8 pp.

Revised; Originally Published: 2002 / 8 pp.

Globalization, specialization, decentralization, and urbanization are changing social, economic, and ecological conditions for forest landowners throughout the United States. One possible response to these new and recurring challenges is economic cooperatives, an old idea being retooled and reapplied, keeping more of the power, control, and profit generated by natural resource extraction and management in the hands of private forest landowners and local communities. Detailed case studies were carried out on four cooperatives in the Southern Appalachian region. The objectives for this study were: 1) to develop a set of potential criteria/attributes/dimensions/benefits by which these cooperative ventures can be evaluated, 2) to document and understand what mechanisms, institutions, and people will contribute to the success of these cooperatives, 3) to document and understand what obstacles stand in the way of these cooperatives, and 4) to illustrate these findings using four case studies and summarize results in key challenges and keys to success. The four main criteria developed to assess the success or potential success of landowner and business cooperatives were economic feasibility, social feasibility, community enhancement, and ecological sustainability. The results of this study show that cooperative forestry endeavors such as those studied here are reaching out to forest owners missed by traditional service providers and outreach programs. They emphasize a different set of services coming from a different set of trusted sources and can build community capacity, improve ecological qualities, and enhance local economies; however, professional forestry, state and federal governments are only marginally involved with cooperative ventures. Additionally, nine key challenges that forestry cooperatives need to overcome were identified, and twelve keys to success defined. / Master of Science

The enterprise Derome Forest, which manages the supply of raw materials to Derome Group's industries, wants to develop its communications with suppliers and also the forest services that the company provides. The purpose of the study was to find new information channels for forest companies to communicate about forest services to existing and future suppliers. In order to answer the research questions and achieve the purpose of the study, a questionnaire was chosen as a method in combination with a focus group. The most sought after services were final felling, thinning, and pre commercial thinning and planting. Forestry magazines, personal meetings and social activities were important sources of knowledge for forest owners. Few of the forest owners replied that they used the websites of forest companies or followed them on social media, although most of the respondents estimated that their internet use for forest purposes will increase. Digital calendars with forest companies' activities and mobile apps for measuring and calculating were digital tools that were requested. Damage and diseases on forests, intrusion issues and thinning were subjects that many forest owners thought was difficult. Greater diversity in forestry methods and a more goal-based and diversified advice were requested from forest companies.

Many of the Swedish environmental targets are related to forests, mostly “Living forests” and “A rich plant and animal life ”. These targets are not being met and the development in the environment is negative. Forests and the species living within them are being affected. With the landmass of Sweden being 69% forest and 47% of this being owned by private forest owners, these people can influence the direction of Swedish forestry. Problems revolve around clear cutting, which influences many species as they cannot survive in the changed habitat. The aim of the report is to investigate how private forest owners in Sweden view their forests and the environmental considerations within it. A survey was sent to 500 Swedish private forest owners, with 11% responding to the questions. The survey asked questions about the respondents, such as age, sex, how much forest they own, their knowledge of environmental consideration in the forest, how they manage their forest and how much environmental consideration they take in doing so. There was no correlation between the respondents' age, sex, how long they had owned their forest, how much forest they owned and how they acquired their forests to what knowledge level they had. Most respondents wish for more economic compensation in order to increase their environmental consideration and consider the economy the most im portant part of their forestry. Thus, the results from this study show more investments are needed, as well as spreading information regarding how continuous stand forestry can be economically profitable.

The development of technology and the mechanization in the Swedish forestry has during the last 60 years resulted in depopulation of the country side and due to that the amount of distance forest owners has increased. Therefore the forest companies need to make some adjustments in order to keep the distance forest owners as customers and to attract new ones. The purpose of this essay was to examine and analyze the distance forest owners satisfaction with Södras service offering and quality of service and further develop some proposals for action. A web-based survey was sent out to 634 distance forests owners in Stockholm, Sweden, all members of Södra. 269 respondents participated in the survey and of them, 27 did also participate in a follow-up telephone interview. The results show that the members generally was satisfied with the service offering and the quality of service. Suggestions for improvement regarding the service offering is all about implementing forest management courses in Stockholm and including providing financial and generational counseling, also on location in Stockholm. The quality of service can be improved if the inspector changes the way of working towards an even more customer adapted way and also improve the dialogue with the entrepreneurs. Further suggestions for improvement is to a greater extent welcome complaints and to give some compensation and/or apologize when it is motivated.

No description available.

Climate scenarios for Sweden show that average temperatures could rise by 4-7 degrees by year 2100. Forecasts show that climate zones will shift northward by about 5-10 kilometers every year, which will result in large changes for forestry. The purpose of this study was to answer whether private forest owner's belief in and adaptation to climate change have increased since 2010. Furthermore, to investigate whether private forest owners have experienced climate change in their forestry and if this in turn affects the belief in and adaptation to climate change. A questionnaire was sent to 700 forest owners in Kronoberg County in Sweden. Nearly 20% of those respondents who answered that yes they certainly have experienced any weather or climate conditions which they interpret as a cause of climate change has also responded that they, yes certainly believe that climate change that it affects their forest. 28% of the respondents replied that they had adapted their forestry to climate change. The study showed that the proportion forest owners believing in climate change as well as the proportion adapting forestry to climate change has increased since 2010. There was a relation between belief in climate change mand the degree of adaption. There was also a relation between the perception of climate change and belief in climate change. A correlation was also seen between the experience of climate change and the level of adaption.

This thesis addresses the potential of private-public partnerships (PPPs) to involve private forest owners in formal forest protection. These partnerships have been widely advocated as means to engage actors from diverse sectors in collaborative new relationships, formed in a step-wise manner, to improve management of resources that combine public and private goods. Nature Conservation Agreements (NCAs) are the first kind of PPPs to be used in Swedish forest protection. NCAs were introduced in 1993 and are agreements based in civil law between a private forest owner and the Swedish Forest Agency or County Administrative Board. Although NCAs were introduced to promote interest in nature conservation among forest owners, the response has been rather weak. Thus, in 2010 the government launched a pilot project called the Komet program, in which private forest owners in selected pilot areas initiated protective measures. Although criticized by environmental non-governmental organizations, the government decided after the pilot project terminated in 2014 to implement the Komet program’s working methods nationwide. In this thesis, PPPs’ potential to contribute to forest protection is analyzed by applying the “Ladder of Partnership Activity” framework, developed to study global PPPs, with appropriate modifications for a national context. The framework incorporates, in a stepwise manner, context, the actors’ motives relating to trust-building, the creation of collaborative advantages in the partnering process and the institutionalization of PPPs. The thesis contributes to an empirical understanding of top-down and bottom-up PPP processes. It is based on studies in which qualitative research methods were applied to examine selected cases presented in four papers, designated Papers I-IV. The main sources of information are qualitative interviews with involved forest actors and policy documents they have produced. Papers I and II focus particularly on trust-building and the partnering process as perceived by involved forest actors, while Papers III and IV address the institutionalization of PPPs and their requirements to change the political order of forest protection in accordance with governmental objectives. The results show that willingness to adopt PPPs is dependent on past experience of collaborative efforts. They also show there is substantial discretion in involved actors’ interpretation of prescribed guidelines, and their motives may vary substantially. However, as long as they share the same ultimate objective, i.e. to protect forests, PPPs may still be successfully established. A major potential problem is that public officials tend to prioritize protection of biodiversity, while forest owners want to protect social values and unproductive (“useless”) forests. Thus, shared motives are essential to establish trust and initiate collaborative efforts. The voluntary element of initiatives supported by the Komet program appears to be essential for deliberation. PPPs need to be implemented nationwide to be institutionalized. However, the Swedish government has not provided sufficient resources and leadership capacity to enable PPPs to play their envisaged role in its forest governance system. If the government wants to adopt bottom-up approaches, it needs to provide sufficient resources so that the partnerships does not compete with other formal instruments and protection arrangements. Furthermore, coordination within and between sectors needs to be improved to clarify the purpose of the policy recommendations.

Skogsstyrelsens inventering och registrering av nyckelbiotoper är ett högaktuellt ämne som berör många skogsägare över hela landet. En nyckelbiotop är ett område med mycket höga naturvärden där det kan förväntas förekomma rödlistade arter och som därmed är viktiga att bevara. Nyckelbiotoper saknar idag ett formellt skydd vilket skiljer sig från de områden som enligt svensk lagstiftning är formellt skyddade med berättigad ersättning. För att uppnå ett av regeringens miljökvalitetsmål har Skogsstyrelsen tilldelats ökade resurser för att genomföra en nationell inventering och registrera dessa nyckelbiotoper. Registrering av nyckelbiotoper kan medföra ekonomiska konsekvenser samt en upplevd inverkan på äganderätten för den privata skogsägaren. Denna uppsats behandlar de konsekvenser som kan uppstå för skogsägare när en nyckelbiotop registreras ur ett ekonomiskt och äganderättsligt perspektiv. Dagens moderna skogsbruksmetoder har inverkan på möjligheten att bevara områden med höga naturvärden vilket tidigare gjord forskning belyser. Syftet med denna uppsats är att vidga förståelsen om de privata skogsägarnas uppskattade värde av en nyckelbiotops område och därmed underlätta vid värdering, överlåtelse och fastighetsbildning. På längre sikt är målet att förståelsen kan leda till en hållbar utveckling av den biologiska mångfalden. För att utreda och besvara ämnet har metoder i form av enkätutskick till privata skogsägare samt intervjuer med sakkunniga på marknaden tillämpats. Resultatet visar att privata skogsägare upplever äganderättsliga och ekonomiska konsekvenser när ett område registreras som nyckelbiotop. Många anser att äganderätten påverkas oavsett i vilken omfattning det upplevda intrånget är samt att ersättning bör utgå för detta. / The Swedish Forest Agency’s inventory and registration of “nyckelbiotoper”, key biotopes, is a current topic which affects many forest owners in Sweden. A key biotope is an area which has been identified for having a very high natural valuation in endangered and at-risk species, it also has the required habitat for regenerating endangered species and is therefore important to protect. Key biotopes are missing formal protection that differs from other areas which are already protected by Swedish law with legitimate compensation for land owners. The identification and registration of key biotopes can cause economic consequences as well as having a perceived effect on the forest owner’s ownership. To reach one of the Swedish governments environmental quality objectives, the Swedish Forest Agency has been assigned increased resources to undertake and operate a new national inventory and registration of these key biotopes. This essay discusses the consequences that can emerge for forest owners when a key biotope is registered from an economic and ownership perspective. Modern-day forestry methods have an impact on the ability to protect areas with high natural importance which former research already illustrates. The purpose of this essay is to broaden the understanding about private forest owners appreciated value of key biotope areas and in turn simplify the valuation, conveyance and land parcelling of these areas. The long-term ambition of this work is to build knowledge which will result in the sustainable development of biodiversity across Sweden. To investigate and answer the subject, a methodical approach in the shape of a survey directed to private forest owners and interviews with experts in the field have been used. The results show that private forest owners experience consequences on ownership and economical value when an area is registered as a key biotope. Most find that their ownership is affected no matter the size of the felt infringement and that compensation should be paid out for this.