Community Stability as a Forest Management Objective

Abstract

Abstract Regulations issued pursuant to the Forest Management Act of 1976 have renewed interest in community stability as an implicit policy objective. Traditional definitions of stability, community, and dependency are vague, and the relationship between timber flow and stability is largely conjectural. Local community constancy is often in conflict with the broader concept of dynamic economic stability. It is necessary to define appropriate measures of economic stability, the geographical context for considering stability, and the time interval over which stability is to be measured. A dynamic economy requires the reallocation of resources and adjustments within and between communities. Current problems reflect these causes of instability, which are largely outside the forestry sector. Policy must address these causes rather than simply focus on the symptoms of change.