Shifting power dynamics and decision-making on U.S. National Forests: Oregon forest collaboratives in the era of social forestry

Abstract

Emerging from the conflict and gridlock that characterized forest management in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s–1990s, community-based forest management offered a path forward. As forest collaboratives have gained in number and prominence, a shift towards social forestry, network governance consisting of collaborative processes that drive or influence U.S. Forest Service decision-making has taken root. In this era of social forestry, and as decentralization of natural resource management continues to increase, it has become increasingly important to understand the ways that power dynamics and decision-making processes have shifted. This qualitative, embedded case study research assesses the power dynamics between forest collaboratives and the Forest Service, and how these power dynamics impact the policy outcomes of the collaboratives. Our research reveals that forest collaboratives bring an added layer of institutionalization and public engagement in the decision-making process with their own suite of power dynamics. These findings suggest an increasing importance of non-state actors in forest management where collaboratives are providing increased access to knowledge and financial resources while also lending increased legitimacy and public trust to the Forest Service.