Making moola and muddling along - trees, poor people and policies in Himachal Pradesh

Poor people often rely heavily on forest goods and services. This Briefing Note explores how policy has influenced, and not influenced, the relationship between poor people and trees, and how in future policy might increase its influence for the better, in Himachal Pradesh (HP), India. The focus is on five major policy arenas: Panchayati Raj institutions, timber distribution rights, joint forest management, nomadic graziers and medicinal plants. It highlights that though these arenas are messy, evidence from changes over time suggest that there are ways of linking sound information and experience to well-wielded policy argument and key political moments to hasten change in the right direction for forest-linked livelihoods. The Note concludes by highlighting options to improve the policy process.