Of pine trees and chainsaws: critical review of communal forestry management in San JeronimoCoatlan, Oaxaca

Abstract

Forestry exploitation in Mexico is possible because, according to the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), approximately one third of the national territory is covered by tree forest area. Through communal initiatives, several indigenous peoples have made their way into forestry, showing agency capacity over their timber resources. The objective of this article is to analyze the organization and impact of one of these initiatives in the Zapotec Municipality of San Jerónimo Coatlán (MSJC), in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, from an ethnographic perspective with the support of local documentary sources, as well as talks with community members of the Municipality. The main results show that in the mid-twentieth century, various private companies held concessions to exploit the forests, but at the end of the century local committees were created for forest exploitation from the community itself. From then on, the relationship between the forest/territory and the community is reshaped.