Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania)
Abstract
:1. Introduction
The Romanian Commons
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. The Tradition of Compossessorates in the Olt Land
3.1.1. Former Boyars’ Compossessorates
3.1.2. Former Serfs’ Compossessorates
3.1.3. Two Distinct Customary Law Systems
3.2. Sustainable Provisions in the By-Laws of the Compossessorates from Transylvania
3.2.1. The Organization and Functioning of the Compossessorates from Transylvania during the Rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
3.2.2. The Organization Of Compossessorates in Transylvania after the Great Union of 1918
3.2.3. The Sustainable Exploitation of Compossessorate Forests and Pastures in the Olt Land after 1918
4. Discussion
4.1. The Current Function of the Romanian Commons
4.2. The Potential for Sustainable Development of the Romanian Commons
4.3. Solutions to Make the Functioning of the Compossessorates in the Olt Land Efficient
- It is vital to impose a sustainable forest exploitation regime that staggers benefits and allows the forest to recover. This is a measure proposed by Popa and Popa [42]. Such management plans are elaborated by specialized companies and thus part of the responsibility for the sustainable exploitation of the forests of the commons lies with the specialists of those companies. In such cases, the responsibility of the commons leadership and members is to make sure the plan is followed through with precision and thus minimize the likelihood of illegal cutting. Thus, such a local measure leaves room for involvement.
- It is necessary to increase the interest of the members of the commons in sustainability, namely in the elaboration of sustainable projects and in the preservation of sustainable practices, and to raising these members’ awareness as to the importance of such practices. This is a measure proposed by Vasile [8]. The implementation of such a solution requires the training of the members of the commons in contemporary sustainability policies and ensuring agreement between them and local customs.
- It is important for the members of the commons to have complete knowledge about the benefits ensuing from their membership and from the exercise of their inherent rights, as Vasile [8,43] has suggested. This measure also refers to the members’ rights to require and impose modifications to the commons by-laws. Its implementation needs to be supported by information concerning the history of the commons, the legal framework underpinning their functioning and their legal statute.
- It would be useful for the commons to associate with a network of similar organizations in order to gain easier access to information on legal changes, on the protection of commons’ interests in their relationship with the state and on new development ideas. This is a measure proposed by Petrescu and Stănilă (2013). Following the same train of thought, Vasile [8] proposed that there should be meetings and exchanges among the members of different commons. The implementation of such proposals presupposes the acknowledgment within the commons of the existence of common interests and of advantages emerging from collaboration. However, such acknowledgment requires counselling and the mediation of the relations between the different commons, considering their historical, economic and functional differences.
- It would be useful to encourage the democratic participation of the members of the commons in debates and decision-making, as Vasile [8] has noted. This measure can reduce the likelihood of voters having their options manipulated for the benefit of private interests and to the detriment of community interests. Training the members of the commons in the field of democracy and its mechanisms would increase the chances of this solution being implemented.
- It would be useful to professionally mediate the conflicts between members of the commons and state authorities. In this respect, Vasile [8] encouraged the participation of people with financial, administrative or counselling competence in the general assemblies as external observers. However, the application of this measure is conditioned by the availability of such specialists, which is no small matter.
- It would be useful to increase the interest of the members of the commons in the general assemblies in which they are entitled to participate and where they can exercise their voting rights. Vasile [8] proposed that all members be regularly invited to the assemblies and also that short briefs on the activity of the commons be attached to the invitations. Additionally, organizing parties after assemblies are over would be another solution. Such means of helping the members discover their mutual interests are very similar to the way of life of the people from the Făgăraș area and require skills and/or support in communication and event organization.
- It would be useful to consolidate the feelings of community belonging and of identification with the land that members have from their homes. In this respect, Vasile [8] recommended the common undertaking of more lucrative activities by members of the commons and the involvement of young people in such activities. The successful facilitation of such activities requires organization and communication skills.
An Adequate Legal Framework, the School, the Internet, NGOs and the Efficient Functioning of the Compossessorates from Făgăraș Area
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Seq. | Categories | Indicators |
---|---|---|
1 | Interest in preserving the property |
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2 | Interest in preserving forest |
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3 | Interest in afforestation |
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4 | Community interest |
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Roșculeț, G.; Sorea, D. Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania). Sustainability 2021, 13, 8012. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148012
Roșculeț G, Sorea D. Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania). Sustainability. 2021; 13(14):8012. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148012
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoșculeț, Gheorghe, and Daniela Sorea. 2021. "Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania)" Sustainability 13, no. 14: 8012. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148012