ABSTRACT
Forest resource economics and policy research has evolved strikingly over the past forty years in a number of fundamental respects. The research methods available for use have become much more sophisticated. A fully detailed account of program developments and accomplishments would far transcend the limits of space and time. Excessive detail could overwhelm the highlighting of fundamental societal forces that have strongly influenced research activity in the field of forest economics. New reserves for forest parks, wilderness, and other forms of dispersed forest recreation could no longer be found without reducing the apparent timber supply of existing industries and significantly modifying opportunities for other forest uses. Ongoing land use adjustments affecting the forest base required research to determine their effects, project their future impacts, and provide factual and analytical bases. Many investigations have provided evaluations of the financial aspects of private forestry.
