| Ministry of Forestry | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國 林業 部 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国 林业 部 | ||||||
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Ministry of Forestry of the People's Republic of China was a constituent department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China,responsible for forestry work. [1]
The Central People's Government Ministry of Forestry and Reclamation (中央人民政府林垦部) was established in October 1949. [1] On November 5,1951,it was reorganized as the Central People's Government Ministry of Forestry (中央人民政府林业部),with its land reclamation responsibilities transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture. [1] [2]
In September 1954,the ministry was restructured into the Ministry of Forestry of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国林业部),becoming a constituent department of the State Council while maintaining its oversight of national forestry development and timber production. [1] The formal transition was completed on November 30,1954. [1] By 1955,the ministry had expanded to include nine departmental units and seven directly subordinate organizations.
On May 12,1956,the 40th Session of the Standing Committee of the 1st National People's Congress decided to establish the Ministry of Forest Industry of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国森林工业部). [1] The Ministry of Forestry consequently transferred some of its functions to the new ministry,retaining seven internal departments and four subordinate units. Subsequently,on February 11,1958,the 5th Session of the 1st National People's Congress approved the merger of the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Forest Industry,reuniting them as the Ministry of Forestry of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国林业部). [1] In February 1966,the Ministry's Party Leadership Group was reconstituted as a Party Committee.
By 1966,the Ministry's organizational structure encompassed numerous departments including the General Office,Planning Department,Finance Bureau,Timber Production Department,Forest Products Industry Department,Afforestation Department,Forest Protection Department,Technology Department,Labor and Wages Department,Education Department,Foreign Liaison Department,Survey and Planning Bureau,Capital Construction Bureau,State-Owned Forest Farm Administration,Equipment and Materials Management Bureau,Propaganda Division,Political Department,and an Inspection Group dispatched by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The ministry also supervised sixty directly subordinate units.
After August 1966,leaders of the Ministry of Forestry were successively criticized,and major leaders such as Luo Yuchuan and Hui Zhongquan were isolated and reviewed. On October 6,1967,the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP Central Committee),the State Council,the Central Military Commission,and the Central Cultural Revolution Group issued the "Decision on Implementing Military Control over the Ministry of Forestry (Trial Draft)". Simultaneously the government appoint Wang Yun as director of the Military Control Commission and Li Guangxun as deputy director.
In a major restructuring of agricultural and forestry administration,the State Council Agriculture and Forestry Office (国务院农林办公室),the CPC Central Committee Agriculture and Forestry Political Department (中共中央农林政治部),the Ministry of Agriculture,the Ministry of Forestry,the Ministry of State Farms and Land Reclamation (农垦部),and the Ministry of Aquatic Products (水产部) were consolidated into a single Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (农林部). [1] [2] This consolidation was formally initiated on May 1,1970,and confirmed by a CCP Central Committee decision on June 7,1970. [1] [2] The new ministry became operational in July 1970,leading to the dissolution of the former Ministry of Forestry. [2] A specialized forestry authority reemerged on April 24,1978,with the establishment of the State Forestry Administration (国家林业总局). [1]
The Ministry of Forestry was reinstated on February 16,1979,following a decision by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to dissolve the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. [1] [2] This move was formally ratified on February 23,1979,by the 6th Session of the 1th National People's Congress Standing Committee,which simultaneously reestablished the Ministry of Agriculture. [1] [2] The revitalized Ministry of Forestry initially operated with 18 departmental units and 40 directly subordinate institutions. Parallel to this central restructuring,forestry and agricultural bureaus were progressively restored or newly created at provincial levels,forming a comprehensive national forestry administration system.
During the 1982 State Council reorganization,the Ministry of Forestry was retained with a defined mandate to "implement the Party and state's forestry policies and regulations,mobilize nationwide afforestation efforts,protect and rationally utilize forest resources,and provide professional guidance to regional forestry work." By June 1982,its structure included divisions such as the General Office,Planning,Finance,Afforestation Management,Forest Resources,Forest Protection,Forest Policy,Science &Technology,Education,Personnel,Foreign Affairs,Publicity,Forestry Industry,Administrative Services,and Retired Cadres Management,overseeing 51 subordinate units. The 1984 reorganization introduced the Policy Research Office and Forestry Police while consolidating the Forest Policy and Forest Protection departments into a Forest Policy and Protection Department. [2]
The State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform (国家机构编制委员会) approved the Ministry's "Three Determinations" plan in October 1988,confirming its role as the State Council's primary forestry administrative body. Key reforms focused on three transformational areas,resulting in 15 functional departments including Policy and Legislation,Resource and Forest Policy Management,Afforestation Management,Forest Industry,Wildlife and Forest Plant Conservation,Forestry Police,Forest Fire Prevention Office (incorporating National Forest Fire Headquarters and Armed Forest Police functions),Comprehensive Planning,Finance,Science &Technology,Education and Publicity,Foreign Affairs,Personnel and Labor,Administrative Services,plus an internal Party Committee. Additional units included Retired Cadres Management,and resident supervision and audit bureaus.
The Ministry retained its status in the 1993 State Council reform as the central forestry administrative authority,responsible for ecological construction and industry management while exercising forestry administrative enforcement powers. The restructured ministry operated through 13 functional departments and an internal party committee,supplemented by three auxiliary bureaus. Ultimately,the 9th National People's Congress approved the State Council restructuring plan on March 10,1998,replacing the Ministry of Forestry with the State Forestry Administration (国家林业局) as a subordinate State Council agency. [1] [2]
In March 2018,the State Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林业和草原局) was created under the Ministry of Natural Resources,concluding the existence of the State Forestry Administration. [1]