Chirungu village in Kibale District, Western Uganda, is a relatively new settlement surrounded by Rwoho Forest Reserve. In 1950, Bakiga farmers from Kigezi District settled in Chirungu. Their main reason for migration was land shortage due to over population. By the end of the decade, the population increased and these new migrants mounted pressure on the land holdings, so they started cultivating in the forested areas. So, the people in the settlement depend entirely on agriculture and the forest for a living. The forest is the sole source of fuel wood, building poles, grass, and water for the residents and their animals. There is no alternative source of the above forest products so the forest is likely to be endangered, if harvesting is not sustainable.
At present, the condition of the forest is relatively good since exploitation and use of the resource is not pronounced at the moment. The residents mainly use the forest reserve for subsistence consumption. Illegal commercial harvesting of the forest products is not prominent. The only activity that goes on illegally in the forest is grazing since it is not permitted to graze in the forest reserve.
The major problems include the poor road networks, which make transport very difficult. This implies that there are no proper outlets for the commercial agricultural products to places outside the settlement and the lack of social services for the community. However poor road networks makes timber trade impossible and that is why illegal pitsawing is almost none existence.