1. Sustainable Forest Management of Community Forest Lands IT’S A MATTER OF BALANCE

2. Forests Are A Valued Resource by People for many reasons To some, these Forests are tied to economic well being To some, these Forests are tied to economic well being

3. Forests Are A Valued Resource by People for many reasons Others, Others, Forests are an aesthetic appreciation….

4. Forests Are A Valued Resource by People for many reasons While to others the connection to Forests is almost spiritual While to others the connection to Forests is almost spiritual

5. No one perspective is mutually exclusive of the other

6. Forests are considered Common Ground

7. Why such interest in Forests? There’s a shared realization that Healthy Forests are in everyone’s best interest

8. But what is a Healthy Forest? This…….

9. OR………… this…….

10. What is the Best Way to Protect this Resource? There’s Irony in the fact that the Century old debate of how to best manage our Forests closed with massive hammer blows of natural events and catastrophic fires that occurred irrespective of our decisions and wholly outside of our control.

11. Boundary Water Canoe and Wilderness Area 1999

12. And recent Western U.S. fires

13. Forests are Complex living systems which are subject to periodic and sometimes violent processes of,

14. Destruction……..

15. …….rebirth

16. ……and change

17. It is by understanding and working within this broad framework of time and transformation that sound decisions can be made that will help create a healthy environment for the future and strike a balance between the often complex relationship between people and Forests

18. Can a community balance the health of the environment, need for strong economic health, societal perspectives and change ?

19. YES !

20. BUT HOW???????

21. LONG TERM MANAGEMENT PLANNING

22. What can be gained from long term forest management and planning? A healthy Forest provides for clean air, water and wildlife habitat A healthy Forest provides for clean air, water and wildlife habitat A healthy and diverse Forest can provide for both commercial and non-commercial products and values A healthy and diverse Forest can provide for both commercial and non-commercial products and values Long term management of forest resources can provide financial opportunity directly or indirectly Long term management of forest resources can provide financial opportunity directly or indirectly A healthy and diverse Forest can provide for the economic stability of a community through use of its resources, providing primary and secondary economic opportunities and jobs. A healthy and diverse Forest can provide for the economic stability of a community through use of its resources, providing primary and secondary economic opportunities and jobs. But……….most importantly…… But……….most importantly……

23. Good planning and management can protect and keep a forest healthy and create a lasting understanding of why the forest is important to the community

24. Important Things to Consider when planning Identify why the Forest is important to the Community Identify why the Forest is important to the Community Determine what resource are to be protected Determine what resource are to be protected What does the Community use the Forest resources for What does the Community use the Forest resources for Weigh Perspectives on Forest values Weigh Perspectives on Forest values What type of management is necessary to protect forest values Custodial, or Asset Management or both What type of management is necessary to protect forest values Custodial, or Asset Management or both Balance the Goals and Objectives desired by the Community Balance the Goals and Objectives desired by the Community Where will money come from for management: revenue from operations or other sources? Where will money come from for management: revenue from operations or other sources? What is the scope and scale that the plan is to consider? What is the scope and scale that the plan is to consider?

25. Why is understanding scope and scale so important?

26. Scale is important when discussing perspectives Perspectives change when looking from different vantage points. Perspectives change when looking from different vantage points. There are broad perspectives…….. There are broad perspectives……..

27. ……and narrow perspectives Knowing what scale a perspective is viewed from, can be extremely important to understand the perspective and communicate the importance of the concern………. Knowing what scale a perspective is viewed from, can be extremely important to understand the perspective and communicate the importance of the concern……….

28. Remember it’s all about BALANCE