27 June 2016

Article 1. In order to enhance the protection and rational uses of the Stone Forest Karst World Heritage Site, the Regulations herein were promulgated in compliance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy, and based on the local realities of Shilin Ethnic Yi Autonomous County.

Article 2. The Stone Forest Karst World Natural Heritage Site (hereinafter abbreviated as “the Stone Forest WHS”) refers specifically to the areas of the Stone Forest Karst Site and areas for the inheritance of the ethnic Yi peoples’ traditional cultures inscribed on the World Heritage List as an integral component of the Southern Karst of China. These areas are situated in the territory of Shilin Yi Ethnic Autonomous County in Kunming Municipality of Yunnan Province.

Article 3. The Regulations apply to the protection, planning, infrastructure development, development uses, and relevant supervisory and management operations.

Article 4. The protection and management of the Stone Forest WHS shall adhere to the principles of “science-based planning, strict protection, integrative management and sustainable utilizations”.

Article 5. The Peoples’ Government of the Autonomous County has established a management agency for the protection and management of the Stone Forest WHS (hereinafter abbreviated as “the Management Agency”) to undertake overall responsibilities for the protection and management of the site. The primary mandates of the Management Agency are as follows:

(1) To publicize, put into practice and enforce the laws and regulations for protecting the world natural heritage; and to mobilize the implementation of the Stone Forest WHS Planning, the protection measures and management mechanism for the Stone Forest WHS.

(2) To take charge of the monitoring, surveying, assessment, registration and archiving of the environment and resources of the Stone Forest WHS, and to organize the implementation of research, science popularization and public education.

(3) To strengthen the exchange and cooperation with the domestic institutions and international organizations committed to world natural heritage protection and to promote the environmental and resources values of the Stone Forest WHS.

(4) To coordinate and resolve matters concerning the protection and utilization of the Stone Forest WHS in collaboration with the permanent local residents.

(5) To take charge in the management and operations of the infrastructure and other public facilities within the scope of the Stone Forest WHS.

(6) To exercise the administrative law enforcement rights as authorized in the Regulations hereof.

(7) To take charge in any other matters concerning the protection and management of the Stone Forest WHS.

The competent administrative authorities of the Autonomous County, including the planning, urban-rural development, culture, forestry, agriculture, environmental protection, national land resources, water affairs, ethnic and religious affairs, tourism, public security, transportations and so on, shall fulfill respective obligations in the protection and utilization of the Stone Forest WHS.

Article 6. The People’s Government of the Autonomous County shall set up a protection and management fund for the Stone Forest WHS which will be dedicated for the protection and management of the Property.  The funding sources are specified as follows:

(1) The annual fiscal budget from the same county level government;

(2) Support and assistance funds from high level government departments;

(3) Dedicated funds;

(4) Fees collected from using the resources on the site;

(5) Donations and other funds;

Article 7. Any organizations and individuals shall undertake the obligations to protect the Stone Forest WHS and are entitled the rights to stop and report any acts damaging the Stone Forest WHS.

Article 8. The scope of the Stone Forest WHS spans 350 km2 and is delineated into the core zone and the buffer zone, of which, the core zone covers 120 km2 and the buffer zone 230 km2.

The core zone refers to the areas with developed karst landforms of stone forest where the distribution of such landforms is integral and complete. The geographical coordinates of the core zone are N24°47'30" and E103°16'30". It is composed of the Naigu Stone Forest Subarea, Liziyuan Valley Stone Forest Subarea, Qingshui Pond – Shixiangzi Stone Forest Subarea, Mt. Wenbi – Mt. Suoyi Stone Forest area, as well as the adjoining areas.

The buffer zone refers to the areas that are relevant to the elements involving the protection of the geological landscape resources, including the areas of the Major Stone Forest Subarea, the Minor Stone Forest Subarea, the Long Lake Subarea, the Grand Water Falls Subarea and the Moon Lake Subarea, and so on.  

The Management Agency shall delineate the boundaries of the core zone and buffer zone, and anchor the boundary pillars.

Article 9. The following activities are prohibited within the scope of the Stone Forest WHS as an officially designated protected area, including:

(1) Illegal logging and discriminate tree felling;

(2) Cutting, digging and procure and transport wild plants; as well as damaging old and famous trees.

(3) Poaching of protected wild animals;

(4) Tapping underground water without prior approval;

(5) Any other violations damaging the environment and resources within the scope of the Property;

Article 10. The Management Agency shall carry out conscientiously, within the scope of the Stone Forest WHS, the mountain closure for forest regeneration, forest reclamation from agriculture, tree planting and greening; strengthen the propagation and growth of the species populations, protection of the habitat environment; and preserve in sound conditions the primary physiognomy with concentrated distribution of any valuable, rare and endangered animal and plant species.

Article 11. The formulation of the plans of the Stone Forest WHS must benefit the preservation of the integrity and authenticity of its geological landforms and relics, the evolutionary processes of the ecosystems, the natural aesthetic values, the biological diversity and endangered species therein, and also benefit the protection of the natural environment, the ethnic Yi culture and cultural relics; and be in favor of safeguarding the lawful rights and benefits of the local permanent residents. The plans shall be formulated in such a way that they are consistent and coordinated with the urban-rural planning, the landuse master plan, and other thematic plans.

Article 12. The Planning of the Stone Forest WHS shall be formulated, submitted and approved prior to actual implementation by the Autonomous County Government in accordance with relevant regulations of the Central Government and Yunnan Province concerning the organization and formulation of such plans.  

The plans of the Stone Forest WHS, having approved and released to the general public, are the bases for the protection and management of the Stone Forest WHS, and any organizations or individuals may not make unauthorized alterations and revisions.  

Article 13. The People’s Government of the Autonomous County shall strength protection of the ethnic Yi people’s traditional cultures, e.g. the Ashima culture and Sani embroidery, and protection of the venues and material objects of these assets, and formulate plans for their protection and prosperity.

Article 14. Without prior approval, any organizations and/or individuals may not encroach into the land within the scope of the Stone Forest WHS for infrastructure development. All infrastructure development projects must comply with the plans of the Stone Forest WHS and work in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Any structures, buildings and other facilities incompatible with the plans of the Stone Forest WHS shall be dismantled or relocated in accordance with the plans following legal procedures.

Article 15. Any infrastructure and development projects are prohibited in the core zone of the Stone Forest WHS except for those required for the protection and management uses. For infrastructure development projects in the buffer zone, approvals must be granted from the Management Agency prior to proceeding with the relevant review and approval procedures as regulated.  

Article 16. For the construction operations of approval infrastructure projects within the Stone Forest WHS, the Management Agency shall take records of the original environmental conditions before construction operations start. The construction entities shall develop practical measures in the plans of operations for the protection of the landscape, plants, water bodies and physiognomy. Upon completion of the construction operations, the construction sites shall be cleaned and the original environmental conditions restored.

Article 17. The Management Agency shall enhance the publicity of the scientific knowledge and the ethnic histories and cultures of the Stone Forest WHS, and establish a system of professional tour interpreters for the Stone Forest WHS.

Any individuals engaged in offering interpretation services to the tourists in the tourist sites shall obtain the professional interpreter certificate for the Stone Forest WHS as stipulated.  

Article 18. A paid use mechanism is instituted for the resources in the Stone Forest WHS. Any citizens, legal entities or other organizations engaged in using the resources of the Stone Forest WHS for business operation and tourism shall pay to the Management Agency the required fees and payments in accordance with relevant regulations. The detailed payment procedures shall be stipulated by the People’s Government of the Autonomous County.

Article 19. The People’s Government of the Autonomous County shall commend and award the organizations and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the protection and management of the Stone Forest WHS.

Article 20. In the cases of violations against the stipulations in Article 9, the Management Agency shall impose the following penalties:

(1) Any violations against the stipulations in Article 9 (1), the Forest Law of the Peoples’ Republic of China and the Regulations on the Implementation of the Forest Law of the Peoples’ Republic of China shall apply in determining the penalties.  

(2) Any violations against Article 9(2), the wild plants and illegal gains shall be confiscated, and violators shall be fined no more than ten times of the illegal gains; For violations of damaging the famous and old trees, the violators shall be fined no less than RMB10,000 yuan and no more than RMB50,000 yuan.

(3) For any violations against Article 9 (3), the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wild Animals and the Regulations on the Implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China shall apply in determining the penalties.

(4) For violations against Article 9 (4), the Water Law of the People’s Republic of China shall apply in determining the penalties.

Article 21. For violations against Article 14: For the infrastructure construction on the land in the Stone Forest WHS without prior approval, the Management Agency shall order the violators to desist from such illegal acts and to dismantle the illegal structures, buildings and other facilities and restore the land to its original state; In the case of refusing the dismantlement, the People’s Government of the Autonomous County shall enact lawful dismantlement and any expenditures incurred as such shall be borne by the violators.  

Article 22. For violations against Article 16 in the Regulations, the Management Agency shall command rectifications of the illegal acts in prescribed time period. A fine of no less than RMB5,000 yuan and no more than RMB20,000 yuan shall be imposed for rectifications overdue; For failures to restore the original conditions after project operations, the Management Agency shall organize the restoration for which all the expenditures incurred shall be borne by the construction entities.

Article 23. For violations of Article 17 (2), the Management Agency shall commend the rectification, and impose a fine of no less than RMB500 yuan but no more than RMB 2,000 yuan.

Article 24. For violations of Article 18 hereof: in the case of overdue payment for paid resources use, the Management Agency shall command to correct; For any delayed submission over three months, the Management Agency shall impose a fine of two to three times the fees payable for the resources use, and any arrearage payable for resources use shall be recovered through established legal procedures.

Article 25. The Regulations, having been deliberated and adopted by the People’s Congress of Shilin Ethnic Yi Autonomous County, shall be submitted to the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Yunnan Province for final deliberation and ratification, and shall come into force after being released to the public by the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Shilin Ethnic Yi Autonomous County.  

The People’s Government of the Autonomous County shall further formulate the implementations measures in accordance with the provisions in the Regulations.