park. Respondents provide pictures
In 2020, the Overall Plan for Qianjiangyuan Baishan Homeland Park was issued, expanding the original pilot area and dividing it into two parks: Qianjiangyuan and Baishanzu. The parks are independent of each other and jointly built. In the same year, the pilot project of the Qianjiangyuan National Park system was evaluated and accepted, and received high praise. Kaihua has also begun to explore a new path of scientific development through the franchise system of national parks and the small-scale moderate development of ecological industries such as cultural tourism.
Recently, it has been reported that following the official establishment of the first batch of national parks in 2021, China will steadily and orderly promote the establishment of new national parks such as Huanghekou, Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu, and Karamaili. At present, the creation of Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park is steadily progressing, and when officially announced, it will become the first national park in the Yangtze River Delta region. However, for places like Kaihua, the unveiling of national parks is just the beginning, and there are still many challenges to be solved in future development.
The Secret of National Parks
Chen Shengwen is 57 years old this year, wearing a camouflage outfit. His whole body is tanned, and he is full of energy. When speaking, his tone is high and his speed is fast, and he likes to make jokes from time to time. Chen Shengwen still maintains the habit of entering the mountains every day. He is very familiar with the mountains and forests, and can walk briskly in dense forests. The changes in the branches and leaves of trees can be easily recognized at a glance. The reporter talked to him about the topic of national parks, and he mysteriously told Chen Shengwen that Gutian Mountain, also known as Gutian Mountain Nature Reserve, is located in the core area of Qianjiangyuan Park. Due to being located in deep mountains and rarely visited by humans, the protected area is rich in biodiversity, inhabited by rare and endangered Chinese animals such as black muntjac, white necked pheasant, and Chinese pangolin. It also preserves a large area of original low altitude native evergreen broad-leaved forest zonal vegetation, which has extremely high ecological and research value.
Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park. Respondents provide pictures
However, the natural gene bank of this wild animal and plant community was once destroyed. "The place where my office is located used to be a lumberyard, with over 2000 workers at its peak. There was also a warehouse and sawboard factory nearby, making sleepers for the Zhejiang Anhui Jiangxi Railway." Chen Shengwen once heard from the older generation, and it wasn't until 1973 that two professors, Zhuge Yang and Zheng Chaozong, came here to collect plant samples. When they saw that the harvested wood had damaged the mountains and forests, they felt heartbroken. After returning home, they wrote a letter to the Kaihua County Government, stating that logging had been stopped that year. In 1975, the Gutian Mountain area was designated as a provincial-level nature reserve in Zhejiang Province. In 2001, it was upgraded to a national level nature reserve, and the authenticity of the original forests of Gutian Mountain was preserved, gradually becoming well-known to outsiders.
The impact of ecological destruction quickly became apparent - in those years, almost every heavy rain would cause flooding in the village, flooding many houses. At the same time, the number of trees that can be cut down on the mountain is decreasing, and industries such as timber and papermaking are also unsustainable. In 1997, Kaihua proposed and implemented the "ecological county" development strategy, shut down more than 200 high polluting enterprises, and closed down mountains on a large scale for afforestation. At first, some villagers would even climb over the mountain and sneak to nearby Wuyuan and Dexing in Jiangxi to continue logging, but the benefits were not significant and the risks were extremely high. It was better to go to the city to work. Wang Shulong once ran a timber business for a while and also worked in catering in Hangzhou, but he was not used to it and ran back to Kaihua.
In 2008, upon learning that the old forest ranger in the village was about to retire, Wang Shulong was the first to register. He grew up in the mountains since childhood and enjoys hiking, making him adept at work. "We used to hunt and make lasso traps, which were placed in the middle of the path that animals were most likely to pass through. Now, in the opposite direction, we need to find fresh footprints on the mountain path, go into the forest to see if there are any traps, and then find a way to remove all the traps," said Wang Shulong.
1000 infrared cameras
Reporters often listen to forest rangers telling similar stories during their interviews at the Qianjiangyuan Park, which together form the most basic unit of the national park. The reporter once heard from locals that there were many ecological cases that were once civilized, involving various aspects such as illegal logging and poaching, and the discoverers were often forest rangers. In recent years, with the continuous upgrading of modern monitoring methods such as infrared cameras and drone patrols, similar cases have decreased significantly. However, if relevant warning information is encountered, the landing and execution still rely on forest rangers who are familiar with the mountain and forest conditions.
"In Qianjiangyuan, most of the infrared cameras are installed by us," Wang Shulong told reporters with a smile. Around 2015, due to the pilot requirements of the national park system, Kaihua began to install an infrared camera network in the pilot area to better monitor and observe wild protected animals. At that time, a group of researchers came here with the first generation infrared cameras, and Wang Shulong was their guide. During the exchange, researchers taught Wang Shulong how to read contour lines on maps, how to use GPS locators, and how to install infrared cameras; Wang Shulong shared his experience with them, such as how to identify the paths of wild animals and what path to choose when going downhill. Slowly, Wang Shulong felt the pattern and even took on the installation of infrared cameras in the county. At present, he has participated in the installation of over 1000 infrared cameras, scattered throughout the mountains of various sizes in Kaihua.
Perhaps it is the hunter's intuition that Wang Shulong can often make accurate predictions about animal behavior. He took out a map for the reporter to analyze, "This is located between two hills and is the closest road for wild animals to climb over the mountain. There is a small piece of flat land surrounded by trees, and it is far enough from the main road. The animals are likely to walk in the east-west direction. Therefore, if the camera is aimed to the north, it is most likely to capture more animals."
Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park. Respondents provide pictures
However, even if one is familiar with the situation, walking in deep mountains and dense forests for a long time will inevitably encounter danger. "Never compete with black bears for yangmei," Wang Shulong reminded reporters. He explained to the reporter with a smile, just like what was shown in an animated film, that black bears really like honey. But in the primitive forests of civilization, natural honey is not commonly seen, so they often choose fruits such as bayberries as substitutes. If someone invades their territory, they will engage in aggressive behavior. "Previously, there were villagers in a nearby village who went up the mountain to pick yangmei. When they encountered a black bear, they were slapped off half of their nose. The injured villagers fled in despair, but the black bear did not chase after them. Instead, they went to pick up the scattered yangmei in the basket." Wang Shulong recalled, still feeling a lingering fear.
The reporter was curious, "Since it's so dangerous, why are you still enjoying it?" For Wang Shulong, this is part of his job. He calculated for the reporter that in the past, when chopping trees to sell wood, 100 pounds could only be sold for 20 yuan, and the work was tiring with low income; We can't go up the mountain and cut down trees now, but each person can still receive a subsidy of nearly 1000 yuan per year. In addition, forest rangers earn an annual salary of 20000 yuan and are charged by piece for installing infrared cameras. After calculation, their annual income can exceed 80000 yuan, which is much better than working outside.
Protection without boundaries
In 2019, reporters went to Kaihua to interview national parks. At that time, what impressed the reporter the most was the slogans about national parks that could be seen everywhere in the local area. When mentioning "national parks" to locals, almost everyone could give a rough idea, and most people felt that the construction of national parks was closely related to their own lives. Nowadays, there are fewer slogans, but there are still many elements in national parks. For example, on the necessary road from Kaihua Railway Station to the urban area, there is an "Ecological Second Road"; A new National Park Avenue has been built from Suzhuang Town to Gutian Mountain; In the hotels in the county town, there are many photos and decorations about the national park, and each room is filled with relevant books that provide a detailed introduction to the construction process of the national park.
The strong sense of participation among residents is one of the conditions for promoting the pilot construction of local national parks. On the one hand, Kaihua has adhered to the development strategy of "ecological county" for many years, and the public has a strong awareness of ecological environment protection; On the other hand, economic factors are also indispensable. For example, the subsidy mentioned by Wang Shulong is one of the important means.
Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park. Respondents provide pictures
In March 2018, the Qianjiangyuan National Park Management Bureau launched the reform of collective forest land tenure. Simply put, by establishing a scientific ecological compensation and community co management mechanism, under the premise of unchanged ownership, the production and operation activities of collective forests within the scope of national parks are limited. Villagers can benefit from the transformation of ecological value, thereby mobilizing their enthusiasm to participate in ecological protection. This also effectively solves the common problem of how to achieve unified supervision of natural resources in the high proportion of collective forests in the southern region. Starting from 2020, in April of this year, the Qianjiangyuan National Park Management Bureau launched a new round of rural contracted land servitude reform signing, expanding the pilot area from 261 acres to 1200 acres, and increasing the compensation standard for each acre of farmland from 200 yuan to 800 yuan. In Baishanzu Park in Lishui, there are new explorations in the reform of land use rights, aiming to transform ecological products into ecological capital. Forest farmers only need to rely on the compensation income from collective forest land use rights and their future income to apply for pledge loans. Currently, the cumulative loan amount has exceeded 50 million yuan.
"The purpose of servitude reform is to minimize the impact of human activities on the ecosystem. For example, in forest land, villagers are required to strictly prohibit logging; in farmland, the most important hard bar is' no use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides'. As long as they fulfill their obligations, villagers can receive compensation." Ling Supei, director of the Changhong Law Enforcement Office of Qianjiangyuan National Park, explained that fundamentally, this is an ecological compensation mechanism.
The concept of "ecological compensation" is quite common in national parks and is also applied to inter provincial protection of wildlife and plants. The Qianjiangyuan Industrial Park spans across the three provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi. In the area near the provincial boundary, villagers often live adjacent to each other. In the past, when encountering common problems with different protection standards, communication was not smooth and conflicts were prone to arise. Starting from 2019, multiple inter provincial joint protection stations have been established to explore cross regional cooperative protection. For example, there are 6 forest rangers at the cross provincial joint protection station in Xiachuan Village, Changhong Township. Among them, 4 are from Xiachuan Village and 2 are from Dongtou Village, Jiangwan Town, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province. The two forest rangers in Dongtou Village are also recruited and managed by the Qianjiangyuan National Park Management Bureau. They work together and patrol together.
"The ecosystem is a whole, and there is no boundary to protection," said Ling Supei. At present, the Qianjiangyuan Park has jointly signed a cross regional cooperation and protection agreement with 38 villages in eight towns and four counties in Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi, as well as the Anhui Lingnan Provincial Nature Reserve. Corresponding assessment and incentive measures have been formulated to build a unified, standardized, and efficient management and protection system. In addition, the political and legal systems of Dexing and Wuyuan in Jiangxi, Xiuning in Anhui, and Kaihua in Zhejiang jointly signed the "Kaihua Declaration", forming five mechanisms for judicial cooperation in safeguarding national parks. Next, various regions will continue to explore ecological compensation mechanisms and study how to break administrative boundaries and truly manage the integrity of natural resources.
For better development
During the pilot period of national parks, Kaihua implemented strict environmental protection mechanisms and rejected a large number of projects that may have a significant impact on the ecological environment. Wang Changlin, Executive Deputy Director of the Qianjiangyuan National Park Management Bureau, believes that the purpose of all work is to achieve stricter and more scientific protection.
The effect is also very obvious. For example, Wang Shulong found that there were significantly more black bears in the mountains. At the end of last year, the first batch of 10 crested ibises from the Deqing Breeding Base in Huzhou were released to the wild after completing training in Kaihua and "settled" in the national park. Chen Shengwen is one of the responsible persons for the release of Crested Ibis. He told reporters that in recent years, various environmental protection measures in China have created a good environment for the survival and habitat of various birds. Currently, all Crested Ibis are in good condition.
Qianjiangyuan Baishanzu National Park. Respondents provide pictures
Forest ranger Qiu Ziwei felt that the work was even harder to do. In the past two years, villagers have often complained to him, "Your protection has been done too well. There are too many wild boars, which have ruined my crops." Sometimes, birds such as silver pheasants can fly into the villagers' homes, causing some damage. For this reason, the national park has purchased wildlife accident insurance for villagers, hoping to help reduce losses. However, the coverage of the insurance is relatively limited, and most losses do not meet the compensation standards. At the same time, they are also trying to find ways to minimize the impact of wild animals on the lives of villagers through methods such as medication and electronic fences.
"Protection is for better development." In Ling Supei's eyes, the relationship between protection and development is ultimately unified. In recent years, on the basis of strict implementation of ecological protection, Kaihua has also begun to explore and accelerate its development through the national park franchise system, as well as small-scale moderate development of ecological industries such as cultural tourism. For example, a dark night park and a starry sky cultural themed museum have been built in Zhenzikeng Village, Changhong Township, where Ling Supei is located. The local area has a transparent sky and stargazing conditions comparable to the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and attempts to develop a "starry sky IP" to drive village development and increase income for villagers. In Suzhuang Town, the hometown of Wang Shulong, the largest national park themed science popularization hall in China has risen from the ground and has become a popular tourist attraction in the local area after more than a year of operation, attracting a large number of students and scholars to visit and learn. In addition, Kaihua has also released multiple national park research and learning roadmaps, aiming to further develop the scientific, educational and cultural value of national parks by combining local cultural and landscape characteristics.
Many locals are looking forward to development, but it seems that no one can provide a definite answer on how to develop it. The head of the homestay, Zhang Zhigang, was somewhat cautious and bluntly stated that "business is not easy to do.". His homestay is currently the only one authorized to operate under the franchise of Qianjiangyuan National Park, but the bonus effect of the national park is not as expected. "The landscape alone is a bit too narrow. Moreover, the transportation here is inconvenient, and there is only one homestay nearby, so there is nothing to play with." Zhang Zhigang hopes that in the future, there will be more corresponding supporting facilities in the local area, which will amplify the attractiveness of the national park.
