Analysis of the Mechanism Hindering Sustainable Forestry Operations: A Case Study of Japanese Forest Management

We investigated local forest management practices in Osaka, Japan aiming to clarify mechanisms that hinder long-term, sustainable forestry operation by carrying out forest surveys and interview surveys. Because mountain districts in Japan now face declining and aging populations, forestry work has shifted to forest owners’ associations, with efficient forest management being required on an ad hoc basis as a result of the subsidy system. We found that the forest management plan for the study site utilized only one-seventh of the economic value of the forest, mainly due to the local forestry structure and an inefficient subsidy system that requires efficiency. The income yielded by timber undergoing such forest management and distribution processes is too low to permit forest owners to carry out sufficient forest cultivation. To effectively utilize the wood, a subsidy system that takes a long-term view and a timber market that puts an appropriate price on wood are needed. We argue that it is important to bolster the management position of the Japanese Forest Owners’ Associations for design an institutional scheme that enables to practice forestry management from a long-term perspective.