IMHO

Although a closer group can manage forests better, the advantages of a more centralized handling exceeds the local one. The main reasons are the followings:

- In spite of the local management can provide higher quality and the interest of local people's more explicit, the management methods could vary by locations, so you cannot exclude the chance of worse, sometimes devastating management practices,

- Locals raise their voice against a potentially unfavorable governmental forest management practice, the government cannot do opposite - lack of monitoring and capacity - (one more break and balance),

- Government considers more stakeholders' interest,

- Governmental budget planning tend to be longer term and sudden cash demands cannot undermine the long term management plans,

- Considering all the forests across the value chains potentially results in higher social, environmental and economic results but cannot result less.

All of the above depends on the culture, high level corruption can hurt the forests on any level.

Without doubt , communities must be made responsible for managing common lands converted into forests or grasslands or silvi - pastures . However continous motivation and capacity building of communities are requred before excuting any such programme. I have seen that in Bikaner district of Rajasthan , India where a huge moving sand dune was on the verge of engulfing whole village . Local folk were sensitized effectively to go for vegetative sand dunecstabilization programme and villagers did all the required activities for sand sune stabilizaton themselves . Today that dune is well stabilized , trees and grasses are flurishing like any thing , villagers have set definite rules to protect the vegetation of the said dune. Only grasses are taken by villagers though cut & carry System under a controlled regime .Now said village is completely safe since last 20 years .

Our experience in India gas been that Community if given access & usufruct rights, takes good care of the resources, with oversight from the Government. If Government only manages, there are problems of access rights to community, and if community is given full rights, there is scope for some people in community monopolizing. Ownership of the land has in most cases been with local Government institutions like panchayats & has worked well.