Participatory decision support for sustainable forest management: a framework for planning with local communities at the landscape level in Canada

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.

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


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


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stasys Mizaras ◽  
Asta Doftartė ◽  
Diana Lukminė

The development of private forestry in Lithuania has raised the problem of its sustainability assessment. In order for private forest management in small holdings to be based on sustainability principles, this sustainability must be characterized by a system of measurable criteria and indicators. The purpose of the study is to assess the sustainability of Lithuanian private forestry. Based on European and other processes on criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management for the first time Lithuanian private forestry sustainability was assessed. The assessment model is based on the multicriteria analysis and includes 7 steps: 1) criteria and indicators, 2) their importance, 3) values of indicators, 4) target indicators, 5) assessment scales, 6) assessment of indicators, 7) overall assessment. The article describes the small-scale private forestry of Lithuania, the model of its sustainability assessment and the results of the assessment. The assessment score for the sustainability of Lithuanian private forestry is 3.2 on the 5-point scale.


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


2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 810-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Bouthillier ◽  
Amélie Roberge

Public participation is acknowledged as a part of the decision-making process in forest management. However, industries and organizations related to forest management understand and implement “participation” in different ways, resulting in a variety of mechanisms used to involve citizens in the decision-making process. In this research, seven public involvement processes conducted within forest certification initiatives were analyzed using a scale of intentions. The results showed that each norm studied implied a specific intention with respect to public participation. These intentions also demonstrate that the forest industry still has some efforts to do in order to reach a real adaptive management. Key words: public participation, forest certification, stakeholders’ involvement, intentions


2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (12) ◽  
pp. 472-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Kissling-Näf

A group of international experts evaluated whether the aims and instruments of Swiss forest policy are suitable for the promotion of sustainable forest management based on the pan-European criteria. Approach and main results are presented as well as the method developed for the definition of sustainability indicators as an instrument for the evaluation of sectoral policies and the possibility of a transfer of methods and indicators on an international level.


Forests ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 859-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Floris Dalemans ◽  
Paul Jacxsens ◽  
Jos Van Orshoven ◽  
Vincent Kint ◽  
Pieter Moonen ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 1150-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Robson ◽  
Julie Rosenthal ◽  
R. Harvey Lemelin ◽  
Len M. Hunt ◽  
Norman McIntyre ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1716-1733
Author(s):  
Fiacre Codjo Ahononga ◽  
Gérard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou ◽  
Samadori Sorotori Honoré Biaou ◽  
Séverin Biaou ◽  
Roland Christel Sonounameto

Forests have been undergoing diverse threats due to human activities and these may affect their role as Ecosystem Services (ES) providers. Therefore, it becomes crucial to undertake some analysis of the current socio-economic context of ES offerings to provide valuable information for the decision-making process and policy regarding sustainable forest management. This study aimed at highlighting the local perception of ES in two contrasting ecological regions. 689 respondents distributed in six districts were interviewed through a semi-structured survey on the various ES and their assessment. The analysis in principal components is used to understand socio-cultural group perception. Then, we used Beta regression to know how socio-economic factors influence the rate of people knowledge of ES. Our results show that provisioning services were more overall perceived, followed by cultural services and regulating services. Youth perceived less regulating and supporting services. Furthermore, cultural services were the most perceived by the seniors. The perception of provisioning and regulating services is influenced respectively by education level and the poverty index. Taking into account the local perception of the different actors and the factors in the decision-making, local development can be improved in compliance with the objectives of biodiversity conservation.Keywords: Local perceptions, Ecosystem Services, environmental education, forest management, Benin Republic.


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