To take appropriate forest conservation and rehabilitation measures, it is important to assess the views and perception of community at local level. This study, therefore, attempted to assess the farmers’ perception to deforestation, causes of deforestation and its impacts in Chencha woreda, South Ethiopia. In addition, the study also tried to identify the methods owned by the local farmers for management of forest. The primary data were collected via questionnaire from 330 household heads selected through stratified-systematic sampling. Additionally, interview and FGDs were conducted with purposively selected individuals. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. As the study revealed, majority of participants confirmed that there has been severe deforestation with increasing rate since1990 in the study area. Population growth, increasing of wood demand, encroachment of agricultural land, illegal cutting, using forest as grazing land and source of income and weak forest administration were some of anthropogenic causes to deforestation in the woreda. Some of the problems facing the local community as a result of deforestation were shortage of wood, loss of indigenous plants, climate instability, heavy flood and soil erosion. Even though they failed to cope up with the current deforestation, farmers have their own forest management traditional bylaws, system and methods. We conclude that, forest resource in the study area has multiple functions beside to ecological contributions. In order to harness its values sustainably and address the existing serious deforestation, all stakeholders should work together and try to implement sound forest management system including the establishment of institution.

Keywords: Deforestation, Perception, Chencha