CAE Members from the Division of Ag-ricultural Engineering conducted a survey and consultation tour to Yan’an on returning farm-land to forest project from May 9 to 11, 2013. The event was co-organized by the Division of Agricultural Engineering of CAE, the Return-ing Farmland to Forest Office of the State For-estry Administration as well as the Yan’an Peo-ple’s Government. The event was attended by CAE Member Shen Guofang, former Vice President of CAE, other CAE Members Yin Weilun, Shan Lun, Li Peicheng, Dai Jingrui, Rong Tingzhao, Li Jian and Yu Shuxun, experts in relevant fields, a delegation led by Zhou Hongsheng, Director of the Returning Farm-land to Forest Office of the State Forestry Ad-ministration, officials from the Forestry De-partment of Shaanxi Province, Yan’an People’s Government as well as government organs at different levels. 
 

Participants conducted field trips to Yang Qing reaches of Wuqi County, Mazitou of Shuanghe Village of Zhidan County as well as Tianhe Reaches of Baota District on the im-plementation of returning farmland to forest projects in these areas. They also visited Gutun of Baota District on the Ditch Treatment and Land Reclamation project, as well as the new progress of the project “Building Cities on Hills and New Zones”. 

An advisory meeting on Returning Farm-land to Forest was held on the afternoon of the 11th. Liang Hongxian, Mayor of Yan’an City extended warm welcome and thanks to the vis-iting experts at the meeting. Also, Yang Xiao, Vice Mayor of Yan’an City, made a working report on returning farmland to forest work in Yan’an. In addition, Director Zhou Hongsheng briefed on the overall situation of returning farmland to forest work, the relevant policies, laws and regulations, as well as the overall planning in China. 

It was reported that Yan’an was once one of the most vulnerable areas in terms of eco-logical environment in the Loess Plateau, and had the most serious problem of soil erosion in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. Yet, the past 14 years after 1999 witnessed great efforts made by the Yan’an People’s Government and Yan’an People, who followed the strategy of “returning farmland to forest” closely. The pro-gress since then had proved remarkable. 

At the meeting, CAE Members put for-ward lots of suggestions and comments as to the ratio construction of agriculture and forestry, the sustainable supply of water resources, soil and water conservation, overall layout and planning of ecological forests and economic forests, as well as development plans for for-estry related industries. 
 

CAE Member Shen Guofang drew special attention of the audience to advisory projects that CAE had conducted since its founding in 1994 as well as initial results achieved in the process of returning farmland to forest, includ-ing projects on agricultural development of Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan Golden Triangle, ecological environment development as well as sustainable development of agriculture of Loess Plateau, and the series of strategic advisory projects on water resources. He said that the CAE would pay continued attention to, actively participate in, and help vigorously promote the returning farmland to forest work in China. 

The survey and consultation tour enjoyed close coverage from the People’s Daily, Central People’s Broadcasting Station, China Green Times as well as some local media. (By Pan Gang, May 2013; translated by Liu Chang)