Abstract This paper describes the development of two community-managed protected areas in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Specifically, it focuses on the diverse factors that have allowed the community-based reserves initiatives to unfold and analyzes some of the social-institutional structures that communities have constructed for autochthonous management of land and resources. The information for this paper was gathered through institutional analysis employing semi-structured, open-ended interviews with administrators, manager-practitioners, local farmers, and community representatives from the Chimalapas and Sierra Juárez regions of Oaxaca. The results of this study support the conclusion that, given strong social institutions, local communities can successfully form management partnerships for forest conservation and autochthonous development. Key Words: Autochthonous developmentcommunity-based conservationinstitutionOaxacaMexicoprotected areas