社區林業（ community forestry ）其經營理念在強調社區民眾參與地方森林資源經營，與林業機關共同分擔經營發展和維護管理責任並分享執行成果。由林務局於民國91年3月起試辦「社區林業─居民參與保育共生計畫」開始，實施後普受各界支持肯定與熱烈迴響。社區林業計畫內容上概分為「生態保育篇」、「森林保護篇」、「森林育樂篇」、「樹木與生活篇」等四篇章；在申請程序上，林務局訂定有「社區林業計畫作業規範」，社區可依此標準作業程序操作。

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社區林業計畫採循序漸進的方式分三階段推動，最重要的核心精神在於強調培養社區居民「由下而上」、「社區自主」、「居民參與」、「永續經營」的民主精神及社區生命共同體意識，並在社區營造的過程中融入資源保育與永續利用的理念，讓社區整體發展能建構在資源保育的基礎上。

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Community Forestry emphasizes the participation of local communities in the management of forest resources, sharing the responsibility for development, maintenance, and conservation with forestry agencies, and sharing the outcomes of implementation. The "Community Forestry - Resident Participation Conservation Coexistence Program" was initiated by the Forestry Bureau in March 2002 and has received widespread support, recognition, and enthusiastic response. The content of the Community Forestry program can be broadly categorized into four chapters: "Ecological Conservation," "Forest Protection," "Forest Recreation," and "Trees and Livelihood." The Forestry Bureau has established the "Operational Guidelines for Community Forestry Program" as the application procedure, providing communities with standardized operational procedures to follow.

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The Community Forestry Program is implemented in three progressive stages, with the core principle emphasizing the cultivation of a "bottom-up," "community-driven," "resident participation," and "sustainable management" democratic spirit and community consciousness. It integrates the concepts of resource conservation and sustainable utilization into the process of community development, ensuring that the overall development of the community is based on the foundation of resource conservation.