Decision making in forest user groups

Year level: Lower secondary Learning outcome Students will develop skills in decision making, negotiation and problem solving by making decisions about the future development of a forest environment. Imagine you belong to a forest user group as described in the case study Seeing the forest and the trees The men and women who form the forest user group need to decide what to do with the maturing pine trees. The pine trees were planted 16 years earlier, when they were the only species tough enough to survive on the denuded hills, but they now need to be thinned. Create a role-play around making decisions about the next stage in the development of the forest your group is managing. Create a role of one of the men or women in the group and develop some reasons to support one of the following viewpoints: Harvest all the pine trees and use the money for new projects, such as adding value to the timber by milling or through furniture construction. Continue developing the pine plantation to provide ongoing income. Harvest the pine trees systematically and replant native broadleaf trees, which provide a bigger range of useable forest products. Nominate someone to chair the meeting to help you decide: If you will harvest all the pine trees? What you will do with the income that is generated? Evaluate your decision in terms of the impact it will have on people and the environment. Assessment task Write a reflection on the decision-making process. Make recommendations for improving the process and the support given to those who would be disadvantaged by decisions..