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PDF
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Type:
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Conference Paper |
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Author:
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Palmer, Lynn; Shahi, Chander; Smith, Peggy |
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Conference:
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Sustaining Commons: Sustaining Our Future, the Thirteenth Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons |
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Location:
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Hyderabad, India |
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Conf. Date:
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January 10-14 |
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Date:
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2011 |
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URI:
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https://hdl.handle.net/10535/7349
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Sector:
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Forestry |
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Region:
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North America |
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Subject(s):
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community development
economics
indigenous institutions
community forestry
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Abstract:
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"The forest industry has been the backbone of local economies in many remote locations in Canada. While this industry, which has focused on commodity products such as pulp, paper and lumber, thrived until the early part of this century, in recent years it has faced a major downturn that has resulted in extensive mill closures and unprecedented job losses to forest industry workers. Although municipalities that once benefited from the forest industry through employment and taxation are now experiencing negative social and economic impacts, Indigenous (First Nation) communities have generally been marginalized and historically received little benefit from the forest industry. This study examines the emergence of new institutional arrangements for the management of forest commons in northwestern Ontario (NWO) as an approach to improve the resilience of the communities that inhabit this vast boreal forest region. The study utilizes a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with participants from 10 municipalities and 18 First Nation communities throughout NWO. The study participants include community leaders (mayors, chiefs, council) and key informants familiar with the forestry situation (former loggers and mill workers, lands and resources staff, and economic development officers). The study results have been used to formulate policy recommendations to develop a long-term economic vision to support sustainable local communities and the forest ecosystems that they depend on."
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