林業における公共選択と合意形成過程 : 作業道開設を事例として

Abstract

1. The purpose and method Today, the policies of the central and local government have great influence upon individual forest management of private forest owners through policy instruments of various subsidized works. It is a great question for a private forest owner how to respond to the policies, and at the same time, the decision is not made only by his private choice but by the collective and public choice. This research attempted a positive study of public choice in the decision making process of the individual forest management. Since 1977, Toyama Prefecture has carried out the forest road construction project for private forest land management as one of subsidized works. We made mention of eight towns and villages in Toyama. The method is as follows. First, we examined the several phases between the policy making of the local government and the plilcy acceptance of the forest owners group. Second, we found both the sender and the taker of the policy in each phase and we looked into the process of planning, presentations or introductions, and acceptance. 2. Policy decisions and acceptance process Phase 1: Policy making and project formation The project involved four plans, that is, the formulations of forest planning area, the constructions of forest road, the equipment of instruments and machines, and the promotion of the cooperation work. Phase 2: Presentation to towns and villages It depends on the importance of forest policy in public administration how much subsidy the towns or villages can offer adding to the subsidy of the local government. Phase 3: Presentation and introduction to forest owners Generally speaking, a leader of rural community works as a taker of the policy. The favorable relationship between a taker and a sender is the key to success. Phase 4: Consensus building in the rural community Prior to the consensus of the group of beneficiaries mutual understanding is necessary in the community. The cases are as follows. (1) An organization of the common farm forest (2) The rural community (3) The positive behavior of individuals (4) Combination of these three cases Phase 5: Consensus building in the group of beneficiaries The beneficiaries scrutinize the project and coordinate their own interests. (1) Decision of the route of the forest road (2) Compensation for the damaged standing trees (3) Decision of the individual share in total expenses (4) Planning the cooperation work In the above, the main problem was (3). 3. Discussion The following points were discussed. 1) The existence of the consecutive phases of public choice process in relation to the project. 2) The divergence between publicness and externalities in the public choice process. 3) The view of the consensus building in the accepting process: The principle of 'equalization' to the rural community.