1st Edition
Forest Policy and Governance in the United States An Introduction
This new textbook provides an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to both the policy background and contemporary governance of forests in the United States.
Starting with a history of the development of forest policies and conservation agencies, the book then explores the diversity of forest owners, users, and uses and examines emerging approaches to forest governance that cross traditional jurisdictional and property boundaries. It tackles key contemporary issues such as the forest water nexus, the conservation of threatened and endangered species, and the challenges of managing fire, insect, and disease dynamics under a changing climate. Key focal areas include the emergence of collaborative approaches to forest governance, community forest relationships, changes to corporate timberland ownership, and contemporary governance mechanisms such as certification and payments for ecosystem services. This text raises the "big questions" about the distribution of rights and responsibilities in forest management, the tensions between equity and efficiency, and how to sustain a diversity of forest values under the pressures of ecological and social complexity. Written in an accessible and engaging manner, this textbook provides a timely synthesis of both the foundations and current trends and issues in forest policy and governance in the United States with a strong emphasis on illustrative real-world cases.
Forest Policy and Governance in the United States is essential reading for students in forest and natural resource policy courses and will be of great use to students in environmental governance courses. It will also be of interest to policymakers and professionals working in forest conservation and in the forest industry.
1. Early Forest Policy and Governance 2. Forestry and the National Interest 3. Late Twentieth Century Forest History 4. Forests, Wildlife, and Water 5. Climate Change, Disturbances, and Adaptation 6. State and County Government Roles 7. Tribal Forests and Forestry 8. Family Forests 9. Corporate Forests and Forestry 10. Communities and Forests 11. Unseen Forest Users and Uses 12. Policy Trends, Controversies, and Proposals for Change
Biography
Jesse Abrams is an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Policy and Sustainability in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, USA.
"Forest Policy and Governance in the United States: An Introduction incorporates deep historical research, integration of theoretical frameworks, and an inclusive approach to understanding the complexity of forest policy. The details of some of today’s most important trends and debates are made accessible through numerous real-world examples. This text fills the enormous need for an updated work on US forest policy and governance."
Dr. Courtney Schultz, Associate Professor of Forest and Natural Resource Policy and Director of the Public Lands Policy Group, Colorado State University
"In Forest Policy and Governance in the United States: An Introduction, Jesse Abrams takes us beyond a simplistic mountaintop view of America’s forested landscapes to the diverse array of ownerships, governance institutions, management approaches, uses and users, social values, environmental dynamics, and policies operating beneath the canopy. This comprehensive and outstanding volume is essential reading for anyone engaged with forest issues in the United States today."
Dr. Susan Charnley, Research Social Scientist, Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service
"Forest Policy and Governance in the United States: An Introduction is an important new survey of key topics in forest policy and governance. It includes a variety of perspectives, examples from every region, and broad consideration of issues impacting both public and private lands in an engaging, easy-to-read style."
Mindy S. Crandall, Assistant Professor of Forest Policy Oregon State University
"We need more students trained in the science and art of forest and natural resource policy. And we need policy textbooks and case studies students want to read. Forest Policy and Governance in the United States: An Introduction provides a clear and complete treatment of a complex topic and is written in an engaging style that will hold students' interest."
Dennis Becker, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho
