Values and management options for sustainable forest management in New Zealand

Abstract

In many sectors of primary production there is growing interest, or concern with, certification. In recent years, forestry is one sector where significant progress has been made and at the present time there is much interest in sustainable forest management. Typically, this interest is pursued by researchers and stakeholders and the assumption sometimes made is that that ideal of sustainable forestry is relatively easily defined. In this report steps are taken to clarify the meanings of sustainable forest management as they are seen by those in the industry. The main objective of this research was to identify the types of positions on sustainable forest management held by a range of forestry stakeholders, and to explore possible reasons why these positions were held. Readers interested in sustainable forest management policy will find this report useful in extending the discussion of this important topic.