Stakeholder Analysis to Support Secondary Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) Forest Conversion in the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract Stakeholder analysis is a crucial step in the participatory process to involve all groups of interests in sustainable forest management. This paper aims to develop a method of stakeholder analysis to identify and classify stakeholders involved in secondary Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand conversions. The method is based on a questionnaire survey and structured into three stages: (1) stakeholder identification; (2) analytical characterization of stakeholders; and (3) stakeholder aggregation. Stakeholders are classified according to their interest level and importance while considering the relationships among them (social network analysis). Stakeholder analysis is applied in the Ukrainian Carpathians, which is characterized by cultural and economic dependence on forest resources. The results highlight seven “supporters” and six “opponents” as well as three key stakeholders and four primary stakeholders. We propose involving up to three stakeholders from each homogeneous group to balance stakeholder contributions and enhance the democratization of the forest conversion decision-making process.