Socioeconomic well-being and forest management

Socioeconomic well-being in relation to federal forest management has been an important concern of managers and rural community residents since the Northwest Forest Plan was implemented. Communities are not all alike; federal forest management affects different communities differently; and forest communities have followed different trajectories of change over the past two decades. Timber production remains important, but non-timber forest products harvesting, recreation, forest restoration, and wildfire suppression also provide important social and economic opportunities. Better understanding the linkages between community socioeconomic well-being and forest management in specific locations will help identify management strategies that best contribute to community well-being.