An optimal allocation of forestland between conservation and community forestry in the Preah Sihanouk National Park, Cambodia

Competing interests over the park's land use between conservation and forest use result in many conflicts. The conservation group is interested in seeing more land be allocated for conservation, while the community forestry-working group is interested in seeing more land be allocated for community forestry, but both view that their utilities would be maximized if they consume some of the other's good. The conservation group values the land based on zone because of conservation value, while the community forestry values the land based on habitat because of productivity. This study optimizing preferences of both groups attempts to propose the optimal allocation of the park's forestland between the two interests. The result suggests that the total evergreen forest land in the general conservation zone could be allocated 2,742 ha for conservation and 1,871 ha for community forestry and the total evergreen forest land in the managed resource zone could be allocated 237 ha for conservation and 475 ha for community forestry. And the total mangrove forestland in the general conservation zone could be allocated 608 ha for conservation and 352 ha for community forestry and the total mangrove forestland in the managed resource zone could be allocated 585 ha for conservation and 1,079 ha for community forestry. For better management, it is recommended that all community forestry land should be confined in the managed resource zone only rather than in both zones. This requires some of the land in the general conservation zone be added into the managed resource zone.