Sustainable Development--of Forests, Ships, and Law.

This article discusses the historical development of forestry environmental policy and law in relation to sustainable development concepts. The author reviews the origins of the principle of sustained yield and provides profiles and key source references for its original proponents. According to him, early forest conservation policy was dominated by the need to provide sufficient lumber for naval fleets. He traces the development of the legal forestry framework and shows how the legal architects influenced the applications of the precautionary principle.