Why did commercial forestry increase tension between forest dwellers and the colonial state?

Correct answer: Because the state increased control over local uses

The direct answer is option A: the state increased control over local uses. Commercial forestry aimed to produce timber regularly for colonial needs. The reasoning is: forests were classified and reserved; officials made rules about cutting wood, collecting forest produce, and grazing; many communities depended on these activities for fuel, fodder, food, shifting cultivation, and income; restrictions therefore harmed customary rights and livelihoods; this produced tension between forest dwellers and the colonial state. Option A is correct because it links state control with the loss or limitation of local access. Option B is wrong because forest dwellers did not receive all forests; in many places their access became more restricted. Option C is wrong because forest laws did not end; new laws and regulations were used to control forests. Option D is wrong because timber demand did not end; commercial forestry grew precisely because the state wanted more useful timber. The important chain is commercial demand, state rules, restricted customary use, and conflict. Memory cue: more control over forests meant less local freedom, so tension increased.