The Smokey Wire : National Forest News and Views
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Here is an interesting story in the LA Times today about a movement to decide the right use for public lands as celebrated in a religious service. Now, my personal opinion is that mixing religion and politics has presented more problems than it has helped. Theoretically it should help, because religions are about goodness, but … Read more
The first of three National Roundtable meetings on the planning rulemaking process ended today with a short closeout. The full notes of the two-day meeting will be posted on the Forest Service planning rule website by the meeting facilitator, the Meridian Institute. The majority of the attendance at the meeting were representatives from interest groups … Read more
An interim report of the Science Forum is now available on the Forest Service planning rule website. The 12 pages of bullet statements were prepared by the consultant Booz Allen Hamilton. The planning rule website also says that powerpoint presentations of panelists will soon be posted, and an official full summary report from the consultant will be posted in … Read more
The last panel at the Science Forum talked about the latest thinking in how to do planning, bringing together the information from the first four panels. Clare Ryan from the University of Washington spoke about policy design and implementation, especially best science. (slides pdf) When thinking about policy, we think about policy goals contained in the policy … Read more
The fourth panel at the science forum talked about the social, culural and economic dimensions of planning. Mike Dockry, a Forest Service liason with the College of the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin, began by describing the difficulties in defining sustainability. (slides pdf) After decades of discussions, there is still disagreement across disciplines, perceptions and experience, … Read more
This morning, the third panel of the science forum discussed the latest approaches to species diversity. Kevin McKelvey of the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station began by emphasizing monitoring of species, where quantification is essential. (slides pdf) In the overall framework of planning, then monitoring, then a new plan, there is a very different data … Read more
John has done a fantastic job of summarizing the panelists’ presentations at the Science Forum. However, I think we need to carefully watch what is claimed as scientific information, especially when that information tends to be uniquely privileged and thus can remove debate from the democratic, public sphere if it becomes a “science” issue. “Science” … Read more
The first panel of today’s science forum emphasized landscape scale planning across multiple ownerships. Tom Sisk from Northern Arizona University began with the word: “practical”. (slides pdf) The next 20 years of the science about landscape scale management will focus on transparency, inclusion, and public deliberation. We are learning to “scale up” our management because of our … Read more
One of the Meridian Institute consultants (working with the Forest Service on the “new planning rule”) recently asked me how I might frame discussions for the NFMA rule. Here is what I offered, adding that I thought it already too late for the kind of slow, thoughtful reflection/conversation that might make for effective change: Suppose … Read more
The two-day science forum began this morning with introductory remarks from Harris Sherman, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment. Sherman will be the responsible official for the planning rule. Sherman began his remarks by saying that the planning rule must be rooted in integrity – it must be based on sound science. He … Read more