The Mission of Uganda Forestry Resources and Institutions Center (UFRIC) : "To ensure sustainability of forestry resources in Uganda through systematic data collection and analysis for use in forest policy formulation". UFRIC activities in Uganda started in September 1993 with the initial team undergoing training in multidisciplinary research methodologies at the Forestry Department of Makerere University. During the first year, four sites comprising five forests were covered in the different ecological zones. Currently 20 sites have been covered, and all the data has been entered in the IFRI database both in Uganda and at Indiana University. The main goals of UFRIC are similar to the overall goals and objectives of IFRI. The information obtained is intended to provide insight for the people who use forest resources so that they can continue to use the trees and the forest resources around them in perpetuity. In Uganda, most local communities have little or no participation in the management of forests and tree resources surrounding them. To a large extent, this has been due to policy, legislation, and resource management systems that are highly centralized. Therefore, it is the objective of UFRIC that the information being collected will enable both the policy makers and the local people participate in the sustainable use of the forest resources surrounding them. It is the long term plan of UFRIC to conduct routine follow-up studies so that institutional and vegetation change over time can be evaluated. This will further assist in making appropriate decisions with regard to forest resources.