The Yale Forest Forum (YFF) has been engaging people on the most important issues in forestry since 1994. In the spring of 2021, YFF brought together more than 1,000 registered attendees from all around the world for a series of webinars to hear from 10 leaders and experts in community-based forestry (CBF). Communities increasing loss of rights to forest access and use has spurred interest in understanding and expanding the model of CBF. The YFF speakers gave many examples of how colonial land seizure, state appropriation of forests, and industrial forestry have all been implicated in wresting control of forests away from local people over the past century, and how CBF can help correct those wrongs. In every case, CBF stands out as an alternative mode of forest governance that allows local people to make their own decisions about the ecosystems around them.

The Promise and Practice of Community-Based Forestry speaker series was jointly hosted by The Forests Dialogue and the Urban Resources Initiative. The Forests Dialogue was created in 2000 to provide a platform for leaders in forestry from across the world to engage in dialogue about and develop solutions to the most pressing issues in sustainable forest management. The Urban Resources Initiative is a community-driven urban forestry organization focused on planting street trees, providing green jobs training, and supporting community groups in managing greenspaces in New Haven.

The YFF Review captures information delivered during the YFF speaker series to extend the outcomes of the lecture series and inform additional interested audiences. We hope that you will find the information in this YFF Review useful and stimulating.

You may also visit the original event description for the readings and webinar recordings associated with each talk.