Topic 4.3: Theory and Practice of Forest Property Right System

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Content

Background Information

Community forestry is a branch of forestry Links to an external site. that deals with two main issues: 1) the communal management Links to an external site. of forests for generating income from timber Links to an external site. and non-timber forest products Links to an external site. as forms of goods; 2) regulating ecosystem, downstream settlements benefits from watershed conservation, carbon sequestration and aesthetic values as in forms of ecosystem services. Community forestry has been considered one of the most promising options for combining forest conservation with rural development and community empowerment and poverty reduction Links to an external site. objectives. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Links to an external site. defines community forestry as “any situation that intimately involves local people in forestry activity”. In community forestry the local community plays a significant role in land use decision-making and must be satisfied with its involvement and benefits from the management of the surrounding forest and its resources.

Engaging the local community in forest management has significant impacts on improvement of forest resource quality and enhancement of indigenous income especially in developing countries with abundant forest resources. Traditional forest management has a single objective, maximization of timber products. Since local communities place increased numbers and types of demands on forests, community forest management has multiple objectives. In this topic, we introduce the role and function of forestry in communities, organization of community forestry, problems and opportunities for community forestry, policy and institution for development of community forestry, and experience from China’s collective forest tenure reform for community forestry.

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