In search of sustainability : British Columbia forest policy in the 1990s

In recent years, the forests of British Columbia have become a battleground over sustainable resource development. The conflicts are ever present, usually pitting environmentalists against the forest industry and forestry workers and communities. In an effort to broker peace in the woods, British Columbia’s government launched a number of promising new forest policy initiatives in the 1990s.The authors are Benjamin Cashore, Auburn University; George Hoberg, University of British Columbia; Michael Howlett, Simon Fraser University; Jeremy Rayner, Malaspina University College; and Jeremy Wilson, University of Victoria__In Search of Sustainability__ brings together a group of political scientists to examine this extraordinary burst of policy activism. Focusing on how much change has occurred and why, the authors examine seven components of BC forest policy: land use, forest practices, tenure, Aboriginal issues, timber supply, pricing, and jobs. The authors conclude that despite the astonishing level of activism, the government’s search for sustainability - whether measured by environmental, social, economic, or political indicators - has ultimately failed. In recent years, the forests of British Columbia have become a battleground over sustainable resource development. The conflicts are ever present, usually pitting environmentalists against the forest industry and forestry workers and communities. In an effort to broker peace in the woods, British Columbia’s government launched a number of promising new forest policy initiatives in the 1990s. The authors are Benjamin Cashore, Auburn University; George Hoberg, University of British Columbia; Michael Howlett, Simon Fraser University; Jeremy Rayner, Malaspina University College; and Jeremy Wilson, University of Victoria In Search of Sustainability brings together a group of political scientists to examine this extraordinary burst of policy activism. Focusing on how much change has occurred and why, the authors examine seven components of BC forest policy: land use, forest practices, tenure, Aboriginal issues, timber supply, pricing, and jobs. The authors conclude that despite the astonishing level of activism, the government’s search for sustainability - whether measured by environmental, social, economic, or political indicators - has ultimately failed. Policy Cycles And Policy Regimes: A Framework For Studying Policy Change / George Hoberg -- Experimentation On A Leash: Forest Land Use Planning In The 1990s / Jeremy Wilson -- The 6 Percent Solution: The Forest Practices Code / George Hoberg -- The Politics Of Long-term Policy Stability: Tenure Reform In British Columbia Forest Policy / Michael Howlett -- Policy Venues, Policy Spillovers, And Policy Change: The Courts, Aboriginal Rights, And British Columbia Forest Policy / Michael Howlett -- Fine-tuning The Settings: The Timber Supply Review / Jeremy Rayner -- Timber Pricing In British Columbia: Change As A Function Of Stability / Benjamin Cashore -- Don't Forget The Government Can Do Anything: Policies Toward Jobs In The Bc Forest Sector / George Hoberg -- Conclusion: Change And Stability In Bc Forest Policy / Benjamin Cashore [and Others] ... Benjamin Cashore ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [300]-318) And Index. In recent years, the forests of British Columbia have become a battleground for sustainable resource development. The conflicts are ever present, usually pitting environmentalists against the forest industry and forestry workers and communities. In an effort to broker peace in the woods, British Columbias NDP government launched a number of promising new forest policy initiatives in the 1990s. In Search of Sustainability brings together a group of political scientists to examine this extraordinary burst of policy activism. Focusing on how much change has occurred and why, the authors examine seven components of BC forest land use, forest practices, tenure, Aboriginal issues, timber supply, pricing, and jobs. A provocative, sobering examination of British Columbia's forest industry in the 1990s.