This stage is characterized by forestry that focuses on providing wood to meet social and economic development needs, but with a corresponding classification in the form of classified forestry management. In 1956, China began to build nature reserves and protect the trees within them, and the idea of classified forest management was first proposed. Subsequently, the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China for State Forest Managers, issued in 1958, proposed that forest resources should be divided into five forest species according to their role in the national economy: (1) timber forests, used for the supply of wood and bamboo for production and living; (2) special economic forests, used to collect tree fruits and seeds and develop other products needed for economic development; (3) shelterbelt forests, including soil and water conservation forests, windbreak and sand fixation forests, field protection forests, road protection forests, and green forests; (4) fuelwood forests, used for firewood and charcoal burning; and (5) forests with other special functions, including ancient and famous trees, scientific research forests, and national defense forests. Thus, a preliminary version of forest classification management was developed; however, due to the rigid demand of timber harvesting for national construction, wood development and utilization were the main forest resources during this time. The government did not conduct formal certification and classified management of forests during this stage [39].

In this stage, the forestry classification management system was gradually established. In 1984, the Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China was passed by the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People’s Congress, officially dividing China’s forests into the five aforementioned types and restricting felling in some shelterbelts and special-use forests [40]. This marked the initial formation of China’s forestry classification management system.

Due to excessive timber harvesting, China’s ecological and environmental problems have become increasingly serious. Scholars have actively been exploring the development of China’s forestry. Yong [41] put forward the division of labor in forestry. Yong [41] emphasized that “dominant utilization of multiple forest functions” divided forestry into commercial forests, compatibility forests, and ecological non-commercial forests. This played an extremely important and positive role in promoting the classified management of China’s forestry.

In 1995, the former Commission for Restructuring and the Ministry of Forestry issued the General Outline for the Reform of Forestry Economic System, which suggested that forests should be divided into ecological non-commercial forests and commercial forests. Economic forests, timber forests, and fuel forests were classified as commercial forests, while special-use forests and shelterbelt forests were classified as ecological non-commercial forests. Subsequently, the Notice on Carrying out the Pilot Work of the Reform of Classified Forestry Management required the implementation of pilot work for defining the forest classification division of ecological non-commercial and commercial forests, which were concretely implemented into hilltop plots. However, there is no clear document on the construction management method and investment compensation policy of ecological non-commercial forests that matches classified forestry management.

After the significant floods in 1998, it became urgent for China to improve its ecological environment. The Chinese government successively launched various major forest ecological protection construction projects. When the Forest Law was amended in 1998, it further stipulated that commercial forests and ecological non-commercial forests should adopt different cutting and circulation systems and proposed that the central government should set up a compensation fund for the management and protection of ecological non-commercial forests. Clearly, however, the ecological non-commercial forest demarcation is the basis for the implementation of forestry classified management. Therefore, the implementation of the national forest classification regionalization work notice highlights the classifying forest demarcation. In addition, the National Bureau of Forestry and Grassland legally affirmed the use of forestry classified management practices for forestry classification management and mature space.

In this stage, the Chinese government formulated relatively detailed certification measures for ecological non-commercial forests. The Regulations on the Implementation of the Forest Law (2000) stipulate that the landowners of ecological non-commercial forests have the right to receive compensation for ecological benefits. To address the forestry department and Ministry of Finance’s compensation fund sources, repeated consultations were held, and finances were extracted from government-managed funds, charge reservoir beneficiaries, forest parks, and other ecological non-commercial forest compensation mechanisms, and arranged according to the budget compensation scheme [12].

2001年3月，为加强对森林生态非商品林的保护和管理，原国家林业局根据《森林法》和《森林法实施条例》制定了《国家生态非商品林认定办法》，加强保护力度。国家生态非商品林的划界范围包括河流源头和干流、重要湖泊和大型水库、国家铁路公路、文化遗产地、国家级自然保护区及其周边地区、天然林保护项目区周边林地。同时，为使我国林业分类管理走上科学道路，引导生态非商品林等生态工程建设提质增效，国家技术监督局制定了《生态非商品林建设标准》。随后，财政部印发了《森林生态效益补助资金管理办法》，根据《森林法》、《森林法实施条例》等有关规定，设立了生态非商品林保护管理森林生态效益补助制度，并将森林生态补偿纳入年度政府预算。

2001年11月，中国启动了ENCFC补贴基金并开始试点。（2001年实施森林生态效益补助基金试点省份面积为：浙江省63.3万公顷，湖南200万公顷，福建86万公顷，河北126.7万公顷，新疆100万公顷，山东53.3万公顷，安徽80万公顷，黑龙江191.4万公顷，江西126.7万公顷，广西233.3万公顷， 辽宁140万公顷） 中央政府在浙江、福建、山东、黑龙江等11个省投资10亿元，面积约1300万公顷，促进生态效益;补贴标准为每公顷75元。ENCFC补贴基金试点的启动标志着中国森林资源有偿使用进入了一个新的阶段，结束了生态非商业性森林资源的免费使用[12]。

经过三年的试点工作，森林生态效益补偿基金制度于2004年与《重点生态非商品林区划界定办法》和《中央森林生态效益补偿基金管理办法》一起正式建立并全面实施。在2.67亿公顷的国家林地中，1.04亿公顷被指定为重点生态非商业林，2700万公顷被选为生态效益补偿[42]。平均每亩补贴5元，中央财政补偿基金总规模达20亿元。2005年，生态非商品林补偿标准由每年5元/亩提高到10元/亩，各省还根据《全国生态非商品林划界办法》对生态非商品林进行了补充划界。

2009年，新修订的《生态非商品林区域化界定办法》森林生态效益补偿资金管理办法相继实施，将补偿面积划定为7000万公顷，加大了对森林管理和保护直接责任人的补贴力度。截至2012年，生态非商业林地划定面积1.24亿公顷，其中国家所有7100万公顷，集体和个人所有5300万公顷。2013年，国家加大了对集体和个人的生态非商品林补偿金额，将标准提高到每年每亩15元[43，44]。

2019年《森林法》修订时，对生态非商品林进行了规定，“建立森林生态效益补偿制度，加大对生态非商业性森林保护的支持力度”。这些条例为澄清“一般”案件提供了基本制度。《森林法》还对国家林业和草原局管辖的生态非商业林进行了严格的保护。

根据《森林法》，“国家根据生态保护的需要，确定生态位置重要或者生态条件脆弱，发挥生态效益为主要目的的林地，将林地上的森林确定为生态非商品林。生态非商品林由国务院和省、自治区、直辖市人民政府确定并公布。