Use of Forest Resources by Residents of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Bhutan: Practices and Perceptions in a Context of Constraints

This paper examines the
use of forest resources by
local residents in Jigme
Singye Wangchuck
National Park, Bhutan. It
also inquires into local
residents’ knowledge and
perceptions of park
management
interventions. The data
were collected through a questionnaire survey, group
discussions, and observations. The results show that local
people depend on forest resources for their livelihoods, and that
their knowledge and perceptions of the park and of park
management are influencedmainly by constraints on theiraccess
to forest resources, and by benefits and incentives obtained from
the park administration through socioeconomic development.