Tr ees are Company are ees The meanings associated with trees, woods and TreTre e ess areare forests in modern society are complex and wide- ranging and go beyond concerns with economics and timber production. People’s appreciation of nature and woodlands is related to cultural, spiritual and ethical values. The need to explore CCompanyompany these issues led Forest Research to organise a two day conference at Cardiff University in June 2001. The conference focused on social science SocialSocial ScienceScience ResearchResearch research into woodlands and the natural environment. intointo WoodlandsWoodlands andand thethe This publication provides the presentation papers, workshop NaturalNatural EnvironmentEnvironment discussions, questions and answers and plenary discussion from the conference. The presentations focused on three main themes: culture, values and meanings of woodlands and trees monitoring and modelling approaches to forest management and sustainability community involvement in decision-making and management. The main aim of the conference was to outline the future direction for social forestry research and develop a broader perspective on issues connected with people and the environment. It provided the opportunity for a broad cross-section of government and non-governmental organisations, academics, practitioners and researchers to exchange knowledge, experience and ideas in this important subject area. Edited by Liz O’Brien and Jenny Claridge Forest Research TREES ARE COMPANY - SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TREES ARE COMPANY - SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH Trees are Company Social Science Research into Woodlands and the Natural Environment Edited by Liz O’Brien and Jenny Claridge Forest Research Proceedings of the Forestry Research Co-ordination Committee Conference convened by Forest Research on 19–20 June 2001 at Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff i Acknowledgements The Environment Agency and the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department financially supported the conference and their contribution is warmly acknowledged. Thanks are due to Cardiff University (particularly Diane Tustin) for their administrative help in organising the conference. We would also like to acknowledge the very important contributions made by each speaker who presented their work and the chairs and rapporteurs of each workshop. We are particularly grateful to Victoria Edwards who chaired the first day of the conference and Gareth Wardell who chaired the second day. We would also like to thank Jenny Claridge for editing this publication and initiating design. Permission to use his original chapter title ‘Trees are Company’ as the book title was generously given by Robin Grove-White. Keywords: community, environmental values, postindustrial forests, public participation, social sustainability, stakeholder, sustainable development, sustainable forest management Enquiries relating to this publication should be made to: Dr Liz O’Brien Silviculture and Seed Research Branch Forest Research Alice Holt Lodge Wrecclesham Farnham Surrey GU10 4LH Tel: 01420 22255 ext 2291 Fax: 01420 520558 e-mail: Liz.O’[email protected] © Crown Copyright 2002 Applications for reproduction of any part of this publication should be addressed to : HMSO, Licensing Division, St Clements House, 2–16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. Published by the Forestry Commission, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 7AT. ISBN 0 85538 556 1 O’Brien, Elizabeth A.; Claridge, Jennifer N., eds (2002) FDC 907.2:903.1 (410) Trees are company: social science research into woodlands and the natural environment Forestry Commission, Edinburgh. i–x + 1–142pp. Design: Colourgraphic Arts/Jenny Claridge Illustrations: John Williams, Forest Research Plates: Front cover: Parkhurst Forest, Isle of Wight; community group involvement; common yew [Forest Life Picture Library]; children enjoying forest activity [The Mersey Forest]. Back cover: Mountain lake walk, Beddgelert Forest; walking in Delamere Forest, Cheshire [Forest Life Picture Library]; chair sculpture in Forest of Dean [Liz O’Brien]. Colour section: Family and couple in Ariundle oak woodland forest reserve, Lochaber Forest District; children’s play area, Thetford Forest Park [Forest Life Picture Library]; multi-purpose woodlands in the West Midlands [Forest Research Photo Library]. Text borders: Leaves of smooth Japanese maple [Forest Research Photo Library]; sessile oak and common yew [Forest Life Picture Library]. ii Contents Acknowledgements ii List of contributors iv Foreword v Executive summary: Current and future directions for social forestry research vi 1. Overview and introduction 1 Theme One: Culture, values and meanings 4 2. Trees, woods and forests: an exploration of personal and collective values 5 3. Forests and woodlands: towards a new outlook 11 4. Forests, people and place 15 5. Language, land and processes of cultural recovery: the Millennium Forest at Borgie 22 6. Forestry, community and land in the South Wales Valleys 29 Theme One: Questions and answers 39 Theme Two: Monitoring and modelling approaches to forest management and sustainability 42 7. Monitoring progress towards sustainability in community forestry 43 8. Modelling stakeholder visions for the Sherwood Natural Area 53 9. The practicalities of constructing a rural community development evaluation model 63 10. Achieving sustainable development objectives for forestry through the land use planning system 69 Theme Two: Questions and answers 77 Theme Three: Community involvement in decision-making and management 82 11 . The Virtuous Forest: woodlands, community and identity in Scotland 83 12 . Public forests–public planning: helping foresters to involve people in forest planning 93 13. Valleys woodlands for valleys people 104 14 . Working with communities: what does it mean for agencies? 111 Theme Three: Questions and answers 117 Open discussion: day one and day two 119 Workshop outline and discussion groups 121 Workshop 1: Stakeholder analysis 122 Workshop 2: Environmental values 126 Workshop 3: Public participation in environmental decision–making 130 Workshop 4: Social sustainability 133 15 . Looking to the future: exciting times ahead 137 Terms used 139 List of delegates 140 iii List of contributors Jacquelin Burgess University College London, Department of Geography, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT Kevin Bishop Cardiff University, Department of City and Regional Planning, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3WA Jasbinder Ghag University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ Paul Selman University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ Jorge Rubiano University of Nottingham, Economics and Georgraphics Building, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD Rhys Evans University of Aberdeen, Arkelton Centre, Regent Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3FX Max Hislop Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY Alex Smith University of Glasgow, Chricton Campus, Rutherford McCowan Building, Dumfries, DG1 4ZL Jon Pickering Cardiff University, Glamorgan Building, King Edward V11 Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3WA Antony Wallis Forest Enterprise, Coed y Cymoedd Forest District, Resolven, Neath SA11 4DR Robin Grove-White Lancaster University, Institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy, Lancaster LA1 4YW Sue Hunter University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ Fiona Mackenzie University of Aberdeen, Arkelton Centre, St Marys, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3UF iv Foreword In June 2001 we saw people from all over Britain gathering in Cardiff to discuss the contribution that the social sciences are making to forest management. The issues covered by speakers at the Social Science Research into Woodlands and the Natural Environment conference were directly linked to contemporary rural policy in the UK and Europe, and are an integral part of the Forestry Commission’s core interests. Such a conference would not have been possible ten or perhaps even five years ago. Today, however, there is a better understanding that the countryside is not simply a place of production, albeit a beautiful one. It is, as well, a place where people work and live, and a place that people visit and enjoy in many different ways and for many different reasons. It is becoming more popular, within society, to speak of public interest, values and public engagement, than to focus solely on economic production. The forests we have established over the last century, and the woodlands we inherited from previous times are a physical and tangible resource that has a comforting reality. It is a reality that visitors, forest workers and local people all share in their own particular ways. Our aim is to achieve a balance, that is acceptable today, between competing demands on our forests and woodlands and to understand that the balance might be different tomorrow. We also need to be aware that there are many voices that are never heard. To find that balance we need knowledge. The Forestry Commission is happy to take that knowledge from wherever we can find it, and the social sciences provide a rich seam of information and understanding that is invaluable. Two years ago the Forestry Commission occasionally commissioned social science researchers to assist with particular issues. Today we have a comprehensive programme of links between our in-house social research unit and many other universities and institutes. We have moved on. The conference is helping us all to