Task of permanent basic farmland designation issued to 106 key cities
On March 30, the General Office of the Ministry of Land and Resources and the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture jointly issued the "Notice on Matters Concerning the Proper Completion of the Designation of Permanent Basic Farmland Around 106 Key Cities" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), which, on the basis of analyzing and evaluating the distribution, area, and quality grade of existing cultivated land around the 106 key cities that has not been designated as permanent basic farmland, proposed and issued preliminary tasks for the designation of permanent basic farmland in these key cities, and refined and clarified the specific requirements for advancing the designation work.
The "Notice" requires that all relevant cities, based on the preliminary tasks issued this time, promptly carry out investigation and fact-finding, verification and evidence provision, to ensure that high-quality cultivated land around cities and already-built high-standard farmland are all included in the permanent basic farmland designation tasks. The verification and evidence provision results, after review by the provincial-level competent departments of land and resources and agriculture, shall be submitted to the two departments before the end of May 2015, and the two departments will deliberate, verify, and issue the permanent basic farmland designation tasks around key cities. On this basis, all relevant cities shall advance the work of permanent basic farmland "landing on plots, clarifying responsibilities, setting up markers, establishing registers, and entering into the map database," ensuring comprehensive completion before the end of 2015.
The "Notice" emphasizes that all localities shall simultaneously carry out the designation of permanent basic farmland around other cities (towns). Provincial-level competent departments of land and resources and agriculture shall, with reference to the analysis and evaluation methods and verification and evidence provision requirements of the two departments for the 106 key cities, properly issue tasks for other cities divided into districts, and at the same time guide and urge these district-divided cities to promote the designation of permanent basic farmland around cities (towns) within their jurisdictions. Each province (region, municipality) shall compile and summarize, level by level, the issuance of preliminary tasks, local verification and evidence provision, and task deliberation and issuance within its administrative area, and report to the two departments before November 30, 2015.
The "Notice" proposes that the completion of the designation of permanent basic farmland around the 106 key cities will be included in the scope of inspection and assessment of provincial-level government farmland protection responsibility targets. The two departments will conduct supervision and inspection of the permanent basic farmland designation work in all localities, regularly report work progress, convene on-site exchange meetings at appropriate times, summarize and promote local experience and practices, and play a demonstrative and leading role. All provincial-level competent departments of land and resources and agriculture shall strengthen supervision and guidance, and promptly summarize, publicize, and promote good typical experience.
In addition, the "Notice" emphasizes the relationship between permanent basic farmland designation and the adjustment and improvement of general land use planning and the designation of urban development boundaries.
The "Notice" requires that permanent basic farmland designation be advanced in coordination with the adjustment and improvement of land use planning: before the adjustment and improvement of planning, adopt a top-down approach, and in accordance with the tasks and requirements deliberated and issued by higher authorities, first complete the designation of permanent basic farmland around cities (towns), ensuring that high-quality cultivated land around cities and along transportation routes and already-built high-standard farmland are designated as permanent basic farmland on a priority basis; if not completed as required, the approval (filing) of the adjustment and improvement results of planning shall not be accepted. After the adjustment and improvement of planning, adopt a bottom-up approach, and in accordance with the requirements of basically stable layout, no reduction in quantity, and improvement in quality, and in the order of spatial proximity from near to far and cultivated land quality grade and fertility grade from high to low, promptly designate permanent basic farmland outside city peripheries, ensuring that all basic farmland protection target tasks determined by the adjusted and improved planning within the city (county) area are mapped and entered into the database and implemented down to households.
At the same time, permanent basic farmland designation shall be advanced in sync with the designation of urban development boundaries, further strengthening the rigid constraint of permanent basic farmland on urban (town) land use space, giving play to its role in promoting urban spatial form, and better guiding cities toward tandem-style, cluster-style, and satellite-city-style development.