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Summary:

This report examines the major factors that influence the establishment of FUGs and the provision of support services to them by various agencies. A checklist of factors influencing FUG formation was prepared by Project staff and used to conduct informal interviews with FUGs and DFO Rangers. The data has been presented in two sections: factors influencing a community to form an FUG, and factors influencing the DFO to support formation.

Factors influencing a community to form an FUG included: awareness, forest condition (lack of forest as well as high value forest), the wish for legal security of rights, the wish of women and disadvantaged groups to manage their own forest, conflicting claims to forest, incomplete pre-establishment support from the DFO, and leadership. Factors influencing the DFO to support formation included: easy accessibility, vicinity of other FUGs, high rate of forest offences and plantation forests.

The review resulted in the identification of the following trends:

•	Contacts with and influence by other FUGs are the most important factors determining local demand for FUG establishment.
•	The demand for FUG establishment far exceeds the DFOs capacity. Due to this many FUGs have yet to be officially formed. This is not considered a serious problem because members both use and protect their forests.
•	DFO support activities are increasingly becoming demand driven.
•	A protection focus continues to remain the driving force behind the FUGs and the support provided by the DFO.
•	Formation is generally supported in areas near other FUGs, in plantation areas and in areas accessible by road. Attention is not focused on integrated management of natural resources based on natural or socio-economic boundaries.
•	DFO staff currently try to balance the size of the FUG with a manageable forest size, and try to avoid creating very small and very large FUGs as was done in the past.
•	The trend of representation of women and disadvantaged groups in FUGs is increasing but is very slow, sporadic and dependent on the FUG's own initiatives.
•	To date, heavy emphasis has been laid on establishment of FUGs and inadequate attention has been given to organisational management of the FUGs and their potential to diversify their activities.
•	Local government bodies and NGOs are increasingly becoming interested and involved in the promotion of community forestry, although their roles to date have remained marginal while the DFO staff feel overburdened.

A number of open questions are presented deserving further investigation and discussion with policy makers and local service providing institutions alike.