The SCIENCEx webinar series (register here) brings together scientists and land management experts from across U.S. Forest Service research stations and beyond to explore the latest science and best practices for addressing large natural resource challenges across the country.
Monday, May 15, SCIENCE x Planning for Forests of the Future: Resources Planning Act – Forest Resources and Disturbance (moderator: Sarah Hines)
• RPA Overview, presented by Claire O’Dea (recorded session)
• Forest Resources, Current and Future, presented by John Coulston
• Recent and future trends in disturbances to forests and rangelands across the conterminous U.S., presented by Jennifer Costanza
Tuesday, May 16, SCIENCE x Planning for Forests of the Future: Resources Planning Act – Forest Products and Water Resources (moderator: Sarah Hines)
• RPA Overview, presented by Claire O’Dea (recorded session)
• Forest Products Markets, presented by Jeff Prestemon
• Current and future projections of water use and supply in the United States, presented by Travis Warziniack
Wednesday, May 17 SCIENCE x Planning for Forests of the Future: Resources Planning Act – Rangeland Resources and Biodiversity (moderator: Sarah Hines)
• RPA Overview, presented by Claire O’Dea (recorded session)
• The 2020 Rangeland Assessment, presented by Matt Reeves
• Patterns and threats to biological diversity across the United States: Focusing on land use and climate change, presented by Becky Flitcroft
Thursday, May 18 SCIENCE x Planning for Forests of the Future: Resources Planning Act – Land Resources and Outdoor Recreation (moderator: Andrea Brandon)
• RPA Overview, presented by Claire O’Dea (recorded session)
• The past and future of land resources: foundations for the 2020 RPA Assessment, presented by Kurt Riitters
• Outdoor recreation participation in in the U.S. in 2040 and 2070, presented by Eric White
Friday, May 19 SCIENCE x Planning for Forests of the Future: National Report on Sustainable Forests (moderator: Margaret Gregory)
• USDA Forest Service National Reporting on Forest Sustainability: Observations and Program Overview, presented by Guy Robertson
• Key Findings from the 2020 National Report on Sustainable Forests, presented by Lara Murray
• The Montréal Process: a voluntary international agreement to measure, monitor and make progress on forest conservation and sustainable management, presented by Kathleen McGinley
Some are celebrating the 50th anniversaries of a lot of environmental laws passed 50 years ago – while RPA (1974) probably won’t get a lot of attention, it’s interesting (encouraging?) that it is still even a thing. As I understand it, the RPA Program was abandoned long ago, but the decadal assessments continue, and it looks like this is based on the 2020 Assessment. https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/inventory/rpaa
I can write something about it as I used to work on the RPA Program.. I’ll put a reminder in my calendar for 2024.