City district chastised for planting trees improperly

Trees planted on 30 hectares in Tangshan, Hebei province, in a planting activity will be removed to restore farmland for cultivation, and the farmers whose land was used will be compensated, according to a statement from city investigators on Wednesday.

On March 1, the government of Tangshan's Fengrun district decided to plant trees in its northern area to expand green space for environmental protection, with the idea that peanuts and soybeans could be grown between the rows of trees, the statement said. Planting began on March 26 by a company in the district.

The trees occupied farmland and destroyed 0.25 hectares of wheat seedlings, the statement said.

Investigators, including team members from natural resources bureaus, agriculture and rural regions bureaus found that the district government had a weak awareness of farmland protection and failed to implement policies correctly, thus leading to the destruction of the wheat field and the misuse of farmland for trees.

All the trees that were planted were ordered removed and the farmers will receive financial compensation. The land should be restored for cultivation and the public will be consulted before any further action.

The joint investigation was launched on Monday in response to media reports that arable land had been misused and wheat seedlings had been destroyed.