Forest Communities, Community Forests

Reviews / Votes

The citizen groups, public-private partnerships, and nongovernmental organizations presented in these essays provide convincing evidence that an inclusive, collaborative approach offers hope for neglected or mismanaged forests, or for people who are locked in conflict over forest use. This optimism is the book's greatest strength and its most important contribution. Those who are engaged in such struggles, or who are hesitant to participate, are the readers who will benefit most. Crm Journal This text will likely prove quite useful to community groups that wish to take a role in ensuring the health of their forests or other natural resources, both by providing examples of what works and by giving a realistic idea of what a community organization can hope to accomplish. A major strength of the collection is that it does not present community involvement as a panacea; indeed, many of the case study authors stress that the major achievements of the groups they studied were their successes in improving communication between former opponents. Actual improvements in either forest health or economic opportunities were much less common. Nevertheless, the overall picture is one of hope for the future if local residents are willing to take a stand to improve their communities and natural environments. -- Susan Hopper, Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University Anyone interested in the critical relationship between healthy forests and nearby communities will find this book valuable. Recommended. All levels. CHOICE