Voices from below: Local community perceptions of forest conservation policies in China

Local voices on forest conservation are often ignored in authoritarian regimes, which presents a challenge to sound and fair policy-making. In this political ecology study, we explore the preferences and priorities of the forest-dependent communities toward forest conservation policies in Daxing'anling Prefecture, China. Our analysis focuses on two aspects of forest conservation closest to local interests: (1) the socio-economic impact of conservation and (2) the transition strategies. From the analysis, we illustrate the benefits of a more participatory approach to forest conservation in China by envisioning a bottom-up conservation program.