Forest Policy Analysis [Paperback]

Professor Max Krott, Director of the Institute of Forest Policy and Nature Conservation at the University of G?ttingen, Germany, introduces the most important political players and stakeholders, including the forest owners, the general population, forest workers and employees, forest associations and administration, as well as the media. He illustrates the political and regulatory instruments using examples in current forest policy. Forest Policy Analysis places a special emphasis on the informal processes that are indispensable in understanding practical politics. References made to current English and German-language publications on forest policy studies enable further information to be found with concern to special issues.Although forest policy is an established course in most European university forestry curricula, apart from a special predilection of the teacher, its content varies from country to country according to the position of the forest sector in the domestic economy and society. In some countries, forestry is the backbone of a strong wood-processing industry, in others, recreational uses and amenity values of forests dominate. Despite these differences, all countries have in common the fact that the diversity of interests in forests has increased. Although timber production will not lose its importance in the future, as timber is a renewable resource, the demand for non-wood products and services has increased considerably. This is best reflected by the new notion of sustainable forest management which strives at the reconciliation of economic, ecological, social, cultural and spiritual interests in forests. In addition, the diversity of stakeholders has increased. Forestry is no longer solely the topic of forest associations and forest administration, but also of a multitude of governmental and non-governmental organisations dealing with activities which either affect forest management or are affected by it. Finally, the rlÒ