Harry Nelson | Faculty Profile

Research Areas:

Aboriginal Forestry, Climate Change, Conservation, Economics, Ecosystem Services, Forest Management, Forest Policy, Human Behaviour, International Trade, Sustainability

Research
Publications

My long-term research interest is in analyzing natural and environmental resource policy with an emphasis on forestry and in developing new policy options that can help enhance the long run sustainability of Canadian forests and the communities and businesses that rely upon them. The forest sector itself is undergoing a structural transformation as the industry has to adapt to changing markets and new opportunities and risks; at the same time, there is an increasing emphasis being placed on the non-market values of those forests, spurred by changing public expectations on how those forests should be managed. Climate change makes the challenges even more complex.

I currently am investigating what role Ecosystem Services could provide as an alternative business model for indigenous groups managing forest lands in BC. I continue to work on assessing the impacts of climate change on how we manage our forests and exploring adaptation options.

Selected Publications

Nikolakis, W. and H. Nelson (2019). Trust, Institutions and Indigenous Peoples: An Exploratory Study in Governance Governance

Nelson, H., Nikolakis, W. and K. Martin-Chan (2019). The Effect of Institutional Arrangements on Economic Performance in First Nations Forestry: evidence from BC Forest Policy & Economics 107

Lyall, A., Nelson, H., Rosenblum, D. and M. Turin (2019). Ḵ̓a̱ḵ̓ot̕łatła̱no’x̱w x̱a ḵ̓waḵ̓wax̱’mas: Documenting and reclaiming plant names and words in Kwak̓wala on Canada’s west coast". Language Development and Conservation

Williamson, T., Edwards, J., Johnston, M. and H. Nelson (2019). Adapting to climate change in Canadian forest management: past, present and future Forestry Chronicle

Nikolakis, W, Nelson, H. and S. Cornell (eds.). (2019). Reclaiming Indigenous Self-Governance: Reflections from the CANZUS Countries University of Arizona Press

H. Nelson & H. Scorah (2019). Is Local Decision-making a Solution? Truck LoggerBC

Grafton,Q, Long, C. and H. Nelson (2019). Payments for Carbon Sequestration by Forests: Efficient Design and Possible Outcomes Report prepared for OECD

Hotte, Ngaio; Nelson, Harry; Hawkins, Tim; Wyatt, Stephen; Kozak, Robert (2018). Maintaining accountability between levels of governance in Indigenous economic development: examples from British Columbia, Canada Canadian Public Administration

Halofsky, J., Edwards, J, Schmitt, K, Andrews-Key, S, Williamson, T, Johnston, M, Swanston, C, Peterson, D, and H. Nelson. (2018). Adapting forest management to climate change: the state of science and applications in Canada and the United States Forest Ecology and Management

Williamson, T and H. Nelson (2018). Reply to: Overcoming the ‘barriers’ orthodoxy: a new approach to understanding climate change adaptation and mitigation governance challenges in the Canadian forest sector. Canadian Journal of Forest Research NRC Press

Grace, P., Nelson, H. and R. Kozak (2018). Understanding SME success in the value-added forest products sector: insights from British Columbia, Canada. Bioproducts Business Journal

Erdozain, M., Freeman, E., Ouellet Dallaire, C., Teichert, S., H. Nelson and I. Creed (2018). Demand for provisioning ecosystem services as a driver of change in the Canadian boreal zone. Environmental Reviews NRC Press

Serran, J., Creed, I., Dallaire, C., Nelson, H., Potvin, C., Sharma, D., Poelzer, G (2018). Reimagining energy in the Canadian boreal zone: Policy needs to facilitate a successful transition to a low carbon future Environmental Reviews

Nelson, H., Hotte, N. and R.A. Kozak. (2017). The Changing Socio-Economic Contributions of Forestry Earthscan J. Innes (ed.) Sustainable Forest Management: From Principles to Practice

Reyes, R., Nelson, H. and H. Zerriffi. (2017). Firewood: cause or consequence? Underlying drivers of firewood production in the South of Chile. Energy for Sustainable Development

Williamson, T and H. Nelson (2017). Barriers to enhanced and integrated climate change adaptation and mitigation in Canadian forest management Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Nelson, H. and N. Hotte (2016). Competition and Investment in the BC Coastal Forest Industry Truck Logger BC

Beaudoin, J.M, Bouthillier, L., Bulkan, J. Nelson, H. and Wyatt, S. (2016). What does “First Nation deep roots in the forests” mean? Identification of principles and objectives for promoting forest-based development. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46: 1-12

Hotte, Ngaio, Mahony, Colin and Harry Nelson (2016). The principal-agent problem and climate change adaptation on public lands Global Environmental Change

Nelson, H., Williamson, T., Macaulay, C. and C. Mahony (2016). Assessing the Potential for Forest Management Practitioner Participation in Climate Change Adaptation Forest Ecology and Management

Nikolakis, W., Akter, S. and H. Nelson (2016). The Effect of Communication on Individual Preferences for Common Property Resources: A Case Study from Two Canadian First Nations Land Use Policy

Furness, E. and H. Nelson (2015). Measuring community led climate change adaptation: the case of community forest organisations in British Columbia Climactic Change

5. Reyes, R., Nelson, H., Navarro, F., and C, Retes (2015). The Firewood Dilemma: human health in a broader context of well-being in Chile Energy and Sustainable Development

6. Beaudoin, J-M., Bouthillier, L., Bulkan, J., Nelson, H. and S. Wyatt (2015). Community-Based Enterprise As A Strategy For Development In Aboriginal Communities: Learning From Essipit’s Forest Enterprises Journal Of Aboriginal Economic Development

Wyatt, S. and H. Nelson (2015). Aboriginal engagement in Canada’s forest sector: The benefits and challenges of multilevel and multiparty governance. McGill-Queens University Press

Hotte, N. and H. Nelson (2015). Assessing Economic Instruments for adaptation: final report.

Nikolakis, W. and H. Nelson. (2015). To Log or Not to Log? How forestry fits with the goals of First Nations in British Columbia. Can. J. For. Res.

Furness, E., Nelson, H. and H. Harshaw. (2015). Community Forestry in British Columbia: Policy progression and public participation Forest Policy and Economics

Reyes, R. and Nelson, H. (2014). A Tale of Two Forests: why forests and forest conflicts are both growing in Chile International Forestry Review

Nikolakis, W., Nelson, H. and Cohen, D. (2014). Who Pays Attention to Indigenous Peoples in Sustainable Development and Why? Evidence from socially responsible investment mutual funds in North America. Organization and Environment.

Nelson, H., Hopkins, K., and C. Macaulay. (2014). Informing Forest Management Policy, Practice and Professionals in BC: Results from the ABCPF Survey on Barriers to Adaptation. BC Forest Professional Magazine.

Wyatt, S. and H. Nelson. (2014). Aboriginal engagement in Canada's forest sector: The benefits and challenges of multilevel and multiparty governance. Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, School of Policy Studies. Queens University. http://www.queensu.ca/iigr/news/workingpaperwyattandnelson.html

Nikolakis, W. and H. Nelson. (2014). First Nations and Forestry in British Columbia: the Importance of Governance. First Nations Relations Branch Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Government of British Columbia and First Nations Forestry Council.

Wunder, S., Nelson, H. and W. Nikolakis. (2014). Lessons in the design of payments for environmental services: Theory and experience. Earthscan

Raymond, C.M., Singh, G., Benessaiah, K., Bernhard, J.R., Levine, J, Nelson, H., Turner, N.J., Norton, B., Tam, J& Chan, K. (2013). Ecosystem services and beyond: Using multiple metaphors to understand human-environment relationships Biscience

Nelson, H.W., and W. Nikolakis (2012). How Does Corporatization Improve the Performance of Government Agencies? Lessons from the Restructuring of State-Owned Forest Agencies in Australia International Public Management Journal

Furness, E., and H. Nelson (2012). Community forest organizations and adaptation to climate change in British Columbia Forestry Chronicle

Nikolakis, W., Cohen, D. and Nelson, H.W. (2012). What matters for Socially Responsible Investment in the Natural Resources Sectors? Mutual Funds and Forestry in North America Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment

Johnston, M., Williamson, T., Vandamme, L., Ogden, A., Hessleyn, H. and H. Nelson (2011). Adaptive Capacity Of Forest Management Systems On Publicly Owned Forest Landscapes In Canada-in J. Ford (ed) "Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations” NRC Press

Dupont, D., and H. Nelson (2010). Salmon Fisheries of British Columbia in Grafton (ed) Handbook of Marine Fisheries Conservation and Management Oxford University Press

Niquidet, Kurt, and H. Nelson (2010). A Stochastic Ray Approach to Estimating the Efficiency of Joint Production by British Columbian Sawmills. Journal of Forest Economics 16(4): 257-267.

Nelson, Harry, Cohen, David, and William Nikolakis. (2009). Are Forest Sector Firms Maximizing the Economic Returns from Their Timber? Evidence from British Columbia. The Forestry Chronicle 85(3):361-372

Mathey, A., Nelson, H., and C. Gaston (2009). The Economics of Timber Supply: does it pay to reduce harvest levels? Forest Policy and Economics 11(7):491-497

Mathey, A, and H. Nelson (2009). Assessing Forest Management Strategies under a Mountain Pine Beetle Attack in Alberta: exploring the impacts through a landscape level simulation. --Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Trosper, R. L., H. Nelson, G. Hoberg, P. Smith and W. Nikolakis (2008). Institutional Determinants of Profitable Commercial Forestry Enterprises Among First Nations in Canada -NRC Research Press -Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38(2): 226-238

Nelson, Harry and Ron Trosper (2008). Industry Profitability -Sustainable Forest Management Network -Report #13 in the Series on “Drivers of Change in Canada’s Forests and Forest Sector”, prepared for the Forest Futures Project of the SFM Network

Trosper, Ronald, Harry Nelson and Peggy Smith (2008). Conditions for Economic Success in First Nations Enterprises -Sustainable Forest Management Network - SFN Network Research Note Series No. 28

Nelson, Harry (2008). Alternative Tenure Approaches to Achieve Sustainable Forest Management: Lessons for Canada -Sustainable Forest Management Network -SFMN Synthesis Report

Nelson, Harry (2007). Does A Crisis Matter? Forest policy responses to the Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in British Columbia. The Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 55(4): 459-470.

Haley, D., and H. Nelson. (2007). Has the time come to rethink Canada’s Crown forest tenure systems? The Forestry Chronicle. September/October 83(5): 630-641.

Nelson, H., Niquidet, K., and Vertinsky, I. (2006). Pricing the social contract in the British Columbian forest sector Canadian Journal of Forest Research The Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Volume 37, Number 11, 1 November, pp 2250-2259(10)