`Handing it over" : an analysis of the legal and policy framework of community forestry in Nepal

It describes the process of empowering local communities with the rights and responsibilities of managing forest resources as community forests. The practical, policy, and legal constraints to successfully implementing community forestry are explained and analyzed. The study also reveals that, despite the existence of progressive policy and legislation for community forestry, many factors continue to discourage government field staff from handing forests over to local communities. Although the study focuses more on democratic movements, the authors provide an overview of political changes in Nepal that are directly or indirectly related to recent changes in forestry legislation. References are included. (Author abstract, modified)