Learning from community forestry experience: Challenges and lessons from British Columbia

Abstract

A multiple case study approach is used to investigate community forest implementation challenges in British Columbia, Canada. Stakeholder interviews, document review and visits to the case sites (Denman Island, Malcolm Island, Cortes Island and Creston) were used to collect data on events occurring between 1990 and 2005. In addition to case-specific challenges, our analysis confirmed common challenges related to a lack of support, consensus, and organizational resources as well as poor forest health and timber profiles, resistance from conventional forest management, and competition for land and tenures. Development pressure emerged as a challenge for communities without land use decision making authority. The final section offers some lessons and recommendations. Key words: community forest, community forestry, forest management, community-based natural resource management, local control, challenges, case studies