Agenda-setting and framing of policy solutions for forest pests in Canada and Sweden: Avoiding beetle outbreaks?

Extreme events such as pest outbreaks is one of the issues that may become more pronounced with climate change, placing potentially unprecedented requirements on policy systems to manage and develop responses to these, including potential changes in legislation. This study reviews the way in agenda-setting and framing of policy solutions was developed for the issue of bark beetle pest outbreaks following major outbreaks in Sweden and Canada. The study concludes that the larger events in Canada have resulted in a longer policy window, with a higher focus on developing responses on multiple levels, while the issue in Sweden has led to more specialized response, with the policy window closing after instrumental revisions of legislation. While such responses may be appropriate at the present, they place into consideration development of responses to potentially larger events in the context of climate change.