Governance of community forest areas in mainland Portugal over the last 40 years: results, current trends and future perspectives

Abstract

In 2016, common forest areas celebrated 40 years of community management. These were mostly planted during the occupation of community lands (known as baldios) by the Estado Novo and during the development of the Forest Regime, via the National Afforestation Plan. The return of the common lands to the people and the decentralisation of forest governance in the 1970s paved the way for the development of multiple baldios management models. Although the term "community forest management" has many interpretations, they are all based on the assumption that the transfer of forest tenure rights to communities results in sustainable forest management and improvements in key environmental, social and economic outcomes at the local scale. The goal of this investigation was an analysis of 40 years of governance of community lands and they resource. Specifically, to study and compare the results of the four main baldio forest management models, to determine whether the level of autonomy in management and the type of actors involved affected management quality in these lands and their resources. In addition, we carried out a historical review of the development of this land occupation type and of the institutionalization of community forest management. We also studied the present state of the baldio resources, as well as the capabilities and strategies defined. The necessary information for this study was collected from: the published literature on the theme, two surveys based on tools developed by FAO and more than 600 Land Use Plans. The overall result showed that, in the case of baldio resource management, the social value attached to the resources, as well as their quantity and quality, determines the system in force in these community lands, as opposed to their management type. Additionally, this study showed that most baldios intend to give continuity to classic forest management, although there is a growing demand for new activities. Further legislative changes and research are needed to increase the sustainability of community land governance