Abstract
Society has grappled with the concept of managing forests sustainably for several decades. As one of the most widespread of the earths 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. Canadas 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
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
