Local forests are socio-ecological systems that have been managed for centuries by local populations around the world through small-scale practices and local knowledge. These forests provide livelihoods and are important for local social and cultural identities. However, they have often not been properly recognized in policy frameworks. While sustainable development approaches may provide opportunities, globalization and external interventions have also threatened local forest management through issues like conflicting claims over forest resources and the prioritization of markets over local patrimonial systems. Fully understanding local forests requires examining the actors and processes shaping them across different scales of time and space.