Common Goals for Sustainable Forest Management Divergence and Reconvergence of American and European Forestry

Forestry in Europe and the United States shares common roots in forest management and in the institutional, legal, and policy frameworks that form the basis for sustainable forest management. It was Europe, in the late nineteenth century, that introduced the basic principles of forestry to the United States. During the 20th century, the policy framework and social conditions for forestry on the two continents developed along distinctly different lines. Now, European and American forestry institutions are focusing on many of the same concerns- sustainable wood production, biodiversity conservation, protection of water quality, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic development in rural communities as a few examples. This reconvergence is resulting in new strategic alliances among forestry institutions on both continents.

To recognize this historic connection between European and American forestry and to set the stage for further alliances, a set of two colloquia were convened, one in Europe and one in the United States that brought together forest managers, researchers, and policymakers from both continents. The papers herein explore the convergence, divergence, and reconvergence of forest management, education, and practice in Europe and the United States.

Jointly published by the Forest History Society and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation