Collective Choice and Community Forestry Management in, Mexico: An Empirical Analysis

Democratic participation has increasingly become a naturel resource management policy approach for governments around the world. Yet, its effective application across stake-holder groups remains a challenge. With original survey data from Mexico, a country with extensive common property forestland, we assets the effect of incorporating both local representation and outside technical expetise on forest management. Descriptive statistics show how existing community governance accommodates local management decision-making. The empirical analysis constructs and compares multidimensional indices for rule conformance and forest conditions with measures of local and professional service providers' involement in community forums. Regression results suggest that active use of these forums for disseminating information and seeking management plan approval improves rule conformance, which, in turn, leads to better forest conditions.