Two communities in the west-central Honduran region of Orica will be in charge of control and management of 496,000 hectares of forest as part of the benefits granted under the March 2008 Forestry Law. Through an agro-forestry cooperative, the communities of Guillén and El Potrero will begin their responsibilities Jul. 21 for a pine forest and taking care of the area's rivers and watersheds.

“We anxiously awaited this moment, which has finally come,” Guillén resident Juana Amador told Tierramérica.

“We are going to use the forest to trade lumber at a fair price and use the income to promote programs for water and sanitation, and education,” she said.