| Over a long period of time, government agencies have paid great attention to the establishment and implementation of policies, yet with little care for the effects after the implementation. Policy evaluation is the weakest part in the process of forestry policies in China. After several-year implementation, what are the effects of Natural Forest Protection Program which has absorbed over RMB100 billion yuan of investment? What are the real benefits and efficiency of the policy? Has it achieved the expected goals? Concerns on these questions led to the initiation of this research. In addition, under the current background that numerous new forestry policies have been established and implemented, it is necessary to evaluate scientifically the effects of policies, in order to provide the basis for policy development in the future.Since policy evaluation is a relatively new subject in China, there is no systematic theory which is prerequisite to forestry policy evaluation, with the shortage of scientific and standardized evaluation methods and criteria. Through studies on policy evaluation have been carried out earlier abroad than at home, the majority focus on the evaluation of public policies. Due to the divergence of industries, the standards, models and methods in these studies can hardly be applied in the evaluation of forestry policies which focus on ecological benefits. With regard to the evaluation of policies related to forestry, since different researchers have different starting points and views on key issues and situations in different places are also different, theevaluation objectives and standards they apply are different, with different results they achieve. Colleague in China, who are engaged in the practical work of Natural Forest Protection Program policy, have already done some researches on NFPP content, operation process, disadvantages, operation effects and so on, which has provided some materials and analysis bases for successors. However, in general, such researches lack precise analysis, in particular theoretical sublimation. Therefore, it can hardly undertake scientific analysis and evaluation for the operation of the whole NFPP.Bases on general theories and methods of policy evaluation, this report looks at the theoretic basis of NFPP policy evaluation from the stand points of Policy Science, New Institutional Economics and Welfare Economics respectively. It summarizes the concept and functions of NFPP policy evaluation, and straightens out various types of NFPP policy evaluation, with reference to the industrial characteristics of forestry and the status quo of NFPP. The report analyses the evaluation objectives of NFPP policy, brings forward the principles to set up the system of evaluation criteria, and further establishes the criteria system of NFPP evaluation. It applies the method of sampling by levels, and takes out 35 state-owned forest industrial corporations and 44 NFPP counties as sample units for investigation and statistics, in accordance with the workload and distribution of NFPP. Based on these statistics, it carries out the evaluation on NFPP scheme, policy operation, policy influence (including ecological, social and economic effects) and the degree of policy acceptance.The evaluation on NFPP scheme shows through it has planned and designed the policy framework as well as the detailed content systematically, improvements are still needed. For instance, there lacks related mechanism among various policy bodies and targets to coordinate the difference on policy objectives among them, compensation to main bodies and managers of collective-owned forests within NFPP areas are neglected, and related technical criteria are not very scientific.The evaluation on NFPP implementation shows all parts of NFPP are carried out smoothly according to the policy scheme. Policies of logging ban and limit on natural forest resources have been put into effect, with timber output in NFPP areas declining every year. The responsibility system of forest resource management and tending is carried out sou...
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