CBFM participant community selection strategy

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, Asia. Asia, Philippines, biodiversity, conservation, decentralization, institutional strengthening, land tenure, property rights, training, communication, community participation, education, indigenous land, planning document, project report. SUMMARY: This document provides strategic recommendations for efforts to engage communities in community-based forest management (CBFM) under the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) Natural Resources Management Program Phase II (NRMP-II). It details an overall strategic plan for enhancing the self-selection and participation of communities in CBFM. As DENR gains experience in the CBFM implementation, the strategic plan may be adopted to increase the opportunities for communities in and near the forestlands to opt (self-select) to become active in managing, protecting, rehabilitating, conserving, and utilizing forest resources. Specific recommendations for NRMP-II implementation include the following: Address problems in open access forestlands; Democratize access to the nation's natural resources; Recognize the rights and claims of indigenous peoples; Develop up-date maps of forestlands resources and assure their dissemination to local governments; Design and implement educational campaigns at the community, provincial, regional and national levels; Develop and disseminate criteria that can be used to assess the validity and acceptability of the self-selection responses of communities; Strengthen DENR's and local governments' capacities to respond to communities' self-selection initiatives.