The model forest concept: a model for future forest management?

Abstract

Society has been wrestling with the concept of managing forests sustainably for several years. As one of the most widespread of the earth's ecosystems and as a renewable resource providing a wide range of consumptive and nonconsumptive 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 of sustainable forest management in practice. In this paper, some of the key foundations of sustainable forest management are reviewed, including the balancing of economic and environmental objectives in society, the philosophy of ecosystem management, the role of science and technology in forest management, public participation in decision making, and the internationalization of forest issues. To examine the practical implications of these concepts, four very different case studies of attempts to implement sustainable forest management in Canada are examined and discussed. These model forests are part of a network of 10 such sites in Canada, which are linked with several others in Mexico, Russia, Malaysia, and the United States. They combine the interests, mandates, and objectives of government agencies, aboriginal peoples, communities, and many other stakeholders for the purpose of creating a comprehensive vision and program of work aimed at achieving sustainable forest management in the areas concerned. Each model is unique, however, and reflects the local context. The authors conclude that the future of forest management will be based on a government acceptance of delegation of responsibility to such partnerships and on the application of diverse and innovative solutions to forest management issues.Key words: sustainable forest management, model forest, ecosystem management, integrated resource management, public participation, Canada.