Study on Ecological Impact of Environmental Policy in China's Western Development--A Case study of Converting the Land for Forestry and Pasture

This paper introduces the policy making background and the implementation of Converting the Land for Forestry and Pasture (Grain for Green Project) in China’ s Western Development. The ecological impact of the policy was analyzed. It points out that the practice of Grain for Green Project has greatly improved the ecologic conditions of some local areas, promoted readjustment of rural industrial structure, increased farmers’ income and enhanced the environmental awareness of the nation. At present, the following problems still exist: improper selection of cultivated land to be converted to forest and pasture resulted from projects done by officials for making achievements in their post, overemphasis on forest and underemphasis on grassland, too large proportion of cash trees reduced ecologic benefits, insufficient attention paid by some areas to the further development after the implementation of the project, incomplete accompanying guarantee measures to the implementation of Grain for Green Project and so on. Finally, four policy recommendations were put forth: (1). the need to follow the principle of converting farmland to forest and pasture according to real circumstances; (2). shift of priority from returning farmland to both returning farmland and protection the returned forest and pasture; (3). the need to combine Grain for Green with poverty elimination and wealth creation; (4). Establishment of ecologic compensation mechanism. Key wards: Converting the Land for Forestry and Pasture, Ecological impact, China’s Western Development 1. NATURAL CONDITION OF CHINA’S WESTERN REGION