State of the Science Review

Oregon State University - June 15, 2006

The State-of-the-Science Review was opened by Mike Mottice, BLM’s Deputy State Director for Resource Planning, Use and Protection. He explained to the 150+ participants that BLM is well into the plan revision process. Early in the process, it was determined that managers needed to know more about certain special interest topics. The topics presented at this forum do not encompass the full range of science being used in the planning process. Rather, these are the topics where significant questions were raised. Today’s forum is only one prong of a multi-pronged approach to engaging the science community.

Topics to be addressed:

• Use of DecAID to assess and manage dead wood habitat - Joan Hagar (USGS, Research Wildlife Biologist), with a response by Chris Foster (BLM, Wildlife Biologist)
• Does forest management increase geomorphically significant peak streamflows? - Gordon Grant (PNW, Research Hydrologist), with response by Chester Novak (BLM, Hydrologist)
• What are the effects of alternative riparian management strategies on the recruitment of large wood to fish-bearing streams? - Gordie Reeves (PNW, Research Fisheries Biologist), with response by Nikki Moore (BLM, Fisheries Biologist)
• What have we learned about young stand management from 15 years of studies? - Klaus Puettmann (OSU, Silviculturist), response by Craig Kintop (BLM, Silviculturist)
• Considerations for socioeconomic community stability and resiliency in forest planning - Ellen Donoghue (PNW, Research Social Scientist), with response by Charlie McKetta (Forest Econ, Inc., Economist under contract to the BLM)
• What lessons from historical landscapes can be applied to future landscape management? - Fred Swanson (PNW, Research Geologist), with response by Richard Hardt (BLM, Ecologist)
• How does the role of BLM lands vary in multi-ownership landscapes? - Tom Spies (PNW, Research Ecologist), with response by Duane Dippon (BLM, Data Analyst)

Mottice added that there are many other science questions that the Interdisciplinary Team will have to deal with. In response to the question of how science will be applied to decision-making, Mottice suggested that the sustainability framework is like a table with three legs: economic, social, and ecological. Science is not a forth leg, but science supports each of the three legs on the table.

He added that there are constraints to any decision-making process: legal constraints, policy constraints, technology constraints (we can’t do the impossible), resource constraints (we can’t grow Douglas Fir in the desert), and budget constraints (we might have great ideas, but no money to implement.)

Kim Titus, BLM Branch of Planning, Science & Resource Information moderated the morning session. She explained the logistics of each topic: presentation, response from BLM, and 10 minutes of clarifying questions and answers.