From Deforestation to Afforestation: The Evolution of Forestry Policy in Miao Regions in the Period of Yongzheng and Qianlong —— In Case of Hunan and Guizhou Provinces

In the Qing dynasty, the formulation and implementation of forestry policies were influenced considerably by political, economic and other factors at the time, and showed discrepancy in different stages. In the period of Yongzheng and Qianlong, there were differences in official attitude towards local mountain forests in the course of development and construction of Miao regions in Hunan and Guizhou Provinces. The central government and local governors had different interests, and different policies and ideas were thus formed produced out of different administrative demands. As the direct sector responsible for the management of Miao regions, the local government was most sensitive to various threats to mountain forests, and thereby put forward suggestions of deforestation. However, in order to promote the national economic recovery, the central government required all provinces to implement forest planting policies. The reality of poverty in Miao regions also forced the local government to expand the source of profits through afforestation. The two factors jointly promoted the transformation of forestry policies in Miao regions.