Ecology, Economics, Politics, and the Alaska Forest Industry

Authors

• Gunnar Knapp

Files

Description

Ecology, economics, and politics together define and constrain opportunities for the Alaska forest products industry. Ecology limits potential timber harvest paths and non-timber benefits over time. One kind of ecological limit is the tradeoff between potential harvest levels over time. Another kind of ecological limit is the tradeoff between timber harvests and non-timber forest benefits such as fish and wildlife and scenery. The tradeoffs we make between ecologically possible levels of timber harvests over time and ecologically possible combinations of timber and non-timber benefits are political decisions. Ecology sets broad limits to possible Alaska timber harvest paths over time. But within these broad ecological limits are narrower political limits that reflect the choices we are willing to make about tradeoffs over time and tradeoffs between timber and non-timber benefits.

Publication Date

4-17-2000

Keywords

timber, industry, ecology, harvesting, politics, trade-offs

Recommended Citation

Knapp, Gunnar, "Ecology, Economics, Politics, and the Alaska Forest Industry" (2000). Reports. 257.
https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/uaa_iser_reports/257

Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/11122/12043