Forest and wildland planning: Concept, theories and system

Societal goals and acceptable decisionmaking processes for forest and wildland have changed and are continuing to change. Public policy instruments, which are the mechanisms for implementing change, must stay attuned to the dynamic process. Some major instruments to consider include planning systems, property rights, taxation and environmental regulations. This study focuses on one of these policy instruments, the forest and wildland planning system. To place the planning system in context, this study begins with an exploration of the conceptual connection of land planning systems with other policy instruments and the concept of sustainability, then examines the theoretical foundations of land and resource planning and, finally, describes and analyzes the systems that have been designed to implement both land use and resource management plans in North America. Conceptually it is useful to develop a relationship with other policy instruments and the overall social goal of sustainability because it is increasingly clear that sustainability is a direction to pursue rather than an end product. Theoretically, the basis of land and resource planning systems, particularly since World War II, has largely been rational comprehensive planning theory. Other competing theories from a number of disciplines are explored and suggested as an alternative basis for planning. At the systems level, multiple use planning, integrated resource planning, dominant use planning, wholistic forest use planning, coordinated use planning, environmentally sensitive area planning and holistic resource planning are described and analyzed using a set of criteria developed for this purpose. The structured analysis allows for comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system producing information useful in adjusting the current system being used by decisionmakers. The criteria can also serve as guideposts for designing new planning systems. The study concludes that conceptually the links of policy instruments with each other and sustainability must be strengthened to improve natural resource policy, that the theoretical basis of planning should be transdisciplinary, and that a variety of systems could be used as long as they each strive for a reasonable connection with the others at different spatial and temporal scales.