allows for a place-based approach to agency activities that can greatly
complement mandate-based activities through coordination.
Modelers should bear in mind that agencies at different levels of
government may have responsibility for managing different components of
ecosystems. For example, national forests manage for wildlife habitat needs,
but state game agencies have responsibility for managing wildlife populations. For models to effectively inform management, the various parties
who “own” components of the problem need to participate as partners in
informing the development and application of relevant model components.
Without this type of cooperation, decisions based on the model may not
have standing among the affected parties.
Lesson 3. Applying existing data, models, and knowledge to problems can
enhance and improve resource management efforts. Another way of stating
this lesson is that innovative management solutions do not necessarily
require innovative or new science. Creative application of knowledge to
these complex problems can be very productive. Given the adoption of
technology and findings from the SAA in forest planning that followed, it
can be argued that existing knowledge regarding ecosystems had not been
fully applied in these management and planning spheres. Researchers,
acting through assessments, can serve a very important purpose by
translating and delivering information from science and by delivering the
knowledge in a form that can be consumed by planners and mangers.
An important aspect of this lesson is that the most effective application
of science to ecosystem management may not come through the standard
pursuit of science. Rather than specify and challenge hypotheses through
new investigations, scientists may provide the greatest service through the
review, synthesis, and distillation of existing knowledge. These types of
effort may not hold currency within the scientific community and, therefore, may discourage scientists from participating in ecosystem assessments.
This problem poses a critical challenge for both research and land
management organizations.
This lesson implies that models that apply existing knowledge to current
problems may yield considerable benefit. A corollary to the lesson is that
modelers should avoid the common trap of solving the scientist’s problem
instead of the manager’s problem. Modeling efforts that link relevant
knowledge from different disciplines (e.g., economics and ecology) may be
especially beneficial to managers.
Lesson 4. The greatest return from assessment activities may be in
derivative activities that follow the assessment activity proper. An integrated
management–science assessment or problem-solving effort can provide a
useful connection among scientists, resource planners, and managers. In the
SAA, these results took two forms. One was the establishment of relationships between individuals. Planners working within the region developed
several contacts with scientists working in the region. Additional derivative
effects took the form of research projects developed either to address ques82
David N. Wear
complement mandate-based activities through coordination.
Modelers should bear in mind that agencies at different levels of
government may have responsibility for managing different components of
ecosystems. For example, national forests manage for wildlife habitat needs,
but state game agencies have responsibility for managing wildlife populations. For models to effectively inform management, the various parties
who “own” components of the problem need to participate as partners in
informing the development and application of relevant model components.
Without this type of cooperation, decisions based on the model may not
have standing among the affected parties.
Lesson 3. Applying existing data, models, and knowledge to problems can
enhance and improve resource management efforts. Another way of stating
this lesson is that innovative management solutions do not necessarily
require innovative or new science. Creative application of knowledge to
these complex problems can be very productive. Given the adoption of
technology and findings from the SAA in forest planning that followed, it
can be argued that existing knowledge regarding ecosystems had not been
fully applied in these management and planning spheres. Researchers,
acting through assessments, can serve a very important purpose by
translating and delivering information from science and by delivering the
knowledge in a form that can be consumed by planners and mangers.
An important aspect of this lesson is that the most effective application
of science to ecosystem management may not come through the standard
pursuit of science. Rather than specify and challenge hypotheses through
new investigations, scientists may provide the greatest service through the
review, synthesis, and distillation of existing knowledge. These types of
effort may not hold currency within the scientific community and, therefore, may discourage scientists from participating in ecosystem assessments.
This problem poses a critical challenge for both research and land
management organizations.
This lesson implies that models that apply existing knowledge to current
problems may yield considerable benefit. A corollary to the lesson is that
modelers should avoid the common trap of solving the scientist’s problem
instead of the manager’s problem. Modeling efforts that link relevant
knowledge from different disciplines (e.g., economics and ecology) may be
especially beneficial to managers.
Lesson 4. The greatest return from assessment activities may be in
derivative activities that follow the assessment activity proper. An integrated
management–science assessment or problem-solving effort can provide a
useful connection among scientists, resource planners, and managers. In the
SAA, these results took two forms. One was the establishment of relationships between individuals. Planners working within the region developed
several contacts with scientists working in the region. Additional derivative
effects took the form of research projects developed either to address ques82
David N. Wear