Criterion 7. Legal, Institutional, and Economic Framework for Forest Conservation and
Sustainable Management
National Report on Sustainable Forests—2010
Indicator 7.50.
Extent to Which the Institutional Framework Supports the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Forests, Including the Capacity To Provide for Public Involvement Activities and
Public Education, Awareness, and Extension Programs, and Make Available Forest-Related
Information
What is the indicator and why is it important?
Well-informed, knowledgeable citizens and forest owners
create a foundation of support for applying principles of
sustainable forest management. To accomplish such a purpose
requires institutional conditions (agencies and organizations)
that are capable of promoting programs considered necessary
to inform the public and private forest owners about forest
resource sustainability.
What does the indicator show?
Federal, State, and local government programs exist that
provide education, awareness, and extension programs. Most
conspicuously, the Cooperative Extension Service is a nationwide partnership between the Federal Government, individual
States, and local counties. This program has forestry as one of
its components, although agriculture and rural development,
and consumer and home economics are perhaps more prominent in many parts of the country. The United States also has
separate State efforts for environmental and natural resource
education, and a plethora of local governments run such
programs for the general public and school children.
Many entities provide information and education about forests
as part of their ongoing educational, technical assistance,
research, forest protection, and planning efforts. These entities
include not only government, schools, and universities but also
most environmental nongovernmental organization, such as
forestry associations, professional societies, forestry interest
groups, broad conservation organizations, and environmental
activist groups.
Outreach and education also are required as part of forest
certification systems. And many companies have some
environmental education activities and facilities, although these
have dwindled with the decrease in vertically integrated forest
products firms that own forest land.
What has changed since 2003?
Various changes have occurred in public education, awareness,
and extension programs for forestry since 2003. Continued
agency budgets are authorized under the Federal and State
budget process, and these have been relatively stable since
2003. In addition, funds continue to be provided under the
2002 and 2008 Farm Bill. These changes have been largely
incremental, based on budget authorizations, rather than based
on any new legislation. A shift in focus occurred in the last
period, with more efforts devoted to conservation programs,
ecosystem services, and public involvement, and less to forest
productivity.
Table 50-1. Policy and Governance Classification.
Mechanism
Nondiscretionary/mandatorya
Informational/educationalb
Discretionary/voluntaryc
Fiscal/economicd
Market basede
Scale:
National (N),
Regional (R),
State (S),
Local (L)
N, S, L
N, S, L
N, S, L
N, L
Approach
Prescriptive
Process or
Systems Based
Performance or
Outcome Based
Private
Enterprise
L, R, G
E, T, R, P, A
E, R, A, T
C
Laws (L), Regulations or Rules (R), International Agreements (I), Government Ownership or Production (G).
b
Education (E), Technical Assistance (T), Research (R), Protection (P), Analysis and Planning (A).
c
Best Management Practices (B), Self-regulation (S).
d
Incentives (I), Subsidies (S), Taxes (T), Payments for Environmental Service (P).
e
Free enterprise, private market allocation of forest resources (M), or market based instruments and payments, including forest certification (C) wetland banks (W), capand-trade (T), conservation easement or transfer of development rights (E).
a
Last Updated June 2011 1