Learning and the production of environmentality in community forestry in British Columbia
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Community forestry emerged in response to criticism of the industry-dominated governance of forests. Community forest were viewed as a vehicle for greater local participation in forestry. The purpose of this research was to investigate how participation and social learning influence community forest governance in British Columbia, Canada. This study used an environmentality lens to describe community forest governance and investigate how participation and learning influenced the emergent community forest governance. Data was collected through a qualitative case study focused on the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society and involved semi-structured interviews with board and society members, document review, and participant observation. Disciplinary and neoliberal environmentalities were identified as influential to community forest governance at Kaslo and the participation and social learning that occurred. Findings indicated that participation and learning outcomes have resulted in community forest governance that replicates disciplinary and neoliberal environmentalities, characterized by the professionalization of community forestry management and community acceptance of increasing timber harvesting rates.