USFS Book: Call for Contributions

NCFP folks,

This is an early call for contributions of essays for a book to be published by the Society of American Foresters, for which I will serve as editor. Working title:

193 Million Acres:

Toward a more healthy and resilient U.S. Forest Service

The book will present a collection of essays describing constructive proposals for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the agency. The essays will examine the state of the agency from a variety of viewpoints and propose actions that would address challenges the agency faces. Overall, the book would look at the internal policies and management strategies of the agency itself, including its National Forest planning regulations, but also at the role of Congress and the Executive branch, existing federal laws, legal challenges to resource management, economic opportunities and challenges within and outside of the agency, political support for the agency, the need to adapt forest management as the climate changes, and so on. The purpose of the book is not to criticize the agency, but to offer concrete proposals for how, ultimately, the agency’s operations might be made more efficient and effective and its land-management activities maintained, expanded, and improved. In short, the objective of the book is to examine paths toward a more healthy and resilient US Forest Service.

I’m still working with SAF to iron out some of the details of the book production process. This announcement is intended to encourage potential authors to think about submitting an essay. The preliminary call for contributions is available at:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By3YLyexT5xIZWh6SnNTcnU0czQ

Steve Wilent
Editor, The Forestry Source
The Society of American Foresters
[email protected]

 

4 thoughts on “USFS Book: Call for Contributions”

  1. Steve,
    This is a very exciting project–it made my day to hear about it. One comment: I’m surprised to not see a section for forest community perspectives – where do you see this fitting in?

    Forest communities have a long and complicated relationship with the agency, and there have been a lot of studies about them, but I don’t know that we have actually heard from them very much.

    Thanks again for taking this project on–I always appreciate your perspective Steve.

    Reply
  2. Chelsea, I certainly do want to hear from folks who live in forest-dependent communities, especially in a chapter or section, Lessons From Partners in Collaboration.

    BTW, I ought to have mentioned that USFS Chief Tom Tidwell has given his blessing to the purpose and scope of this book, except that current agency employees may not submit essays.

    Reply

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