How prescriptive are forest management plans? On the relational nature of forest management and planning in German public forest management

The instrument of forest planning is regarded as the bedrock of multifunctional forest management, serving as the nexus between forest management concepts and practice. Despite this pivotal function, its linkage to day-to-day forest management has rarely been studied. This case study employs the theory-methods package of practice theory and a variety of qualitative data from public forest management in southwestern Germany to explore the processes through which complex management objectives are substantiated and broken down to the stand level in the forest planning procedure. Additionally, it examines the role that the resulting medium-term management plans and professional relationships play in everyday forest management. First, the formal principles of forest planning and their manifestation in administrative structures are described. This rationalistic conceptualization is then considered in contrast to specific planning fieldwork and everyday forest management situations, which are much more reactively structured and shaped by local situated knowledge as a collaborative and collective practice. The analysis shows that forest management plans only partially function as the intended action-guiding instrument, and even fulfill alternative functions, while being most important for communicative and administrative purposes. Furthermore, the planning process often reveals the non-implementation of the management objectives. The observed responses to this discrepancy can only be understood by acknowledging underlying contextual and relational factors, such as the professionals' organizational positionality and the dynamic socio-material nature of the forest. The intrinsic relational nature of forest management and planning manifests itself in the form of actively cultivated professional social relationships and foresters acting as creative situational adaption artists. • Forest planning and implementation are studied from a practice perspective. • The objectives defined in management plans are often not implemented. • The plans mostly do not function as action-guiding instruments. • The rationalistic management conceptualization contrasts with its reactive practice. • Situated knowledge and relationship work are essential in forest management.