Pacific Northwest Research Station

Communities and Forest Management Team

2008 Science Accomplishments

Featured Publication-Forest Community Connections

The past two decades have seen a dramatic shift in the social forces that shape natural resource policy. A new book, Forest Community Connections, examines the complex relationships that have emerged among individuals, organizations, communities, and forest ecosystems. Bringing together perspectives from sociology, anthropology, political science, and forestry, the authors confront a range of management issues, including wildfire risk, forest restoration, labor force capacity, and the growing demand for a variety of forest goods and services.

The book reveals that the connections that communities have to forests are not simple or static; they are complex and evolving. Understanding these connections is important because it is through these connections that the goals of sustainable forest management will be realized. Through diverse and detailed approaches, this book takes stock of the ways communities interact with forest ecosystems and the opportunities and challenges of community-based forest management and collaborative forest management.

To learn more, contact Ellen Donoghue at edonoghue@fs.fed.us.

Partners: Colorado State University, Institute for Culture and Ecology, Northern Arizona University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Southern Oregon University, University of Minnesota, University of Montana, University of Oregon, University of Vermont, USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station

More information: Donoghue, E.M.; Sturtevant, V.E. 2008. Forest Community Connections. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future. 280 p.