On Current Institution and Countermeasures for Solving the Tenure Disputes of Collective Forests:A Case Study in a County of Jiangxi Province

Solving the tenure disputes of collective forests is the key work in the new round of tenure reform of collective forests. However, the severe difficulties in solving the tenure disputes of collective forests hamper the further development of the reform. This paper firstly reviews the current institutional arrangement for solving the tenure disputes of collective forests. Then the paper introduces the special features of process for solving the tenure disputes of collective forests by a case study on the tenure dispute of No. 737 Mountain between group A and group B in the same village in a county of Jiangxi Province. Thirdly, the paper analyzes the problems of inefficiency and corresponding causes in the current institutions for solving tenure disputes of collective forest. Finally, the paper proposes the countermeasures and suggestions, such as improving the system's top-level design, valuing the role of informal institutions, strengthening the capacity of mediation organizations, and innovating the methods of solving disputes.