This paper aims to illustrate how forests, which play an important role in the economy, the environment, the military, and culture, were managed and used in French Indochina through the colonial period. The Forest Service’s plan involved rational, systematic logging with the participation of companies that generally excluded local inhabitants from the reserved forests and restricted forest use for their livelihoods. Also, the “communal reserves” established in some areas to prioritize locals’ forest use led to regional strife. Despite the colonial authorities’ view that maintenance of the abundant forests was a manifestation of their civilizing mission, the actual implementation of such policies was frequently accompanied by strict policies and repressive control. Friction existed between the various parties using the forest and the Forest Service concerning forest management. The views and behavior of the colonial authorities were also inconsistent, due to the multifaceted nature of the forests, which were at once natural treasures that supported people’s lives as well as a stage for conflicts between varied actors and interests, including local inhabitants, villages, outsiders, the Forest Service, and administrative agencies.

本文旨在说明在整个殖民时期，如何在法国印度支那地区管理和使用在经济，环境，军事和文化中起着重要作用的森林。森林服务局的计划涉及合理，系统的伐木，公司的参与通常将当地居民排除在保留的森林之外，并且限制了他们的生计。此外，在某些地区建立的优先于当地人使用森林的“公共保护区”导致了区域冲突。尽管殖民当局认为维护茂密的森林是其文明使命的体现，但这些政策的实际执行往往伴随着严格的政策和压制性控制。使用森林的各方与森林管理部门之间在森林管理方面存在摩擦。由于森林的多面性，殖民当局的观点和行为也不一致，森林既是支持人们生活的天然宝藏，又是包括当地居民，村庄，局外人，林业局和行政机构。