Decision Support Framework for Evaluating The Barriers To Salvage Logging: A Case Study on Private Forest Management in Slovenia

Natural disturbances have increased the extent of forest damage in recent decades and influenced the share of salvage logging and forest management practices in many European countries. These challenges have a significant impact on private forest owners, as 56% of all forestland in Europe is privately owned. The current study researched barriers to salvage logging in private forests in a three-phase framework. First, barriers were identified by conducting a literature review, and they were critically reviewed by experts. In the second phase, stakeholders were selected, and in the third phase, they evaluated barriers using the multicriteria decision-making, best-worst method. The developed framework was applied in the case of Slovenian private forest management. According to the stakeholders, the most important group of barriers consists of organizational and logistical factors, while the most important individual barrier is the organization of logging and skidding. It is expected that this framework can contribute to finding appropriate solutions that meet stakeholders’ expectations and that are very helpful and important in removing barriers to the efficiency of salvage logging in private forests.