The Budongo Forest Reserve

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2007-07-16

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Abstract

The Budongo Forest Reserve is a mixture of tropical forest and savanna grasslands and woodlands. In 1988, the Forest Department started the Forest Rehabilitation Program which recognized the value of forest ecosystems, especially for non-consumptive uses. As a result, the Budongo Forest Ecotourism Project (BFEP) was developed in 1993. Local community development funds have been established as a way to distribute tourism revenue to the local communities. Currently 40% of the tourism (entry and camping) fees are distributed back to the local community for projects that support conservation, benefit the community as a whole, and require community input in the form of labor or cash. In addition, locals are benefiting from the ecotourism by selling crafts, non-traditional agriculture, and other income opportunities derived from tourism.

Description

Keywords

National parks, Wildlife, Biodiversity, Wildlife management, Community management, Income generation, Payments for environmental services, Forest management, Indigenous community, Agribusiness, Biological indicators, Ecotourism, Forest ecosystems, Community participation, Conservation, Parks, Keystone species, Habitat destruction, Savannah, Rainforest, Budongo Forest Ecotourism Project (BFEP), Forest rehabilitation

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