Too early to tell, or too late to rescue? Adaptive management under scrutiny.

Abstract

Key to the long-term success of implementing the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) is adaptive management—the idea of treating management policies as experiments, learning from them, and using them as a basis for changes and adjustments. Although much of the NWFP involves standards and guides that prescribe future management, and restrictive allocations such as terrestrial and aquatic reserves, it also identifies 10 adaptive management areas (AMAs), where managers, citizens, and scientists are encouraged to innovative approaches to identifying problems, conducting research, applying results, and promoting learning. A local sense of priority and need should guide adaptive management activities, but research also should be considered within the context of the region and across the AMA network. Meanwhile, research within the AMAs can help establish improved understanding of, and bases of, standards and guides prescribed by the NWFP. A recent report on AMA efforts reveals a need for institutional changes if such an approach is to be successful. Research has also been done on the role of the AMAs in creating innovative collaborative links between citizens and their manager and scientist partners, including examples of success as well as barriers to progress.

Citation

Duncan, Sally. 2001. Too early to tell, or too late to rescue? Adaptive management under scrutiny. Science Findings. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. April (33): 1-5