Pinchot University

Abstract Planted forests are seen as a means to meet increasing demand for timber and environmental services and thus to achieve sustainable forest development. In this paper, we use the Faustmann–Hartman silvicultural investment model to demonstrate how policy instruments influence planted forest development and review such a development in China, the U.S., Brazil, and France. We find that planted forests emerge because of scarcity in timber and environmental services and develop in response to economic and policy and institutional instruments, including secure property rights, stumpage price policy, and efficient forestry governance and administration.

Traveling in time and space from the Big Bang to the Sun and through the ages of the Earth we note that energy conversion is the prime mover in the evolution of life and the universe.Reiner Kümmel (2011)

American cities are like badger holes, ringed with trash—all of them—surrounded by piles of wrecked and rusting automobiles, and almost smothered in rubbish. Everything we use comes in boxes, cartons, bins, the so-called packaging we love so much. The mountain of things we throw away is much greater than the things we use.John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America, 1962

Decentralization of governance is an emerging trend in many natural resource sectors in both developed and developing countries. Despite the normative agenda of community-based natural resource management for social and ecological outcomes, a shift to multilevel or polycentric theorizing is warranted. Polycentric governance recognizes the importance of cross-scale interactions, as well as the horizontal and vertical institutional linkages of authority, networks, and markets in which community institutions are embedded. Based on qualitative community forestry research in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, this article explores the themes of livelihood and local economy, collaborative forest planning and participation, and environmental governance. Bottom-up empirical evidence suggests that viewing community forestry through a polycentric governance network is necessary for theorizing complex cross-scale dynamics. Incentivizing policies that encourage the development of polycentric systems for natural resource governance is important for maintaining local benefits, while increasing adaptive capacity to deal with complex social–ecological challenges.

Abstract Focus groups were organized with individuals owning between 15 and 720 forested acres in northern Minnesota to better identify their understanding of, questions about, and interest in forest certification; factors that would encourage or discourage their participation in certificationprograms; and the types of certification program characteristics they preferred. Family forest landowner participants were generally unfamiliar with the concept of forest certification. They expressed concern about certification costs and benefits, its impact on land-use decisionmaking, eligibility requirements, and program administration. They also expressed clear preferences about how forest certification programs should be tailored to family forest landowners. The availability of financial assistance to help cover initial and ongoing certification costs, assurance that certification will not encumber property rights, and clear and tangible benefits were found to positively influence their interest in participation. The perspectives of other family forest landowners influenced individual attitudes toward certification. Moreover, initial attitudes toward forest certificationonly became more entrenched as landowners were provided additional information about certification—skeptics became more disinterested while those inclined to participate became even more so. Recommendations for foresters, forest policymakers, and forest certification program leaders are presented that would encourage more family forest landowner participation in certification.

Abstract Minnesota family forest owners were surveyed to assess their perspectives on forest certification. The study found that in spite of the increased visibility of forest certification, its awareness among family forest owners continues to be low. Moreover, after developing an understanding of forest certification, only 4% of family forest owners were certain they wanted to certify their forests, and 19% were sure they would never want to do so. Landowners familiar with certification were no more likely to certify than those who had not heard of the concept. The design and outcomes of a certification program were found to have a substantial influence on landowner interest in forest certification. The lack of owner awareness and interest in forest certification, forest management plan requirement, and limited group certification opportunities suggest substantial expansion of certified family forestland is unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Abstract The Pinchot Institute for Conservation conducted a study to gauge the potential for refining certification assessment methodologies through research in school forests involving faculty, staff, and students. The study was based on a series of interviews with certification experts and a survey completed by 38 schools with research and teaching forests. It evaluated the potential for better use of untapped capacity at research universities by addressing needed improvements in certification programs, current level of participation by school forests, and capacity for and interest in certification. Facilitating the dialogue and coordination between the certification programs and the students, faculty, and staff who conduct research in school forests can refine the assessment methodologies used for certification.