Against the grain : why community forest boards have not been implemented in British Columbia

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dc.contributor.authorLindell, Kristin Aneilen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-14T21:06:00Z
dc.date.available2024-08-14T21:06:00Z
dc.date.copyright1997en_US
dc.date.issued1997
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Political Science
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en
dc.description.abstractThe controversy over how to manage British Columbia's forests sparked demands for forest policy reform. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, a number of proposals called for decentralized power, local control and tenure reform through the creation of community forest boards. These proposals aimed to bring environmental and democratic health to forest management in British Columbia. The NOP government was elected in 1991 with a mandate to overhaul forest management in British Columbia. Initially, members of the B.C. New Democratic Party supported structural reforms such as community forest boards which would effect a fundamental change in forestry. After winning power, however, the party did not implement structural reforms. Instead, the government implemented moderate reforms which failed to decentralize power, grant community control, or reform the tenure system. This thesis investigates why community forest boards were not implemented in British Columbia during the NOP' s 1991-1994 term. This analysis explores three interrelated layers: the economic; the bureaucratic and political; and the ideological to reveal some of the factors that impeded the government's willingness to consider the community forest board option. First, this study demonstrates the importance of the forest sector in British Columbia and the economic constraints that the industry places on policy makers. It argues that the shared understanding between forest companies and government places constraints on decision makers. Yet, these constraints are elastic. Second, this study shows that the state had autonomous reasons for supporting moderate reform. It illustrates that bureaucratic and the political arms of the state were motivated by particular ideas and interests to support moderate reforms rather than structural reforms. While bureaucrats operate within a culture of expertise, political actors are concerned about electoral success. Neither bureaucrats nor politicians interfered with the shared understanding or the core ideas of B.C. forest policy. Finally, this analysis explores how the ideological struggle impeded change. It examines the Tin Wis coalition's struggle, and then considers why community forest boards have not achieved widespread support. In doing so, it highlights the challenges of shifting from current ideas about management towards alternative ideas.
dc.format.extent174 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/18687
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.titleAgainst the grain : why community forest boards have not been implemented in British Columbiaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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