Canada's Model Forest Program

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 794-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis LaPierre

Society has grappled with the concept of managing forests sustainably for several decades. As one of the most widespread of the earth's ecosystems, and as a renewable resource providing a wide range of consumptive and non-consumptive benefits to society, forests have been at the centre of many policy discussions. While much progress was made at the Earth Summit in 1992 and since that time, there are few concrete examples illustrating the principles of sustainable forest management (SFM). Public participation in forest management is based on the hypothesis that if those whose daily lives are affected by the operation of a forest management system are involved in the decisions controlling the system, efforts can be made to protect the health of ecosystems and meet economic needs at the same time. At the same time, since ecological, social and economic conditions vary from place to place, there must be a wide range of participatory approaches to sustainable forest management. Canada's Model Forest Program was developed to provide public participation in decisions about how managing the forests supported by the most up-to-date science and technology. Within each model forest there exists a partnership consisting of a broad range of interests working within a neutral forum that is respectful of individual interests and united in the difficult task of addressing sustainable forest management. The strength of the Program lies in the fact that each partner has a voice in the overall decision-making within the model forest. Access to shared information and the learning process fostered through participation at individual and organizational levels are important factors motivating participation and fostering capacity-building. Model forests are showing that the inclusive partnership approach, although time-consuming, leads to better and more sustainable decisions. Key words: sustainable forest management, model forest, integrated resource management, public participation, partnerships, Canada.

2002 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 613-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis LaPierre

Society has grappled with the concept of managing forests sustainably for several decades. As one of the most widespread of the earth’s ecosystems, and as a renewable resource providing a wide range of consumptive and non-consumptive benefits to society, forests have been at the centre of many policy discussions. While much progress was made at the Earth Summit in 1992 and since that time, there are few concrete examples illustrating the principles of sustainable forest management (SFM). Public participation in forest management is based on the hypothesis that if those whose daily lives are affected by the operation of a forest management system are involved in the decisions controlling the system, efforts can be made to protect the health of ecosystems and meet economic needs at the same time. At the same time, since ecological, social and economic conditions vary from place to place, there must be a wide range of participatory approaches to sustainable forest management. Canada’s Model Forest Program was developed to provide public participation in decisions about how managing the forests supported by the most up-to-date science and technology. Within each model forest there exists a partnership consisting of a broad range of interests working within a neutral forum that is respectful of individual interests and united in the difficult task of addressing sustainable forest management. The strength of the Program lies in the fact that each partner has a voice in the overall decision-making within the model forest. Access to shared information and the learning process fostered through participation at individual and organizational levels are important factors motivating participation and fostering capacity-building. Model forests are showing that the inclusive partnership approach, although time-consuming, leads to better and more sustainable decisions. Key words: sustainable forest management, model forest, integrated resource management, public participation, partnerships, Canada


1996 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Brand ◽  
O. Thomas Bouman ◽  
Luc Bouthillier ◽  
Winifred Kessler ◽  
Louis Lapierre

Society has been wrestling with the concept of managing forests sustainably for several years. As one of the most widespread of the earth's ecosystems and as a renewable resource providing a wide range of consumptive and nonconsumptive benefits to society, forests have been at the centre of many policy discussions. While much progress was made at the Earth Summit in 1992 and since that time, there are few concrete examples of sustainable forest management in practice. In this paper, some of the key foundations of sustainable forest management are reviewed, including the balancing of economic and environmental objectives in society, the philosophy of ecosystem management, the role of science and technology in forest management, public participation in decision making, and the internationalization of forest issues. To examine the practical implications of these concepts, four very different case studies of attempts to implement sustainable forest management in Canada are examined and discussed. These model forests are part of a network of 10 such sites in Canada, which are linked with several others in Mexico, Russia, Malaysia, and the United States. They combine the interests, mandates, and objectives of government agencies, aboriginal peoples, communities, and many other stakeholders for the purpose of creating a comprehensive vision and program of work aimed at achieving sustainable forest management in the areas concerned. Each model is unique, however, and reflects the local context. The authors conclude that the future of forest management will be based on a government acceptance of delegation of responsibility to such partnerships and on the application of diverse and innovative solutions to forest management issues.Key words: sustainable forest management, model forest, ecosystem management, integrated resource management, public participation, Canada.


2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 697-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
H W Harshaw

Conceptions and challenges of public participation in British Columbia are reviewed to identify those characteristicsof planning processes that serve to benefit or constrain the interests and needs of public stakeholders. Perspectives onpublic participation, including representative and participatory democracies, and approaches to incorporating publicperspectives in decision-making (i.e., shared decision-making, consensus-building, and interest-based negotiation) arepresented to demonstrate the different approaches (and their benefits and challenges) available for providing opportunitiesfor public participation. Lessons from other natural resource management contexts are distilled and used to evaluatethe BC context. Three principal forest planning and management frameworks (the Commission on Resources and theEnvironment, Land and Resource Management Plans, and sustainable forest management certification) are examinedin light of whether meaningful opportunities for public participation were provided.Key words: public participation, British Columbia, Commission on Resources and the Environment, Land and ResourceManagement Plans, sustainable forest management certification


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1515-1526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen RJ Sheppard

There is an increasing demand for active public involvement in forestry decision making, but there are as yet few established models for achieving this in the new sustainable forest management (SFM) context. At the level of the working forest, the fields of forest sustainability assessment, public participation, decision support, and computer technology in spatial modelling and visualization need to be integrated. This paper presents the results of a literature review of public participation and decision-support methods, with emphasis on case study examples in participatory decision support. These suggest that emerging methods, such as public multicriteria analysis of alternative forest management scenarios and allied tools, may lend themselves to public processes addressing sustainability criteria and indicators. The paper develops a conceptual framework for participatory decision support to address the special needs of SFM in tactical planning at the landscape level. This framework consists of principles, process criteria, and preliminary guidelines for designing and evaluating SFM planning processes with community input. More well-documented studies are needed to develop comprehensive, engaging, open, and accountable processes that support informed decision making in forest management, and to strengthen guidance for managers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (04) ◽  
pp. 488-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Duinker

The aim of the paper is to take stock, based on my personal scholarly and practical experiences, of the progress made in Canada with criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management (C&I-SFM). Some developmental history is reviewed, and applications at national and local levels are summarized. In my opinion, Canada's work in developing and applying C&I-SFM has been beneficial, particularly in focussing forest-sector dialogues, in sensitizing people to the wide range of forest values, and in retrospective determinations of progress in SFM. Improvements over the next decade are needed in several areas: (a) improving data-collection programs; (b) linking C&I-SFM more directly into forest policy development; (c) shifting from retrospective to prospective sustainability analysis; and (d) applying C&I-SFM to non-industrial forests such as protected areas and urban forests. The C&I-SFM concept is sound. We have yet to tap its full potential in the pursuit of forest and forest-sector sustainability.


1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 961-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-André Côté ◽  
Luc Bouthillier

Supporters of sustainable forest management and forest certification are seeking to improve worldwide forest practices. Groups involved in the forest sector will have to adapt themselves to respect new environmental regulations, standards, and agreements linked to these two new concepts. Some forest stakeholders will lose several of their long-time privileges under the pressure of new actors involved in sustainable forest management. Forest managers will have to consider more social values in their planning than they used before. Sustainable forest management and forest certification thus have the potential to resolve, through public participation processes, old conflicts between stakeholders involved in forest management. However, these same processes could be the source of new conflicts. This article analyzes the ways in which relationships between forest stakeholders could be affected by new sustainable forest management rules. Key words: sustainable forest management, certification, forest stakeholder, public participation


2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason R Jabbour ◽  
David Balsillie

In recent decades, the context in which institutions of forest management make decisions to formulate management priorities has changed radically. Today, it is widely accepted that members of the public should be involved in decision-making. Despite a tremendous gain in support, however, previous literature remains critical of the design, implementation and effectiveness of public participation processes. In seeking to identify the attributes that constitute successful public participation, we conducted a critical assessment of a current process. This paper reveals the results of a case study of a land use and forest management planning initiative in central British Columbia. Our primary data include: document review; qualitative interviews with citizen members actively involved in the process (n = 14); and a random telephone survey (n = 100) of local residents (response rate = 45.6%). Through the application of six a priori evaluation criteria, we establish strengths, weaknesses and gaps of the process. Results of the study reflect a lack of institutional mechanisms in place to ensure appropriate public access and adequate representation. The findings also indicate that the incorporation of teamwork, collaborative learning and two-way information flow are important as a basis for constructive and effective public participation. Finally, we argue that the value added by such attributes can be enhanced through better design and facilitation at both the structural and operational levels. Key words: public participation, public involvement, public representation, sustainable forest management, Innovative Forest Practices Agreement


2006 ◽  
Vol 157 (10) ◽  
pp. 438-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glòria Domínguez ◽  
Jordi Tena

In recent years, sustainable forest management has become the paradigm for forest policy. In this context, national forest programmes (NFP) are defined, in the broad sense, as planning instruments to achieve sustainable forest management at both national and subnational levels. The challenges for forest policy is to increase the number of agreed strategies and improve communication relations with the wide range of stakeholders involved, as well as those posed by the multiple use of forests, which are perceived not only as a source of raw material but also of goods and services for society in general. Although the definition and the contents of NFPs in Europe is in a permanent process of improvement, redefinition and discussion, it seems clear (since it appears implicit in several of their principles) that their formulation and implementation must entail a greater involvement of society in the decision making process, and more emphasis will have to be placed on the aspects of participation. The umbrella of participation covers a wide range of different processes and in this context the need emerges to monitor and evaluate this participation. This paper describes the monitoring and evaluation and shows the main results of the participation conducted in the framework on the national forest programme of Catalonia during the years 2003 – 2005.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Paletto ◽  
Klára Báliková ◽  
Isabella De Meo

Abstract Background: Forests provide a wide range of water-related ecosystem services (WES) vital for human well-being such as groundwater recharge, runoff and water discharge to streams, soil erosion protection, aesthetic landscape and recreational opportunities. Sustainable forest management and afforestation/reforestation practices can maintain and improve the long-term provision of WES. In this context, new market-based mechanisms – Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) – can promote sustainable forest management by reducing negative externalities. To implement PES schemes for WES, many stakeholders with different knowledge, interests, and needs must be consulted and involved in the design and implementation process.Methods: The aim of this study is to investigate stakeholders’ opinions on the relationships between forests and water resources and the water-related Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes in Italy. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered by email to 39 stakeholders identified through a stakeholder analysis. The stakeholders were classified in four groups: buyers (15.4% of stakeholders), sellers (15.4%), intermediaries (43.6%), and knowledge providers (25.6%).Results and conclusions: The results show that the three most important WES provided by forests are soil erosion reduction, followed by provision of habitats for different species and surface runoff reduction. The respondents emphasize the importance of regulating and supporting services, while they minimize the importance of cultural services. For the sample of respondents, market-based instruments have an efficiency comparable to regulatory instruments, but a shared value for ecosystem services among stakeholders is required in the implementation of PES schemes. According to respondents' opinions, the public authority should play the role of both buyer and regulator, while the other stakeholders should be consulted (citizens) or actively involved (farmers’ and forest owners’ associations) in the decision-making process related to the PES schemes.


2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 709-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
D B Tindall ◽  
H W Harshaw ◽  
S R.J. Sheppard

This study draws upon the results of a survey of the general public in three communities in British Columbia to examinethe social bases of satisfaction with public participation in forest management decision-making at both the local andprovincial levels. The main findings are that those members of the general public who are relatively more biocentricallyoriented (as indicated by the NEP Scale) are less satisfied, and those who have acquaintanceship ties to people employedin the forestry sector are more satisfied. Women and those with more education were less satisfied (at the provincial level),and Vancouver residents were more satisfied (compared to Kelowna and Armstrong residents). Overall, satisfaction withpublic participation in forest management decision-making was relatively low. It was, however, slightly higher at the locallevel than at the provincial scale. Policy and research implications of this study are discussed.Key words: social networks, public participation, gender, New Ecological Paradigm, satisfaction with forest management,and sustainable forest management


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