Metla Project 3286

Participatory planning in state and private owned forests

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Duration: 2000-2004   Keywords: Interactive planning, forest visualization, quantitative and qualitative analysis, values and preferences
Research Program: Forest Management Planning

Objectives

The aim of the project is to study participatory forest planning in forests owned by state (FFRI, FPS), municipalities and private people. The purpose of the participatory forest planning is to give a chance to citizens and interest groups to influence on decision-making concerning the management and using of forests. One target of the process is to adjust the objects of the several interest groups. In this project the values and the aims of the participants and the factors affecting them are studied. Also, the dynamics of the decision-making and the interaction in the planning process are analysed. One target of the project is to develop interactive forest planning and decision-support methods to be put into practice. The target of developing methods, which can utilise both quantitative and qualitative decision analysis for forest planning, is essential in the project.

A joint co-operative project studies how the regional network of forestry manages to implement the aims of the FNFP and supporting regional development. The regional network of forestry means 1) stakeholders, that have participated in the formulations of the regional forest programme, and 2) stakeholders that participate in forestry advisory work and in area and forest holding planning. The implementation of the Finland's National Forest Programme (FNFP; for more details, please see the Internet-pages of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ) and sustainable forestry assumes interaction between regional and national level. The regional forest programmes and regional development projects are new planning situations for the Forestry Centres.

Concerning Forestry Centres the existing practices of forest planning and forest advisory work are analysed by using the actor-network analysis. New models for co-operation, that are based on 'the planning as learning' approach, are developed.

Results

Research project has produced information concerning participatory planning and management of urban forests in Finland and in the other Nordic countries. Issues of urban ecology have also been investigated. The project 'Fragmentation of urban forests' has produced information about effects of fragmentation and intensive recreational use on understory vegetation. In addition the project has published scientific articles concerning public participation in private owned forests and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in natural resource and environmental decision making.

Concerning the study on regional networks and the implementation of the National Forest Programme, four forestry Centres are included in the study: Southern and Northern Ostrobothnia, Lapland and Kainuu. The results so far address that there exists three kind of co-operation networks in Forestry Centres. These are: close, contact and rare networks. The close network includes Forestry Centre, forest management associations and forest industry. It seems that the close network brings the Forestry Centre apart from other stakeholders and their networks and aims of forestry. Specially this concerns nature tourism entrepreneurs, environmental non governmental organisations and reindeer owners' associations.

The aims of forestry seem to be similar in every Forestry Centre. This is inconsistent, because the natural and socio-economical conditions varies between regions. For example, stakeholders give same importance for nature conservation, independently if there is 26% of 1.2% of forests conserved in the region in question. Thus, it seems that the aims of regional stakeholders are based on the national discussion and aims, not the regional resources and situation.

Project leader: Löfström, Irja
The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Unit, PL 18, FI-01301 VANTAA, FINLAND
Phone: +358 10 211 2418 Telefax: +358 10 211 2203
E-mail: irja.lofstrom@metla.fi

Other researchers: Fritze, Hannu, VA (2002), Hamberg, Leena (2001-02), Kangas, Jyrki (2000-03), Leskinen, Leena, JO (2001-03), Lovén, Lasse, JO (2002-03), Malmivaara-Lämsä, Minna (2000-02), Tönnes, Susan (2003), Vanha-Majamaa, Ilkka, VA (2001)


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Updated 31.12.2007
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