Fair and Effective Decision Making in Forest Management Planning

Abstract

Creating a fair and effective decision-making process in forest management planning is more than a lofty public policy goal; it is increasingly becoming a legal requirement. An integral component of a fair and effective decision-making process is an effective public involvement process. By increasing public involvement, both the process and outcomes from the process should be perceived as fairer and, consequently, more effective. This study examines the utility of applying the social psychology paradigm of procedural fairness to decision-making processes in forest management planning. Specifically, we examine whether the involvement level that resource-based tourism operators have with Ontario's forest management planning process influences their evaluations of the process and outcomes from the process. The study also contributes toward identifying effective and measurable indicators to assess fair and effective decision making in forest management planning, which could serve in a criteria and indicator framework of forest sustainability.