7. Ethical Issues in Forestry & Public Land Use

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7. Ethical Issues in Forestry Public Land Use

• Larry D. Sanders Spring 2002 AGEC 4990

Dept. of Ag Economics Oklahoma State
University
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INTRODUCTION

• Purpose
• to understand the ethical issues related to
  forestry and public land use
• Learning Objectives
• 1. To review the history of US public forest
  policy note the significance of the ethical
  debate in the concepts of conservation and
  preservation.
• 2. To understand alternative value perspectives
  and value factors for forests.
• 3. To understand the differences in private and
  public forest management.
• 4. To become aware of other key factors in
  forest resource management.

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Forest/Public Land Policy

• Pinchot (Conservation) vs. Preservation (Muir)
  vs. Unrestricted Development (Big Business)
• 1891-Forest Reserve Act (public forest reserves
  from public land Western US)
• 1897-Forest Organic Act (establishes national
  forest system for water flow timber
  sustainability)
• 1905-USFS established
• 1911-Weeks Act (okays purchase of private land
  for national forests Eastern US)

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Forest/Public Land Policy (cont.)

• 1916-National Park Organic Act (creates NPS
  system to conserve scenery, wildlife, historic
  objects)
• 1960-Multiple Use Sustainable Yield Act (MUSYA)
  (adds watersheds, recreation, wildlife, fishing,
  hunting, soil concerns to national forests)
• 1964-Wilderness Act (begins preservation of
  unique natural areas)
• 1968-Wild Scenic Rivers Act (preservation of
  unique rivers)

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Forest/Public Land Policy (cont.)

• 1974-Forest Rangeland Renewable Resources
  Planning Act (RPA) (creates planning process)
• 1976-National Forest Management Act (adds
  economic, wildlife, wilderness recreational
  uses to USFS planning)
• 1980-Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation
  Act (ANILCA)(adds 13 national parks, 16 wildlife
  refuges, 56 mil. Ac. To wilderness system)
• 1970s-1980s-added to wilderness system thru US
• 1990s-move to privatize some national forest areas

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Classification of Forest Values(1)
1. Bengston, D. 1993
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Value Perspectives in Forestry (Bengston in CS)

• Logger primary value is economic (utilitarian
  ethic)
• Professional ecologist primary value is for life
  support (sustain ecosystem utilitarian ethic)
• Local resident primary value is moral (intrinsic
  ethic)
• Artist primary value is aesthetic (intrinsic
  ethic of existence of beauty)

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Market Non-market Economic Valuation Applied to
Forests

• Use value
• Option value
• Existence value
• Bequest value

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Market Non-market Economic Valuation of Forests
(continued)

• Use Value
• Market measurable (i.e., timber, development,
  fee-based recreation)
• Derive market supply (marginal costs) demand
  (marginal benefits) to determine efficient level
  of use
• Non-market measurable (recreation use)
• Contingent valuation, hedonic pricing, etc.
• Option Value
• Non-market measurable (the right to use the
  forest in the future)
• Contingent valuation, etc.

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Market Non-market Economic Valuation of Forests
(continued)

• Existence Value
• Non-market measurable (the intrinsic value
  derived from knowledge that forest will exist in
  perpetuity, regardless of use by future human
  generations)
• Contingent valuation, etc.
• Bequest Value
• Non-market measurable (the knowledge that future
  generations will have use access to forest)
• Contingent valuation, etc.

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Private Forest Management

• Use depends solely on owner choice
• Profit motive usually rules decision making on
  use (maximize net present value)
• Owner typically restricts access to others
• While property rights evolve, democratic
  government in market economy reluctant to impose
  many restrictions on land use/access (takings)

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Public Forest Management

• Use depends primarily on choices by public
  public officials (elected appointed)
• Multi-purpose use has evolved as primary purpose
  for public forests in US--federal state
  (maximize net present value)
• Typical conflict
• Economic development vs. environmental protection
• Competing recreation uses
• Key concepts Public goods free riders, time
  horizon

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Key Factors in Forest Resource Management

• Preservation vs. Conservation vs. Development
• Intrinsic vs. Utilitarian vs. Utilitarian Ethics
• Forest Ecology
• Intrinsic vs. Utilitarian Ethics
• Private vs. Public Management
• Intrinsic Utilitarian Ethics
• Multiple Use
• Intrinsic vs. Utilitarian vs. Utilitarian

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Forest Ecology

• Ecosystem
• Climax Community
• Soil Formation Nutrient Cycling
• Carbon Cycling
• Hydrological Cycle
• Ancient Forests
• Benefits
• Market (Wood derivatives, Recreation, Mining,
  Grazing)
• Nonmarket (Habitat, Amenities Option, Existence,
  Bequest)

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Multiple Use Forest Management

• 1. Quantity quality of other stands key to
  benefits of specific stand (how unique is it?)
• 2. Multi-Use Sustained Yield Act
  (MUSYA)-1960-mandates USFS to manage both timber
  non-harvest benefits (recreation, habitat,
  etc.)
• 3. Below-Cost Timber Salesinefficient
• 4. NPV of all multi-uses gt NPV without timbering
• 5. Old growth (Ancient forests) ESA critical
  habitat Special Cases--Nonmarket value may be
  higher in preservation

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REFERENCES

• Bengston, D.N., The Nature of Value and the
  Value of Nature, paper presented to People
  Forests Meeting the Challenge of Tomorrow,
  November 7-10, 1993.