30.2 Impetus and Goals
thousands of inland lakes; and vast networks of
rivers and streams. Demographically, the region is
within a day's drive of approximately 50 million
people, leading to an enormous weekend and seasonal immigration of tourists, hunters, anglers,
snowmobilers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Furthermore, this region has one of the nation's most
geographically expansive and densely concentrated
areas of recreational or second-home development
(Figure 30.1). Many of these homes are owned by
people from nearby cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, resulting in a
mix of neighbors that often have differing perceptions of natural resources and related management
practices. The patchwork ownership pattern of private and public lands, the high concentration of primary and seasonal homes and other developments
interspersed within our forestlands, and the weekend and holiday immigration of hundreds of thousands of people create an urban-wildland interface
unlike that of any other large region of the country. This widely dispersed pattern of human settlement in forested areas poses an extraordinary challenge to natural resource planners and managers.
The northern Great Lakes region is one of the
most densely forested regions of the nation, with
41 % of the total area, or 50.5 million acres in
forested lands. About 46 million acres are considered commercial forest, and 52% of this commercial forestland is owned by the nonindustrial private sector. Interspersed with these private lands
are approximately 7.3 million acres of state forests,
6.5 million acres of national forest, and 4.9 million
acres of county and municipal forests (Vasievich et
aI., 1997). The second-growth forest is reaching
commercial maturity, and substantial volume gains
have been made in recent decades. Over 438,000
people are employed in the wood products and related sectors, which produce more than $39 billion
in sales annually (Pedersen and Chappelle, 1997).
Nationally, timber production has declined in recent years, but Lake States production has increased (Vasievich et aI., 1997).
Expectations for the region's role in timber production are high, given increasing national demand,
decreasing supply from the west, and the already
high production from the neighboring southern
and southeastern regions of the United States.
Notwithstanding, surveys indicate that the majority of urban Americans perceive a need for decreased emphasis on forest commodity production
and increased emphasis on noncommodity values
(e.g., recreation and esthetics), yet rural users depend on forests for employment and community
development. And while both standing volume and
demand for forest products continue to increase in
449
the Lake States, lands available for timber production continue to decrease due to urban and industrial expansion, development of second homes, and
the resulting emergence of land-use conflicts
(Resh, 1994). The regionally unique confluence of
rural and urban Americans and the local and regional economic dependencies on both recreational
and commodity-based production leads to competing and frequently conflicting land-use emphases.
Land-use policy and practices have far-reaching
economic and ecological implications, and information availability is essential for objective and
publicly acceptable decision making.
30.2 Impetus and Goals
The Lake States Forestry Alliance (now the Great
Lakes Forestry Alliance) held a conference in 1995
to discuss forest resource conditions and economic
development opportunities in the northern Great
Lakes region (Vasievich and Webster, 1997). This
effort, entitled the Lake States Forest Resources
Assessment, created a set of technical reports on
trends and opportunities in forest resource development, with special emphasis on timber and recreational supply and demand. The Great Lakes Ecological Assessment (GLA), a separate but related
effort, began during the same period. Originally,
the GLA was exclusively a USDA Forest Service
initiative. As it evolved, however, the GLA effort
drew together many agencies to consolidate, analyze, and distribute existing environmental, biological, social, and economic information in the
northern Great Lakes region. The GLA builds on
the earlier Lake States Forestry Alliance effort by
expanded use of spatial information and broader
considerations of ecological conditions and processes.
The GLA began in earnest in June 1996 following an award from the Interagency Management
Council of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) for the project entitled Coordinated Management and Utilization of Natural
Resource Information for Forest Lands in the Great
Lakes Region. The request for funding to the NPR
noted several conditions warranting the project.
First, federal, state, and private land managers need
various types of spatial information to adeptly manage and conserve our nation's natural resources.
And while much information was either currently
available or being collected, this information often
resided at different institutions, was archived at different scales and in different formats, and was
therefore typically inaccessible to government
agencies or publics except on a case by case basis.
thousands of inland lakes; and vast networks of
rivers and streams. Demographically, the region is
within a day's drive of approximately 50 million
people, leading to an enormous weekend and seasonal immigration of tourists, hunters, anglers,
snowmobilers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Furthermore, this region has one of the nation's most
geographically expansive and densely concentrated
areas of recreational or second-home development
(Figure 30.1). Many of these homes are owned by
people from nearby cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, resulting in a
mix of neighbors that often have differing perceptions of natural resources and related management
practices. The patchwork ownership pattern of private and public lands, the high concentration of primary and seasonal homes and other developments
interspersed within our forestlands, and the weekend and holiday immigration of hundreds of thousands of people create an urban-wildland interface
unlike that of any other large region of the country. This widely dispersed pattern of human settlement in forested areas poses an extraordinary challenge to natural resource planners and managers.
The northern Great Lakes region is one of the
most densely forested regions of the nation, with
41 % of the total area, or 50.5 million acres in
forested lands. About 46 million acres are considered commercial forest, and 52% of this commercial forestland is owned by the nonindustrial private sector. Interspersed with these private lands
are approximately 7.3 million acres of state forests,
6.5 million acres of national forest, and 4.9 million
acres of county and municipal forests (Vasievich et
aI., 1997). The second-growth forest is reaching
commercial maturity, and substantial volume gains
have been made in recent decades. Over 438,000
people are employed in the wood products and related sectors, which produce more than $39 billion
in sales annually (Pedersen and Chappelle, 1997).
Nationally, timber production has declined in recent years, but Lake States production has increased (Vasievich et aI., 1997).
Expectations for the region's role in timber production are high, given increasing national demand,
decreasing supply from the west, and the already
high production from the neighboring southern
and southeastern regions of the United States.
Notwithstanding, surveys indicate that the majority of urban Americans perceive a need for decreased emphasis on forest commodity production
and increased emphasis on noncommodity values
(e.g., recreation and esthetics), yet rural users depend on forests for employment and community
development. And while both standing volume and
demand for forest products continue to increase in
449
the Lake States, lands available for timber production continue to decrease due to urban and industrial expansion, development of second homes, and
the resulting emergence of land-use conflicts
(Resh, 1994). The regionally unique confluence of
rural and urban Americans and the local and regional economic dependencies on both recreational
and commodity-based production leads to competing and frequently conflicting land-use emphases.
Land-use policy and practices have far-reaching
economic and ecological implications, and information availability is essential for objective and
publicly acceptable decision making.
30.2 Impetus and Goals
The Lake States Forestry Alliance (now the Great
Lakes Forestry Alliance) held a conference in 1995
to discuss forest resource conditions and economic
development opportunities in the northern Great
Lakes region (Vasievich and Webster, 1997). This
effort, entitled the Lake States Forest Resources
Assessment, created a set of technical reports on
trends and opportunities in forest resource development, with special emphasis on timber and recreational supply and demand. The Great Lakes Ecological Assessment (GLA), a separate but related
effort, began during the same period. Originally,
the GLA was exclusively a USDA Forest Service
initiative. As it evolved, however, the GLA effort
drew together many agencies to consolidate, analyze, and distribute existing environmental, biological, social, and economic information in the
northern Great Lakes region. The GLA builds on
the earlier Lake States Forestry Alliance effort by
expanded use of spatial information and broader
considerations of ecological conditions and processes.
The GLA began in earnest in June 1996 following an award from the Interagency Management
Council of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) for the project entitled Coordinated Management and Utilization of Natural
Resource Information for Forest Lands in the Great
Lakes Region. The request for funding to the NPR
noted several conditions warranting the project.
First, federal, state, and private land managers need
various types of spatial information to adeptly manage and conserve our nation's natural resources.
And while much information was either currently
available or being collected, this information often
resided at different institutions, was archived at different scales and in different formats, and was
therefore typically inaccessible to government
agencies or publics except on a case by case basis.