A regulation took effect Monday in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to protect the Heilongjiang Forest Park, the country's only downtown forest park, by restricting actions harmful to trees.

It is the first special regulation on forest park protection in China.

Located in Dongli District of the provincial capital of Harbin, the park is one of the ten parks in China which exchange with other countries seed collection and implantation and studies of forests in temperate zones and frigid zones.

It has 1,200 species of trees that grow in northeastern China, of which 15 rare trees are under state protection. It played an important role in preserving water and soil and adjusting the city's climate, said Li Guangwu, who is in charge of the park.

However, in recent years, some actions have damaged the park, like unauthorized falling and sale of trees, illegal bird hunting and illegal release of waste water and gas, which caused the park to shrink to 136 hectares from 517 hectares when it was set up in 1958.

Therefore, the regulation set restrictions on 13 actions that harm the trees and surroundings of the park. It also encouraged the park to seek funds for better protection.

The regulation reflected a better social sense of law and environmental protection, said Zhang Zuoyi, governor of Heilongjiang Province.

(People's Daily December 3, 2003)