Evaluating tradeoffs in regional forest planning

Summary

Initiated in 1995 under auspices of national forest policy and completed in 2001, Australia's Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) program sought to resolve major conflicts relating to the use and management of key public native forests. Comprehensive Regional Assessments (CRAs) of environmental, heritage, social and economic values were undertaken as part of the program to achieve outcomes balanced between competing forest uses, and long-term agreements for forest management. Implementation of each RFA is to be reviewed after 5 y and each agreement after 20 y.

The paper outlines a planning model for multiple resources that explains the development of RFAs, and discusses examples of software used to evaluate competing conservation and timber interests. Limitations of the planning model and software applications are briefly discussed, along with proposals for improving them. The improved model is not only relevant for evaluation and review for RFAs; it also has potential application in other natural resources planning and management situations.

Keywords:

• land use
• multiple land use
• planning
• natural resources
• forest policy
• environmental policy
• resource management
• sustainability
• models
• information systems
• decision making
• Australia