The Forestry and Wildlife Law of 1994 has many shortcomings that render it inadequate to respond to the socio-economic and cultural needs of the local populations, environmental resilience and carbon sequestration, and therefore needs revision. It is against this background that this study has been designed to attain the following objectives. To come out with documented claims and proposals from local communities on their resource rights for the purpose of the ongoing process of reviewing the 1994 Forestry and Wildlife Law in Cameroon. More specifically, the study was expected: 1.To review existing literature on the 1994 Forestry and Wildlife Law. Emphasis here will be on texts relating to land tenure, access rights, and cost and benefit sharing vis-à-vis local communities and the provisions of the 1994 Forestry and Wildlife Law. The review will also extend to case studies of scenario where such claims have and have not been considered. Such a comparison will provide a focus for decision-making. 2.To carry out a participatory mapping of the claims and proposals of local communities from their perception of the provisions of the 1994 Forestry and Wildlife Law after review in working groups. In this case, attention will be on the weaknesses of the law such as abuses of the law, lacuna, incomprehensive and conflictual provisions of the law that infringe on their resource and access rights, and cost and benefit sharing. 3.To spatially map out areas of horizontal and vertical conflicts using a GPS for the update of existing maps. Emphasis here will be on areas of conflicts due to interest of stakeholders and those resulting from the absence of a harmonious legal framework for government services such as forestry, environment, mining, public works, rural development and agriculture. 4.To synthesize the claims of the local populations
