Forest Conservation and Economic Utilization: Public Attitudes in Finland Available to Purchase

Attitudes of the Finnish public towards the economic utilization of forests andforest conservation are examined using interview data collected in 1994. Principal component and cluster analyses are used to discern between persons with flexible and inflexible attitudes towards these issues. Four attitude groups are identified; citizens who support either increased forest utilization or increased forest conservation, and reject the alternative, citizens who support both increased conservation and economic utilization offorests and citizens who oppose both. The groups are further described by socio-demographic characteristics, including ownership of forest land, and their proportion strengths are estimated.