Public involvement in USDA Forest Service policymaking: A literature review

This article provides a brief history of public participation in the USDA Forest Service from 1960 to the present and reviews 25 of the most significant empirical studies on the topic. Twenty-one broadly defined keys to success are identified in the literature and then organized in terms of process design traits, participant traits, and contextual traits. The most frequently cited factors in each category are, respectively, effective facilitation, active participation by agency staff, and support from agencywide policies and administrators. Summarized findings suggest several attributes the agency can look for when selecting individuals to facilitate collaborative planning processes involving multiple stakeholders. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]