Decentralizing forest management in Cameroon: A conceptual look at the perception of procedural justice in community forest management process

In 1994, new forest policy reforms were instituted in Cameroon amongst other things, to formalize and strengthen the involvement of local communities in forest resource management. The sense among local community people and non-government organizations is that the new policies have not strengthened community involvement in forest resource decision-making in Cameroon. While so much has been done and written on the importance and methods of community participation in decision-making processes, little has been done relevant to opportunities available for local people to participate in decision-making processes in community forest management. This study explores ways in which community participation in forest management decision-making processes can be maximized by examining key issues that are considered crucial in promoting community participation in forest resources management in Cameroon.; Using a qualitative and ethnographic study approach, Lind and Tyler's (1998) model of procedural justice was used to determine the opportunities local people had to participate in forest management decision-making and planning in the Bimbia-Bonadikombo communities of Cameroon. A multi-method approach was used for data collection. Group discussion meetings and individual interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for major and common themes.; The study revealed that there was limited participation of community members in forest management decision-making. It identified barriers to effective decentralization of forest management. The study also made some empirical contributions to the research literature and theory. At the theoretical level, this study revealed three important refinements to the "satisfaction with process" category of the procedural justice elements. In addition it contributed a new category---behavior of authorities which needs to be looked at in further research.; Findings from this study will inform policy makers about a number of policy measures. In addition, the findings will aid the Bimbia-Bonadikombo community, the government of Cameroon, and interested international organizations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the 1994 Forestry Law and its articles of application. These findings will identify ways to achieve greater community involvement, especially for women in natural resources management in Cameroon. Finally, it should assist people in designing effective public involvement strategies for Community Based Natural Resource Management.