Inclusive community forest management: Lessons from Mali, West Africa

Proponents of community-based natural resource management often use definitions of community that implicitly, if not explicitly, favor resident forest users over migrant forest users. This paper explores the shortcomings of the ''fixed-in-place'' model of community, using examples from ongoing community-based management projects in Mali. The author then summarizes strategies that these projects are using to expand migrant forest user participation in decision-making. The paper ends with a brief discussion of how these experiences in West Africa can enrich community-based natural resource management efforts in the United States.