Interest Groups in Forest Policy

Today’s Lecture

• Interest Groups– strategies– resources

• Organization, resources, and strategies for – Industry Groups– Labour– Environmental Groups

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Analytical Framework: Forces at work in natural resources policy

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environment

governance

markets

policies

actions

Governance

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governance

Who decides Who participates

At what level?

Interest groups• Interests• Resources• Strategies

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What are the interests (core objectives) of your group?

How do interest groups try to influence public policy?

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Pralle Framework on group strategies - branching out, digging in (p. 16)

• Issue definition – “framing” - using

rhetoric and symbols to expand or contain conflicts

• Linking• Boundaries• Ownership

• Actors– expanding and

restricting political participation

• Institutions– Expanding jurisdictions– changing venues– modifying rules

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Group Tactics

• lobby• influence public opinion

– through media

• influence market behaviour

• finance elections• litigation• form coalitions• direct action

(demonstrations, civil disobedience)

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Group Resources

• money• expertise (substance, process)• control over investment, jobs• skilled leadership (effective, charismatic)• appealing cause• public opinion• contacts

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What resources does your group have to influence policy?

Forest Industry

• individual firms• industry associations

– provincial– national

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Forest Science Centre

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Size of Firm, by fraction of AAC, 2003

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Company % cut rights Cum. % Canfor 11.05 11.05 Weyco 9.27 20.32 Slocan 7.59 27.91 W. Fraser 6.92 34.83 Doman 5.09 39.91 Interfor 4.17 44.08 Riverside 3.35 47.44 Weldwood 3.08 50.52 NWBC 2.39 52.91 Tolko 2.18 55.09

Sept 3, 2003, MOF

2000s Consolidation

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2000s Consolidation

• Canfor (1) bought Slocan (3)• Riverside (7) bought Lignum (18)• Tolko (10) bought Riverside (6)• West Fraser (3) bought Weldwood (8) from IP• Weyerhaeuser sold its coastal holdings (previously

adquired from MacMillan Bloedel) to Brascan, which created Cascadia, which was then bought by Western Forest Products

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Size of Firm, by fraction of AAC, 2013source

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Company % cut rights

Cumulative %

Canfor 13.6 13.6 Western FP 8.0 21.5 West Fraser 7.8 29.3 Tolko 5.0 34.3 Interfor 6.0 39.3 LP 1.5 40.8 Confix-MacK 1.2 42.0 Mackenzie 1.0 43.0 Teal 1.0 44.0 TimberWest 0.9 45.0

September 2013

The Big 5

Provincial Associations

• Council of Forest Industries – Interior Only• Coastal Forest Products Association• Truck Loggers Association

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National Association

• Forest Products Association of Canada– required 3rd party certification from all of its

members by 2005– Boreal agreement with environmentalists

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Forest Industry ResourcesStructural advantage (privileged position) of business

• money advantage– buys expertise, leadership

• control over investment, jobs - example– government seeks reelection– reelection depends on jobs, healthy economy– jobs, growth created by investment– investment a function of business climate– government constrained from undermining business climate

• weak economy strengthens business influence over governmentSeptember 30, 2014 19

Industry Objectives

• Profit• Certainty

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Industry Strategies

• lobbying, campaign finance

• coalition building with communities, workers

• influence public opinion through media – FPAC op eds

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Labour - Objectives

• Jobs• Higher wages• Security• Safety

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Steep drop in employment

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Environmental Organizations - Objectives

• Environmental quality

• Organizational maintenance

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Engo Resources – salience vs. support

• Public Opinion: – Support – general attitudes on an issue

• Example: how important is the protection of old growth forests to you?

– Salience – how the issue is ranked among most important problems

• Example: how important is a party position on old growth conservation to your vote?

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Environmental group power function of salience

Issues in the May 2013 election

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Source: George Hoberg, What Issues Mattered in the 2013 British Columbia Election? Some Context on the Kinder Morgan Surprise, based on Ipsos-Reid data

Issue Very important

Voted forLiberals NDP Lib - NDP

Open honest gov 71 37 47 -10The BC Economy 65 56 32 +23Health care 60 37 49 -12Trust in leader/party 58 40 45 -5Gov spending 56 53 33 +20Leadership 56 48 39 +9Job creation 44 51 38 +13Provincial debt 44 56 32 +24Education 42 32 53 -21Desire for change 40 7 76 -69Pipelines 39 45 42 +3Taxes/HST 38 36 48 -12Social issues 37 25 59 -34Environment 36 29 54 -25Crimes/justice 33 45 48 -3Candidate in riding 33 42 42 0LNG 30 54 33 +21TV Debate 9 55 32 +23

Power Shift: Market strategies

• Create economic power by influencing purchasers of BC forest products– Boycotts– Purchasing policies– Certification (next week)

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Market Strategies:Great Bear Rainforest

• targeted buyers of wood from old growth coastal temperate rainforests

• over 80 companies, including Ikea, Home Depot, Staples and IBM, committed to stop selling wood products made from these forests

• forcing logging companies to negotiate with environmentalists

• gave enviros a form of economic power

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Environmental Group Influence

• general public support– can be jeopardized by

“radical” tactics

• disadvantage on money, expertise

• real power dependent on salience, markets

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Groups – Conclusion thus far

• Interest groups matter• Different objectives, resources and

strategies• Strategic choice can influence policy• Business has structural advantage• Environmentalists can benefit from issue

salience and market actions

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Actors – Interests and Resources

Actor interest Resource

Politicians Reelection, revenue Authority, spending

Bureaucrats Influence, prestige Expertise, authority

industry Profit, certainty Capital, control of investment

Labour Secure jobs, safety Organization, votes

environmentalists Environmental quality

Public opinion, votes, influence on markets

First Nations Title, economic development

law

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New Themes

8. Actors in the policy process have interests and resources, and adopt strategies designed to best use those resources in pursuit of their interests

9. Business control over investment gives it a structural advantage

10. Public opinion is far more influential on policy makers when it is salient

11. Environmentalists have effectively used market-oriented strategies to increase their power

12. First Nations have effectively used the courts to increase their power

13. The BC government has undergone a profound shift in relations towards First Nations, from active repression through resistance and now apparently sincere efforts at reconciliation

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