This Law is enacted with a view to protecting, developing and making rational use of grasslands, improving the ecological environment, maintaining the diversity of living things, modernizing animal husbandry and promoting the sustainable development of the economy and society.
The Law consists of 75 Articles divided into 9 Chapters: I. General Provisions; II. Ownership of Grasslands; III. Planning; IV. Development; V. Use; VI. Protection; VII. Supervision and Inspection; VII. Legal Responsibility; IX. Supplementary Provisions.
The grasslands are owned by the State, with the exception of the grasslands owned by collectives as provided for by law. The State-owned grasslands may be assigned for use to the units under the ownership by the whole people and to collective economic organizations. The grasslands owned by collectives or the State-owned grasslands which have been assigned for use to collective economic organizations may be contracted for management by households individually or jointly within the said collective economic organizations. The plan for protection, development and use of grasslands shall dovetail with the overall plan for land use and be coordinated with the plans for environmental protection, water and soil conservation, prevention and control of deserfication, and for water resources, and long-term plans for forestry, overall urban planning, village and market town planning and other relevant plans.
The competent administrative department for grasslands at or above the county level shall conduct dynamic monitoring of the basic conditions of the grasslands, such as the area, grade, natural disasters and biological epidemics, and provide timely service in respect of dynamic monitoring and early warning information. Contractors for grassland management shall make rational use of the grasslands, and they may not exceed the stock-carrying capacity verified by the competent administrative department for grasslands. Contractors for grassland management in pastoral regions shall practise regional rotation grazing, rational distribution of herds and balanced use of grasslands. People's governments at or above the county level shall enhance protection of and control over rare and endangered species of wild plants and the resources of germplasm on the grasslands. Strict measures shall be adopted to protect grassland from pollution, soil erosion and land reclamation. Local authorities shall take measures to combat grassland pests and mice and take measures to prevent and treat endemic diseases among livestock and diseases.
The State practices a basic grassland protection system. The grasslands as prescribed in Article 42 shall be classified as basic grasslands and subject to strict management. The competent department of grassland administration under the State Council or the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government may establish the grassland nature reserves in the areas prescribed in Article 43.
In addition, the state encourages and supports scientific research in grassland protection, construction, utilization, and monitoring, and promotes advanced technologies.