The objective of this assessment was to determine the status of USAID's Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) program activities in the Southern Africa region as a part of RCSA's internal planning process for the development of strategies for the next planning cycle. This is neither an evaluation nor a design element in the process of management of USAID's regional portfolio; the information provided here is a short summary of the regional experiences since original pilot effort funding for CBNRM commenced in 1989.