Forests have played a vital role in the socio-economic and cultural life of the tribal people of India. These tribalgroups inhabit wide ecological and geo-climatic conditions in different concentrations throughout the country. A maximumof 67.40 percent respondents belonged to the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe As high as 73.3 percent respondents werefrom nuclear type with medium family size of 5 to 8 members (51.4%). As far as education is concerned 20.8 percentfamilies were completely illiterate. Maximum percent of families (78.1 %) lived in the Kuchha tiled roof houses. Maximumpercentage of 71.4 were not having any agricultural land and the main household occupation of 72.6 percent respondentswas Agricultural labour and maximum percentage of families was having more than one subsidiary occupation dependingupon the type of occupation available during the particular season. Highest percentage of families (41.9%) belonged to lowincome group. Totally 22 different kinds of NTFP’s are collected from the study area and five NTFPs were commonlycollected in all the three districts, namely muttala leaves, tumri leaves, karonda fruits, fuel wood and jamoon fruits. Themain household occupation of 72.6 percent respondents was Agricultural labour and maximum percentage of families washaving more than one subsidiary occupation depending upon the type of occupation available during the particular season.Highest percentage of families (41.9%) belonged to low income group. The average annual income from all sources in theselected families in all districts was observed to be ` 18, 896.16 per year. On an average 10.30 percent of the total incomeis contributed from NTFPs alone in the study area. Highest average income was from the sale of shikakai (` 3150.00) inNorth Kanara district followed by sale of fuel wood (` 2522.96) in two districts. A maximum of 16.01 percent contributionfrom NTFPs was observed in Haveri district followed by North Kanara district in which 13.38 percent income from NTFPswas depicted. In Dharwad district the NTFP income contribution was only 10.55percent.