Barriers to science-based management: What are they and what can we do about them? (Session Summary)

Abstract

The George Wright Society (GWS) was founded in part to promote the application of knowledge to the protection, preservation, and management of parks and reserves. Recognizing that much of the knowledge needed for sound resource stewardship comes from science, the 1998 National Parks Omnibus Management Act (P.L. 105-391) directed the secretary of the interior “to assure that management of units of the National Park System is enhanced by the availability and utilization of the highest quality science and information” (quoted in Harmon 1999). Attendees at the GWS/CR2003 conference expressed interest in a variety of talks and sessions that addressed the role of science in management. In fact, the high level of interest in a workshop focused on barriers to the use of science was unanticipated. Approximately 50 workshop participants crowded into a small room so that many were standing, and those near the doors commented that a number of people were turned away because they could not physically fit into the room. This paper summarizes the workshop presentations and discussions.

Citation

Wright, Vita. 2004. Barriers to science-based management: What are they and what can we do about them? (Session Summary). In: Harmon, David; Kilgore, Bruce M.; Vietzke, Gay, eds. Protecting our diverse heritage: The role of parks, protected areas, and cultural sites. Hancock, MI: George Wright Society. p. 34-37. Online: http://www.georgewright.org/0310wright.pdf.