Sustaining the Forests of the Pacific Coast: Forging Truces in the War in the Woods

Forests define the Pacific Coast in many ways. Culturally they arepart of the traditions of the First Nations; economically they havesustained an industry that has created settlements and wealththroughout the area. In the last twenty years, the forests have becomethe subject of increasing conflict, as economic interests clash withchanging social and political values. The war in the woods hasescalated, hardening battle lines and polarizing forest politics. In this thoughtful collection of essays edited by Debra J. Salazarand Donald K. Alper, forest policy in the U.S. Pacific Northwest andBritish Columbia is examined in a binational context. While US andCanadian forest policy and forest management approaches differ, the twocountries face similar challenges and conflicts. Contributors discussthe evolution of forest exploitation, the response of timber companiesto U.S. federal environmental regulations, sovereignty for FirstNations communities, and the reshaping of the political economy offorests by global forces on both sides of the border. Groups usuallyignored in the forest policy debate — such as First Nations peoples,workers in the emerging non-forest economy, and citizen activists –are also given voice in this fascinating compilation. The contributors to Sustaining the Forests of the PacificCoast offer new perspectives that recognize the complexity of theissues and the diversity of interests in forest politics. A valuablecontribution to the ongoing debate over forest policy on both sides ofthe Canada/U.S. border, these essays analyze the challenges facingforest policy makers and open the discussion up to those whose voiceshave not been heard before.