This article examines the manifold relations between the use of natural forest resources by forest ejidos in southern Mexico and the territorial rights situation. By using Elinor Ostrom’s theory of common property, the land rights are analyzed from the perspective of the local population, which contradicts with the national forestry legislation. It is shown how local actors pursue their strategies to access, manage and exploit their timber resources, and what implications the federal regulations bring about in this context. The study concludes that the environmental laws, actually designed to protect the tropical forests and to curb illegal logging, in complex ways contribute to a rise in uncontrolled extraction of natural resources.