China boasts abundant and widely distributed sand, gravel, and soil resources. While the development of these sand and gravel resources supports economic and social development, it also significantly impacts terrestrial ecosystems and natural landscapes. Therefore, effective management of sand, gravel, and soil resources is an important component of implementing the overarching requirements for ecological civilization construction in the field of mineral resource management.

　　In recent years, Zhejiang Province has shifted its development philosophy and management approach in the management of sand, gravel, and soil resources, refined its institutional measures, and adhered to the principle of prioritizing ecological protection. It has also vigorously promoted green development, achieving remarkable results in resource development and management practices and taking a leading position nationwide.

　　Sand, gravel, and soil resources are abundant, but their development and utilization are highly regionally specific.

　　Zhejiang Province is a “small province” in terms of mineral resources—its reserves of energy and metallic minerals are relatively limited, whereas non-metallic minerals such as sand, gravel, and clay are comparatively abundant and widely distributed throughout the province. However, due to constraints imposed by infrastructure development as well as geographic location and transportation conditions, the exploitation and utilization of these resources exhibit significant regional disparities, with major concentrations in economically more developed areas such as Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Taizhou, and Hangzhou. As of... 2014 By the end of the year, the entire province had mining rights for sand, gravel, and soil mines. 829 Individuals, practitioners 2.5 Ten thousand, ore extraction volume 4.4 100 million tons, total output value of the mining industry 114 100 million yuan, achieving profit 10.2 hundred million yuan. The number of sand, gravel, and soil mining rights, the volume of ore extraction, and the total output value of the mining industry each account for a certain proportion of the province’s total. 66.5% 、 84.1% 、 79.81% 。

　　The main characteristics of sand, gravel, and soil resource development and utilization in Zhejiang Province are as follows: First, the primary mined materials are ordinary construction-grade sand, gravel, and clay extracted through open-pit mining; second, the level of large-scale and intensive utilization of sand, gravel, and soil resources is relatively high, with large-scale mines... 436 Small- and medium-sized mines 73 each, accounting for a certain percentage of the total number of sand, gravel, and soil mines in the province. 52.6% 、 8.7% Third, the main investors are private capital, and the industry has a low degree of outward orientation. Fourth, demand for sand, gravel, and soil resources is strong, leading to a prominent supply-demand contradiction. 2010 To 2014 Annual provision of sand, gravel, and soil mineral resources 22.27 hundreds of millions of tons, averaging annually at 4.45 Over 100 million tons. According to estimates, the province requires an average of building stone mineral resources annually. 5 Over 100 million tons, with a shortfall of approximately... 8000 Around 10,000 tons; fifth, the development of sand, gravel, and soil resources faces increasingly stringent ecological protection requirements, putting greater pressure on safeguarding public rights and maintaining social stability.

　　Leverage institutional safeguards to promote green development in the mining industry.

　　Over the years, the Zhejiang Provincial Government and relevant departments such as those responsible for land and resources have attached great importance to the development and management of sand, gravel, and soil mines. They have successively introduced a series of regulations covering aspects including access criteria for sand, gravel, and soil mining operations, market allocation, inter-departmental coordination, approval and registration procedures, use of fees, safe production, and environmental protection. As a result, a relatively systematic and comprehensive management system for sand, gravel, and soil mines has been established, yielding excellent results in the practical development and management of sand and gravel resources. The key lessons learned from this experience are:

　　First, we will adhere to planning and control measures and continuously optimize the layout of sand, gravel, and soil mining operations.

　　First, we must strictly enforce the mineral resource planning and zoning management system, rigorously adhering to the requirements of “shutting down mines within planned no-mining zones, scaling back mines within planned restricted-mining zones, and concentrating mines within planned mining zones,” thereby strengthening the implementation of the plan. The number of mines within the province’s planned mining zones at the beginning of the period was... 1306 Reduced to 2014 At the end of the year 949 The number of mines within the planned restricted mining areas has decreased from the beginning of the period to... 1432 Reduced to 435 One, each reduced by 27% and 69% First, mines located within planned no-mining zones have largely been shut down. Second, the system of mining rights allocation plans is being strictly enforced. Mining rights allocation plans are prepared at the county (city, district) level, and these plans serve as a prerequisite for the approval of mining rights. It is explicitly stipulated that no new mining rights may be granted without prior approval of the corresponding allocation plan. Third, the “dual-control” management system for mining rights is being rigorously implemented. Taking into account market demand in a coordinated manner, the target numbers for mining rights at the end of the planning period are clearly defined through planning, and these targets are further broken down into annual planned quotas to ensure strict control over the annual issuance of new mining rights.

　　Second, implement the “clean mining rights” transfer system to effectively safeguard the interests of all relevant parties.

　　The Department of Natural Resources and Planning of Zhejiang Province on 2010 Announce relevant policies this year, 2013 Further refine and improve the system by promoting the “clean mining rights” transfer mechanism. When selecting sites for mining rights, township governments will submit applications, with the county-level people’s government taking the lead. The land and resources department, together with relevant departments involved in mining—including forestry, environmental protection, and safety supervision—will jointly conduct on-site surveys. Before transferring mining rights, all related policies will be properly addressed through steps such as property rights confirmation, compensation, public notice, and notification, ensuring that the winning bidder is no longer constrained by rights to land, surface attachments, or related fixed assets. Once the mining rights have been won and mining registration completed, the bidder can smoothly enter the site and commence mine construction and mining operations. Clearly define the proportion of revenue generated from the transfer of sand, gravel, and soil mining rights at the county level that is allocated for use by townships (towns, subdistricts), villages (communities), thereby fully mobilizing grassroots work enthusiasm and effectively safeguarding the rights and interests of local residents in mining areas.

　　Third, actively guide the use of advanced technologies to enhance the level of development and utilization as well as environmental protection.

　　Zhejiang Province places great emphasis on guiding mining enterprises to adopt advanced equipment and production processes. By comparing various mining schemes, it selects the most scientific and environmentally friendly approach, thereby improving the “three rates” of mining and beneficiation and elevating the level of resource development and utilization. First, it encourages mining enterprises to adopt advanced crushing equipment, introduce spray systems, and establish enclosed crushing systems, effectively reducing noise and dust generated during the crushing process. Second, it guides mining enterprises to replace vehicle transportation with enclosed belt conveyance systems, which not only cut costs but also ensure environmental protection and safety. Third, it promotes the adoption of advanced technologies, processes, and equipment by mining enterprises, enhancing the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources, recycling production wastewater, and recovering production waste residues—ensuring that all resources are fully exploited and that there is zero discharge of pollutants.

　　Fourth, prioritize ecological conservation and promote green development in the mining industry.

　　First, strictly regulate the establishment of mining rights. When establishing new mines, fully consider factors such as natural topography and landforms, rational utilization of resources, and ecological environmental protection, and reasonably determine the scope of mining areas. Strive to carry out overall mining operations, minimize or eliminate side slopes, and organically integrate resource development, mine-site utilization, and ecological protection. Second, rigorously enforce the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval process. No mining licenses will be issued for any proposed new mines that fail to meet EIA requirements. Third, strictly implement responsibility for remediation. After the mining rights are successfully auctioned and transferred, the mining right holder must sign a commitment letter on the remediation of the mine’s natural ecological environment with the local land and resources authority, pay a reserve fund for remediation, and thereby compel the mining right holder to fulfill their remediation obligations. Fourth, focus on building green mines. Zhejiang Province from... 2005 Starting from the end of the year, we will actively promote the construction of green mines, ensuring that all mines required to be built are indeed built. Mines that fail to carry out green mine construction as required will not pass their annual inspections, and the processing of related registration matters such as mining right extensions will be temporarily suspended. Fifth, we will launch a special campaign for ecological and environmental governance under the “Four Sides and Three Transformations” initiative. In accordance with the deployment by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government on carrying out “cleaning, purifying, and beautifying” efforts along highways, railways, waterways, and mountain slopes, we will earnestly implement ecological protection, remediation, and restoration work for abandoned mines in these “Four Sides” areas.

　　Fifth, transform functions, optimize services, and continue to deepen the reform of the approval system.

　　First, we are delegating approval authority. The approval and registration of mining rights for ordinary construction materials—sand, gravel, and soil—previously handled at the provincial level will now be transferred to the county-level departments of natural resources and land administration for review and approval. Additionally, the review and approval authority for mineral resource development and utilization plans, mine geological environmental protection and remediation plans, and land reclamation plans will also be delegated to these county-level departments. Second, we are optimizing the approval process. The delineation of mining area boundaries for sand, gravel, and soil mining rights will be merged with the procedures for newly establishing and registering mining rights, and... 2014 In the same year, an Administrative Approval Office was established to centralize the handling of administrative approval matters across the entire department. This initiative enabled online submission of applications for mining rights approvals, significantly boosting approval efficiency. Third, we streamlined the approval requirements by merging two previously separate requirements—namely, the mineral resource development and utilization plan and the mine safety facilities design—into a single integrated requirement. Fourth, we implemented differentiated management approaches. Based on the intended use of sand, gravel, and soil mines, mining rights were categorized into three types: commercial, remedial, and engineering. Each category is subject to distinct management measures. For commercial mining rights, all allocations are conducted through public auctions and bidding processes, with strict adherence to the “three-zone” management principle. For remedial mining rights, the allocation can be bundled with remediation projects and awarded via tender without being constrained by planning zoning regulations. As for engineering mining rights specifically designated to support land reclamation projects, standard fishing ports, and government-funded construction projects fully invested by the government, these rights can be allocated via negotiated agreements and are likewise exempt from planning zoning restrictions. In this way, we have not only safeguarded the state’s ownership rights over mineral resources but also optimized service delivery, thereby providing a solid resource guarantee for economic development.

　　Drawing on advanced experiences, we should carry out sand and gravel resource development while ensuring effective ecological protection.

　　Zhejiang Province has established a relatively comprehensive management system for sand, gravel, and soil mines, and has achieved remarkable results in the development and management of these resources. By sorting through and summarizing the typical experiences in Zhejiang Province’s management of sand, gravel, and soil mines, we can draw the following lessons that will help standardize and improve the national management system for such resources:

　　First, in terms of optimizing spatial layout, we must scientifically prepare and rigorously implement the Third Round Mineral Resources Plan. For newly established mining rights, we should impose total quantity controls, strictly enforce planned zoning at the spatial level, set minimum capacity thresholds, and provide technical guidance. As for existing sand, gravel, and soil mining rights located in areas subject to planning restrictions or prohibited zones—where the current layouts are unreasonable—we shall carry out lawful and regulatory cleanup and disposal measures, thereby continuously optimizing the spatial layout of sand, gravel, and soil resource development.

　　Second, regarding the market-based allocation of mineral rights, we recommend further refining the procedures for bidding, auctioning, and public listing of mining rights in accordance with the overarching requirements set forth by the central government for deepening reform and optimizing resource allocation. We should also promote online trading of mining rights and strengthen the decisive role of the market in allocating resources. At the same time, we should fully leverage the guiding and service roles of the government and explore ways to coordinate and address in advance, as much as possible before granting mining rights, any related rights and interests that may arise during future mining activities.

　　Third, regarding approval and registration procedures, it is recommended that, on the one hand, we should continue to deepen the reform of streamlining administration and delegating power, and as much as possible delegate the authority for approving sand, gravel, and soil mining rights to the municipal and county-level departments of natural resources through amendments to local regulations. On the other hand, we should further enhance approval efficiency, optimize approval processes, promote online approvals, and explore simplifying and consolidating requirements related to mineral resource development and utilization plans, environmental impact assessments, pre-assessments of production safety, land reclamation, and mine environmental restoration and remediation. We should also explore differentiated management policies for commercial and engineering sand, gravel, and soil mining rights.

　　Fourth, regarding ecological and environmental protection, we recommend that, in accordance with the central government’s strong promotion of ecological civilization construction and the relevant instructions from central leaders on ecological and environmental protection in mineral resource development, the principle of prioritizing ecological protection must be strictly implemented throughout the site selection, transfer, and approval processes for sand, gravel, and soil mining rights. Environmental impact assessments must be rigorously enforced, responsibilities for geological environment management and restoration of mines must be clearly defined, and the deposit guarantee system must be strictly adhered to. At the same time, for existing sand, gravel, and soil mines, supervision and investment in environmental protection and restoration must be strengthened. We should actively promote the construction of green mines, effectively balancing development needs with environmental protection—“We need both mountains of gold and silver and clear waters and lush mountains.” Through rational planning and effective management and restoration during resource development, we can recreate landscapes and transform mountains of gold and silver into clear waters and lush mountains.

　　Editor's Note   ————————

　　Proper management of sand, gravel, and soil resources is an important component of implementing ecological civilization construction in the mineral resource sector. Zhejiang Province has made active explorations in sand, gravel, and soil management by strictly enforcing planning and control measures, strengthening market-based allocation of resources, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies, and prioritizing environmental protection. These efforts offer valuable insights for nationwide sand, gravel, and soil development and management, as well as for advancing ecological civilization construction in the mineral resource sector.  。