How social values have affected forest policy

Social values are difficult to define and measure. Social scientists define social values as desired end-states that go beyond self to address the concerns of the larger society; they are not necessarily values held by the majority of society. Two primary indicators of social values are public opinion and people's behavior. Forest policies reflect a range of social values. The challenge facing foresters is the disconnect between public opinion which supports increased environmental protection and reduced forest commodity production and people's behavior which demands an increased amount of forest products and services. We suggest that public judgment, which goes beyond public opinion and addresses taking responsibility for the consequences of one's behavior, merits consideration. Foresters have an important role to play in facilitating public judgments about our forest resources.