3.6 Stakeholder conflicts

Forest restoration stakeholders can see the meaning and goals of forest restoration differently, depending on what matters most to their group or organisation. These different views, shaped by personal values and beliefs, can lead to conflicts. Therefore, understanding how stakeholder perspectives, values, beliefs and related conflicts can help you to prevent conflicts, find ways to resolve them, and encourage more community support and involvement in restoration efforts. Three different stakeholder understandings of forest restoration have been identified across Europe, including ecological restoration, restoration for forest cover, and socio-economic restoration. These understandings have been linked with four forest restoration conflicts: (1) Biodiversity conservation vs. Timber production and harvesting; (2) Forest restoration vs. Hunting culture and traditions; (3) Forest restoration vs. Recreation and forest cultural value; and (4) Forest restoration vs. Other-land use types.  

Given the complexity of forest restoration conflicts, finding an immediate solution may not always be possible. Instead, focus should be given to finding improvements and fostering a common understanding among stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement methods such as the Collaborative Learning Approach can help work toward finding realistic and desired resolutions. For certain types of forest restoration conflicts, effective conflict management may require strategies that are tailored to the specific context.