Challenges of Forest Governance: A Perspective from the United States Sally Collins Associate Chief, U.S. Forest Service.

Challenges of Forest Governance: Challenges of Forest Governance:

A Perspective from the United A Perspective from the United StatesStates

Sally CollinsAssociate Chief,

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. family

Government publication, 1930s:

“Forestry and Permanent Prosperity”

Changing values/landscapes

“Make love, not lumber”

--1970s protest sign

Wilderness Act, 1964

National Environmental Policy Act, 1969

National Forest Management Act, 1976

etc.…

Hard times

TV, Internet, i-Pods, videogames, chatrooms, MySpace …

Declining forest health

Second family

77% of forestland worldwide is under government control

Deforestation/erosion

Global market for wood

Value added(e.g., China)

Raw log suppliers(e.g., Indonesia)

End consumers(e.g., U.S.)

Climate change

0123456789

10

1965 1975 1985 1995 2006

Area burned, United States

(millions of acres)

Rural poverty

Forestland ownershipUnited States

33%

9%

58%

Federal

State/local

Individual/firm

Worldwide

77%

11%

12%

Government

Community/indigenous

Individual/firm

Children’s connection to nature

Loss of ecosystem services(per Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)

Type of service Global status

Fresh water

Capture fisheries

Wild foods

Genetic resources

Air quality regulation

Erosion control

Water purification

Pollination

etc.

Global interdependence

Global climate change

Global resourcedegradation

(loss of ecosystem services)

Global markets for wood

Global poverty

Aldo Leopold

“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology,

but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension

of ethics.”

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Relationships to the land

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin

to use it with love and respect.”

--Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949)

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Forest governance

Relationships are key

Global forestry

U.S. Forest Service technical assistance programs in sustainable forestry

U.S. forest landownership

33%

8%

1%

58%

Federal govt

State govt

Local govt

Private

Strengthening relationships

Where should our focus be?

““For people to work for For people to work for conservation, conservation,

conservation must work conservation must work for people”for people”