How is state interest visible in colonial forest policy?

Correct answer: By prioritising timber revenue and controlled forest use

Answer: B, by prioritising timber revenue and controlled forest use. A state shows its interest through the resources it controls and the benefits it seeks. Colonial governments surveyed forests, regulated access and promoted the extraction of commercially valuable timber. Forest rules could restrict customary uses by local communities while reserving wood for government works, trade or revenue. Thus the policy treated forests as resources to be managed for state power and income, not simply as community spaces. A is wrong because colonial policy generally did not hand over all forests to local people. C is wrong because forests were actively used and exploited rather than always protected. D is wrong because plantations and commercial forestry were often encouraged, not ended. Memory cue: state interest equals control plus revenue plus regulated use.