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- Info
State forest practice programs: Regulation of private forestry comes of age
| Author: |
Ellefson, Paul V.; Cheng, Antony S. |
| Date: |
1994 |
| Periodical: |
Journal of Forestry |
| Abstract: |
Regulation of private forestry practices causes considerable apprehension among professionals and the regulated public. There are more challenges ahead if regulatory programs continue to expand and more forest practice standards are placed in laws or rules. Uncertainty over the legal and constitutional foundation of regulatory programs may lead to related jurisdictional conflicts. Increasing costs and doubts about the effectiveness of regulations may lead to an intensified search for alternatives. Concerns may grow over forestry agencies turned regulators, relying on standardized administrative procedures and elaborate record keeping to deter litigation. And how will the rules accommodate new science and technology? Challenges aside, the nation’s forestry community now has more than 20 years of experience with forest practices regulatory programs – experience that should be interjected into the oft-heated debates concerning regulation. By doing so, state governments can wisely decide if a regulatory approach is needed in their forestry community and, if so, how it might be designed to meet the needs of citizens, professionals, and forest landowners. |
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