The Returning Farmland to Forest Project the biggest ecological engineering in China

which brings up great economic and social performance to the afforested area. This paper analyzes the socioeconomic performance of Zhi idan County and Zizhou county in Northern Shaanxi Province before and after returning the farm land to forest

and studies the impacts of the project on grain output

agriculture output value

forestry output value

grassland farming output value and constituent ratio

and per capita income. At the same time

it analyzes the social performance from labor force transferring and peasant consumption expenditure

compares the above changes in the two counties，and provides suggestions on how to maintain the achievementis of the project and regional evelopment in the two counties

and assures healthy development of the project.