ABSTRACT
C Ommunity Forestry Initiatives are becoming increasingly prevalent in Bolivia's indigenous territories as ways to improve the well-being of local families and maintain standing forests. For many indigenous people, the introduction of community forestry requires a shift in production strategies from household-based swidden agriculture to cooperative efforts to commercially manage communally owned forests. Such changes are likely to produce new patterns of income and wealth and could disrupt existing socioeconomic processes, which could cause conflict—especially if the outcomes are not seen as equitable. Project planners need to be aware of the processes they set in motion, not only to avoid the unintended marginalization of segments of the local population, but ultimately, to prevent debilitating conflicts that could undercut the long-term success of forest management efforts. Because it is difficult to determine the course of future change or the resulting impact, it is important that the widest possible range of community stakeholders participate in defining the forest management plan and actively monitoring and evaluating its implementation.
