Policies and practices: Options for pursuing forest sustainability

Achieving a goal of sustainable forestry will probably take time as people agree on what sustainability means at the global, subcontinental, national, and regional scales. Comparing seven criteria of sustainable forestry with information at different scales suggests that the world could practice sustainable forestry, but there are currently imbalances in economic development, forest area change, harvesting and wood-use rates and purposes, and other factors that are impeding it. Different countries could adopt different policies and practices to help correct these imbalances. Until a globally agreed-upon set of policies and practices is established, each country will probably define its best efforts toward sustaining its "fair share" of the criteria. Managing large areas of forests for many values with some areas reserved in each forest type will probably be more ecologically, socially, and financially effective than having small areas of plantations supply the world's wood - and the rest of the world's forests set aside as reserves. Disseminating accurate information, addressing sustainability at different scales, addressing rural/urban lifestyles, increasing uses for the very abundant, environmentally sound wood, incorporating the other values into the economic system, and avoiding central planning are primary issues and challenges to sustainability. Technology, policies, and various organizations can be marshalled, and each organization can play a constructive, rewarding role.