This study proposes the strategic planning process for development in model forests, based on the case study of the Yoro Model Forest in Honduras. In this forest the timber industry –and specifically the carpentry and furniture subsector– has the greatest competitive potential for supplying products for export and generating wealth in the area, given the region’s scant purchasing capacity. Strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategic implementation are applied to this subsector, and the results show that the subsector could be developed by creating a cooperative enterprise capable of supplying furniture parts to an international company whose marketing strategy includes the sale of natural, environmentally-sustainable furniture, and which has a policy of social engagement.