Learning Through New Approaches to Forest Governance: Evidence from Harrop-Procter Community Forest, Canada

Area of Science:

• Environmental governance
• Forestry management
• Social learning theory

Background:

• Collaborative forest governance is seen as key to sustainable forestry, enabling community participation and resource benefit.
• Social learning within these arrangements can build capacity for complex problem-solving.
• Limited understanding exists on the long-term evolution of social learning, its influencers, and impact on management effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal dynamics of social learning outcomes in collaborative forest governance.
• To identify how social learning evolves over time within a Canadian community forest setting.

Main Methods:

• In-depth case study of a community forest in Canada.
• Data collection through personal interviews, focus group meetings, and participant observation.

Main Results:

• Most participants gained knowledge through active participation in forest management activities.
• As the community forest organization prioritized legislative compliance, learning opportunities and outcomes became more limited.
• Increased focus on meeting governmental requirements professionalized the organization but reduced broader involvement and learning.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings challenge the assumption that social learning continuously expands in collaborative governance over time.
• Professionalization and regulatory compliance can inadvertently restrict social learning and participation.
• Further research is needed to understand the evolving relationships within collaborative governance and their impact on social learning.