Forests are seen both as an ‘amenity’ or source of natural capital, and as a ‘commodity’ of commercial interest.1 From the ecological or amenity perspective, forests absorb carbon, regulate soil and water levels and nutrients, protect biodiversity, and improve resilience and adaptation capacity. They protect against desertification, erosion and avalanches, and act as windbreaks. All these factors make them indispensable for combating climate change. They also contribute to human well-being and quality of life by providing clean air and recreation and ecotourism facilities. From the economic or commodity perspective, forests form the basis for timber production, paper, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and biomass for energy purposes. (source www.fern.org)