a comparative study of externally assisted community forestry and government initiated forestry projects in Quxian county, Sichuan province, China Zhang, Yuhuan creator Thapa, Gopal B. Chairperson Dale, Reidar Examination Committee Zakir Hussain Examination Committee Royal Thai Government Scholarship Donor Queen Sirikit's Scholarship Scholarship Donor Asian Institute of Technology Scholarship Donor Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association Scholarship Donor The Ford Foundation Scholarship Donor text series technical report th Bangkok Asian Institute of Technology 1999 continuing eng 47 leaves : ill. China's government has implemented several large afforestation projects since the end of the 1970s. One of them is the Yangtze Shelterbelt Project. The Yangtze Shelterbelt Project is designed by the Forestry Department, with timber plantations, but carried out by farmers, on collective land. There is a conflict over the land use, because farmers will have no benefits from the afforestation area before the tree growing up, and the collective land will be used for ecological conservation forever, under the Law that the timber is not allowed to be cut. Aimed at seeking ways to meet both government objectives and local people's demand, several pilot community forestry projects have been implemented within the Yangtze Shelterbelt Project area. The one in Quxian County has used participatory approaches for the design of plantations. Forestry management practices include afforestation, maintenance, harvesting and benefit distribution. These activities are linked with each other and carried out through organizations, institutions, and people's participation. Applying this model, this study examines forest management system within the Yangtze Shelterbelt Project and the Pilot Community Forestry Project in Quxian County. The Yangtze Shelterbelt Project was planned by the Forestry Department, has no local people's participation. Design of the Yangtze Shelterbelt Project only includes plantation but has no arrangements on activities of maintenance, harvesting, benefit distribution. Therefore, the forest management system is incomplete and the forest management in the Yangtze Shelterbelt Project area is unsustainble. Planning of the Pilot Community Forestry Project was developed by government planners and local people together. By this process, the field staff have strengthened their ability to work with farmers; farmers begin to welcome plantation. In terms of the fact that the Pilot Community Forestry Project is implemented for one year more, it is too early to evaluate its sustainability. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1999 Sustainable forestry China Sichuan Asian Institute of Technology. http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B12648 http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B12648 110400 20260818223644.0