In the context of Laos, village use forest (VUF) management system has based on both legal system and customary practices. Villagers have rights to harvest and utilize forest resources in village use forest, and forestland surrounding their community farmland. However, harvesting timber from the village use forest and supply timber to the commercial process is not yet allowed by laws. We obtained various legislation and legal framework and gray documents for review. For the case study, two villages in Mahaxay and Yommalat of Khammouane Province were selected. We collected information from staffs of the District Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO), and carried out the field survey and conducted groups discussion with village organization’s members and including villagers.

This study highlights the key legislation for unlocking or and allowing VUF for entry into the commercial process should be concerned, reviewed, developed and updated. The monitoring and controlling mechanism should be set and included in the system. It’s functional should not be hampered villagers to benefit from forest resources harvesting. Likewise, the institutional setting and arrangement for VUF should be restructured and strengthened. The VUF timber supply chain should have an appropriate system, eligible for FLEGT license in the near future, and be able to implement by the local villagers and the local authorities in a sustainability manner.