Forest governance as neoliberal strategy: A comparative case study of the Model Forest Program in Canada

This study addresses the often chaotic and confounding implications of neoliberalism as it applies to environmental governance in the Canadian forest sector. On one hand, neoliberal governance strategies are said to enhance collaborative and partnership approaches to forest management that empower local stakeholders and communities. On the other hand, these same strategies can entrench market discipline and optimize mechanisms for economic development at the expense of broader public interests. We explore these contrasting perspectives through a comparative case study of two Canadian Model Forest initiatives: Resources North and the Manitoba Model Forest. Results from interviews and document analysis reveal that local capacity development for collaborative management at the regional scale was limited and unevenly sustained. We identify intentions within the Model Forest program that migrated from wide-ranging public concerns toward more narrowly defined private-sector interests, such as forest certification. These outcomes resulted from strong federally mandated “action at a distance.” Results also reveal that while some initiatives provided for local empowerment at the beginning of the Model Forest program, over time, these initiatives became more prescriptive. Hence, there remained ongoing limitations of neoliberal governance in fostering capacity development for environmental governance at local scales.