Abstract: To study the situation of returning cultivated land to forest,an investigation was implemented in counties of the areas around Beijing and Tianjin in Hebei Province.The investigation result shows that the cultivated land which has been returned to forest is disserved by drought and sand blown by wind,and with low land quality and low grain yield.But some cultivated land with irrigation conditions and without gradient has been converted.Most of the respondents have correct cognition of that kind of conversion of cultivated land,and are willing to return their own cultivated land to forest.But they show overreliance on the subsidies and lack confidence for local government in organization and implementation of this project.As to the living standard,after the conversion of cultivated land into forest,near 70 percent of the respondents express that the living standard at present is just like before,and near 20 percent express the positive information,because of the issuance of subsidies and the change of income structure brought by returning cultivated land to forest.It is noteworthy that,to a certain extent,the returning of cultivated land to forest can change the poverty conditions of farmers,and improve their standard of living,and that such a change and improvement needs the leading and supporting from central and local governments.

Key words: returning cultivated land to forest, areas around Beijing and Tianjin, farmers' income, poverty