The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is the national organization mandated to establish and manage protected areas in Jordan. Established in 1966, it manages 10 PAs totalling 3,000Km2, representing 3% of the country. Also, RSCN leads the national program on socioeconomic development of rural communities, living in and around PAs, focusing on sustainable resource management and ecotourism. With an area of ​​20 km2, the Yarmouk Forest Reserve (YFR) is located in the northern corner of the Kingdom. YFR aims to conserve the relic forests of the deciduous oak in Jordan. YFR embraces four vegetation types including 450 species of plants, 150 species of animals, a 100 of which are birds. Further, YFR is of high cultural importance including the Archaeological City of Um Qais and the living heritage in small towns with their traditional practices. Communities living around YFR are mainly rural and depend on seasonal farming and livestock herding for their livelihoods.