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The study
The social impacts of forestry were investigated in five case study areas: Arigna
in Co Leitrim, Shillelagh in Co Wicklow, Newmarket in Co Cork, Causeway and
Brosna, both in Co Kerry. The five case study areas were chosen primarily for
their contrasting histories of forest cover.
The interview data for this study were gathered and analyzed using grounded
theory, a qualitative, inductive approach to understanding social phenomena. The
interviewing process is used to identify sociologically relevant categories
representative of the phenomena under study. In this approach, insights emerge
from the data, in contrast to testing data against predetermined hypotheses.
Typically, observed patterns emerge early in the data collection and are then
tested with additional observations. Data collection is suspended only when
patterns stabilize and no novel information is forthcoming from later observations
(Strauss and Corbin 1990).
In order to reflect the variety of opinions and concerns in the five case study
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areas, stakeholders were divided into three categories:
1. Producers (P): people deriving their living from the land (e.g. farmers and
Arena House, Arena Road,
Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland
foresters);
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University College Dublin. Email: aine.nidhubhain@ucd.ie
2. Consumers (C): people living in or using the area but One of the key roles forestry is perceived to play in rural
not deriving their incomes from the land (e.g. areas is employment generation. However, in the case study
community members and visitors); areas, the economic value of forestry as a source of local
employment was hardly ever mentioned and when raised as
3. Decision makers (DM): people involved in public
an issue, the employment benefit from forestry was often
policy and lobbying (e.g. councillors, officers from
contested. In Shillelagh, employment linked with forestry
administrations, local group representatives, NGOs,
was perceived to be generated only through the processing
etc.).
and timber craft sector. In Newmarket, employment
The identification and selection of individuals in each associated with forestry was considered a feature of the
stakeholder category was initially done using local and past. The absence of processing activity within the case
regional key informants. These included representatives study area (CSA) probably contributes to this negative
from organisations such as Teagasc, the Forest Service, image. In Arigna, the general perception among consumers
County Boards and Councils, and locally based rural and producers was that commercial forestry based on Sitka
development organisations. The initial group of respondents spruce plantations generated little local employment. It was
then guided the interviewer to further contacts, a process interesting to observe that direct employment was not what
known as the ‘snowball effect’. An aide-mémoire was used people necessarily perceive as the most important benefit
to conduct the interview but the discourse was essentially a associated with forestry, even though this is one of the
co-construction between the interviewer and the standard criteria used to assess the socio-economic benefit
interviewee. The interviewer aimed to cover the objectives of the forest sector. Indeed, forestry in the context of rural
of the research including: development is essentially perceived within the perspective
What is the perception of the person of the rural of landscape quality rather than in the context of an
environment she/he lives in? economic activity.
References
One of the aspects teased out during the course of the
interviews related to the future role of forestry in the case
study areas. What emerged was that many of those who had Daniels, S. and Walker, G. 2001. Working Through
expressed negative opinions of forestry were able, and Environmental Conflict: the Collaborative Learning
willing, to describe a form of forestry that was acceptable to Approach. Praeger, Westport, Conn., USA.
them. It was felt that more space should be given to
Hellström, E. and Reunala, A. 1995. Forestry Conflicts from
broadleaved and mixed forests and that farm forestry should
the 1950s to 1983: a Review of a Comparative Study
continue to be encouraged albeit on land not suitable for
between USA, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland
agriculture. There was also an acceptance that broadleaves
and Norway. Research Report 3. European Forest
cannot be introduced everywhere because of site
Institute.
constraints. However, some argued that broadleaves could
be introduced on suitable sites and that this introduction Hellström, E. and Rytilä, T. 1998. Environmental Forest
may be of both commercial and ecological benefit in the Conflicts in France and Sweden. EFI Working Paper
future, if a long term management approach is adopted. 16.
The main argument against planting broadleaves is Slee, B. 2001. Resolving production-environment conflicts:
that it is not commercial. That it is not sustainable the case of the regional forest agreement process in
because rotations are much longer… But you have Australia. Forest Policy and Economics 3(1): 17-30.
to take a longer term approach with broadleaves
Slee, B., Roberts, D. and Evans, R. 2004. Forestry in the
In Shillelagh, the wish that more broadleaves be planted rural economy: a new approach to assessing the
was also expressed. However, here the opinions of the impact of forestry on rural development. Forestry 77
future role of forestry were much more positive with (5): 441-453.
interviewees hoping that the existing knowledge and
Strauss, A. L. and Corbin, J. 1998. The Basics of Qualitative
management skills within the area would be built on and
Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and
exploited to a greater extent. In the Kerry cases there was
Techniques. Sage, USA.
also enthusiasm for the potential of forests as an alternative
energy source. Wiersum, K.F. and Elands, B.H.M. 2002. The Changing
Role of Forestry in Europe: Perspectives for Rural
Development. Forest and Nature Conservation Policy
Conclusion Group. Proceedings 2002. Wageningen University.
The Netherlands.
If there was one overall theme that emerged from these case
studies, it was that “one size does not fit all” in terms of
locally socially acceptable planting of forests. Rather there
appears to be fairly strong sentiment for a stronger linkage
between the community development needs of a local area
and the nature and extent of forestry planting in that area.
This is captured in a quote from one of the Kerry cases:
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