Appraisal framework for actor interest and power analysis in forest management - Insights from Northern Portugal

Forest management is currently challenged by the need to address an increasing demand for a wide range of ecosystem services. Addressing this challenge requires landscape-level supply approaches that may bring together multiple interests and goals of forest actors. Characterizing these interests and the corresponding forest management context is thus a prerequisite for an effective landscape-level approach. In this manuscript we develop actor analysis to characterize a forest management context. We implement and test the analysis in Vale do Sousa, in North-Western Portugal. The analysis encompassed the identification of key actors and 40 interviews. Results show that the analysis provides a thorough diagnosis of the current forest management context in Vale do Sousa. The findings give a snapshot of the actors and factors – interests, influential actors, conflicts, problems and power resources – that frame forest decisions. Specifically, results show the keen interest of all groups on wood provisioning and on regulating wildfires. However, actors have also revealed a strong interest in water quality, soil erosion prevention, biodiversity, landscape aesthetics and environmental education. Thus, there is a significant interest in the diversification of the provision of ecosystem services. Almost half of the actors have identified the multifunctional forest as being the ideal forest management framework for Vale do Sousa. Findings thus evince the potential of a participatory approach to negotiate a consensual landscape-level solution that may integrate the different actors' interests and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. This may be facilitated by another finding from actor analysis. A regional Forest Owners Association was recognized as the most influential actor and may support the development and negotiation of multiple objective landscape-level forest ecosystem management plans. In summary, these results may contribute to a better understanding of the forest management context in Vale do Sousa and to supporting the effectiveness of forest management planning. They may contribute further to anticipate problems and conflicts and to develop with actors from Vale do Sousa participatory processes to address them.