**4.3. Valorization of forest resources**

According to the forestry and decentralization laws of Cameroon, council forestry is an opportunity for the valorization of forest resources emanating from council forests. The sustainability of valued-added wood products has been well documented. For instance, as Kozak [14] puts it:

"Catalyzing the value-added wood products sector has been embraced by most stake-holders – government, industry, organized labor, communities, Aboriginal peoples, environmental groups – as a sensible and rational vehicle to transform the forest sector…. Deriving more value and creating more jobs per volume of wood cut is seen as a conservation-based strategy for attaining the tenuous balance between economic well-being, environmental sustainability, and community health and vitality."

Market opportunities for value-added wood products currently exist both within Cameroon and all over the world [15]. Indeed, in the United States alone, higher value wood products represent a US\$200 billion market [14]. Apart from value-added wood products, valorization of NTFPs from council forests in Cameroon can provide a great opportunity for improving the livelihoods and income of forest dependent communities as well as municipalities were the forest is located. As Tieguhong et al. [16] explain, valorization of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) in African communities can increase the revenue of these communities, thus contributing to poverty alleviation.
