Devolution of authority over natural resource management is now well advanc
ed for the mega-fauna in Zimbabwe, through the CAMPFIRE program. We ask whe
ther models like CAMPFIRE can be applied to a broader spectrum of woodland
resources. Problems in applying CAMPFIRE to woodland resources relate to a
legal and policy framework that is not enabling to local management; weaken
ed local institutional structures; a high degree of differentiation with re
spect to woodland resource use within communities; problems of defining res
ource user groups; and, the potentially low market value of woodland produc
ts. In identifying circumstances where CAMPFIRE may be applied successfully
to woodland resources, economic, sociological, and ecological circumstance
s must be considered.