Management System, Operational Mechanism, and Optimization Path of the Forest Chief System in Implementing the "Two Mountains" Concept

The essence of the "Two Mountains" concept is to balance ecological and environmental protection with economic and social development, encompassing multiple dimensions such as ecological conservation, green development, and ecological benefits for the people. The Forest Chief System is a representative institutional mechanism for implementing the concept that clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver. This system has played a significant role in ecological protection; however, in practice, there are also issues of over-protection, and the promotion of green development is relatively insufficient. A nationwide management system for the Forest Chief System has been established from the central to local levels, along with a sound operational mechanism featuring positive interaction among the government, the market, and society. This has transformed the institutional advantages of the Forest Chief System into governance effectiveness, achieving positive results in ecological, economic, and social aspects. However, there are still some shortcomings and deficiencies in the implementation of the "Two Mountains" concept through the Forest Chief System. In the future, the leading role of the Forest Chief System should be fully leveraged by strengthening the responsibility and commitment of forest chiefs at all levels to implement the "Two Mountains" concept. The policy focus of the Forest Chief System should be shifted towards the "Two Mountains" concept, and the collaborative governance mechanism of "Forest Chief + Forest Reform" should be improved to achieve a "win-win" effect of high-level protection and high-quality development.