Shifting forest values as a driver of change

Abstract

Forest values are significant drivers of change in the relationship between people and forests. Our forest values shape our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward forests and guide forestry policy and management. Forest values have shifted and evolved significantly in the past and will continue to change in important and unexpected ways in the future. This paper presents a simple framework for understanding the forest values that people hold, briefly reviews historical and current trends in forest values, and sketches out three plausible alternative scenarios for how values could unfold and affect forestry and society.

Parent Publication

• Drivers of change in U.S. forests and forestry over the next 20 years

Citation

Bengston, David N. 2020. Shifting forest values as a driver of change. In: Dockry, Michael J.; Bengston, David N.; Westphal, Lynne M., comps. Drivers of change in U.S. forests and forestry over the next 20 years. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-197. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 68–75. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-P-197-paper7.