As part of the strategy to reduce pressure on the forest reserve, the project in its first phase encouraged the establishment of agro-based enterprises (crops and livestock), this though was not comprehensively integrated into the landuse patterns at farm level. The soil fertility, therefore is still low, because the farmers are not exposed to proper landuse practices, and there is increased pressure resulting from use of firewood, yet the communities do not know how to make energy saving stoves. Pressure for Rattan cane from the artisans who exploit the resource for marketing purposes, reached alarming levels till the resource is completely wiped out, it is therefore imperative that the demand side (artisans) are integrated with the producers of the cane, to get to understand the dynamics of production and the importance of sustaining the resource base for their business to thrive.

Despite the existence of an enabling policy environment for communities to participate in forest management through CFM arrangements, the process is too slow and its pace fully determined by the NFA. There is need to continuously strengthen the capacity of Community Committees on their rights, roles and responsibilities and to be more vigilant and to demand for a steady process from NFA.