Strategy for the Future

 March 2002

Pacific Northwest Research Station
Introduction 2

Geographic Scope 6

Vision 8

Mission 10

Goals and Priorities 12

Goals 14

Priorities 18

Basic Principles of Service 30

Operational Guidelines 34

Summary 36

T able of Contents
“Science can help policymakers create

a new vision and new possibilities for

forest management.”

- Lewis and Koch 1999
We live in a time of historic change in the way people view, understand,

and value the natural world. Many people show intense interest in the use of

public lands. Just as sustained-yield and multiple-use concepts emerged as

frameworks to manage natural resources in the 1960s, during the last decade

we have witnessed a significant evolution from managing stands toward managing resources at the landscape scale. We are now shifting toward development of comprehensive approaches that enable resource managers to use the

best science to sustain natural resources and ecological processes while maintaining productivity of goods and services.

Science is critical to good decisionmaking. Research is needed that simultaneously looks at ecosystem structure, composition, and function, and at

multiple scales. Much of the controversy surrounding resource management

questions is not from the lack of science or disagreements about the state of

Introduction
nature but rather involves basic disputes about human

values. Science knowledge alone does not yield decisions

about resource management. But science can aid in the

development of informed choices and sustainable solutions by incorporating human needs and values with our

best understanding of the environment. Science alone

cannot and will not produce a single "right" answer for

resource use and management decisions. Such decisions

will continue to be a complex blending of social, economic, political, and scientific information and interests.

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station

has a distinguished history of expanding scientific understanding about forest and aquatic ecosystems and the

values people ascribe to them. We are committed to charting a course that guides our actions to build on this history

by reassessing our mission and strategic goals in the context of current issues and trends in use and values of natural resources. During the past year, we have engaged our

clients, partners, and employees to help us formulate this

strategy for guiding our research over the next 10 years.

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We believe that people who view an organization

from the outside often are able to see and articulate key

trends, issues, challenges, and opportunities that are difficult to see from within an organization. Input was gathered from 18 client, partner, and employee workshops

held in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Washington,

DC. More than 500 individuals were consulted. The

participants at these workshops represented various

organizations and perspectives ranging from university

professors and state government agency personnel to

community leaders, forest industry representatives, and

congressional staff. The discussions were characterized

as open, honest, and productive. Some participants submitted written comments.

A wide range of perspectives were expressed during

those workshops, but several themes consistently

emerged. One was the importance of long-term research

and the recognition that the Station is one of the few natural resources research organizations with the capability to

provide the continuity to conduct research that extends

over decades. The need to understand "the big picture"

was another theme. This was expressed in the need to

study broad landscape relations and the multiple facets

of issues or questions through the integration of these

many facets.

Designing and implementing inventory and monitoring systems to generate compatible baseline information

across entire regions about natural resources and their

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uses was mentioned often. The need for analyses to

identify trends and for use in adaptive management was

also commonly mentioned. Several other topics emerged,

including interest in production forestry, cost-effective

and increased fiber production and production within the

context of sustainability; management of and the economic

contributions of recreation and tourism; greater understanding of the people part of resource management; and

the effects and management of forest health, especially

fire. Another consistent theme was the importance of communicating research results in various forms to users.

Because this input was used as the basis for formulating this updated strategic direction, it largely reflects

those comments. We will serve society by improving

understanding, use, and management of natural resources

via basic and applied research, development, and application. In short we seek to create new knowledge about

biological, physical, ecological, social, and economic relations and then make that information readily available to

resource specialists, managers, scientists, and the public.

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Geographic Scope

The Pacific Northwest is a particularly diverse region of North

America in terms of environment and vegetation. Oregon and Washington

encompass wet coastal and dry interior mountain ranges, miles of coastline,

interior valleys and basins, and high desert plateau. Moisture, temperature,

and substrate differ greatly. Natural vegetation types range from dense

coastal forests of towering conifers through woodland and savanna to shrubsteppe. Alaska occupies an enormous stretch of land, 375 million acres, with

vast archipelagos and more coastline than the contiguous United States. With

this territory comes a variety of natural ecosystems that provide a rich basis

for the study of their health and function.

The region has an extensive forestland base that has been managed for

diverse and changing goals for more than a century. Over the past decade,

changes in public policies have changed the region's role in national and international timber markets. For example, regional declines in timber harvest have

led to increases in such countries as Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Russia. At

the same time, in the Pacific Northwest, as in other parts of the United States

and the world, demands for timber are being met by increasing productivity
and expanding harvests from managed forests. Science

can contribute to the desire to produce commodities

while sustaining ecosystem functions by helping society

understand compatible production possibilities.

Although historically our primary area of concern

has been the Pacific Northwest, the scope of issues on

which we work and the potential impacts of decisions

made in the Pacific Northwest have expanded to other

parts of the world. Our Forest Inventory and Analysis

Program primarily includes Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and extends to include California, Hawaii, and the

Pacific Islands. Our economics work heavily emphasizes

global markets, and our fire research covers the Nation

and down through the Americas to Brazil. Our scientists

cooperate across the globe to help us understand how

systems and processes interact and to learn from science

and management in other parts of the world dealing with

similar issues.

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The foundation of our business is quality science. The methods of science differ among different disciplines but always include thoughtful analysis

of the questions being asked, stating anticipated outcomes in advance and then

testing them, making comparisons among alternatives, finding ways to increase

confidence in conclusions, and seeking independent peer review. Recognizing

that this method may take too long to address some short-lived issues, we

focus on durable questions and try to anticipate future knowledge within the

available timeframe in which information can be produced. We also recognize

that science develops conclusions bounded by an estimation of their uncertainty and consequently show the risks involved in using those conclusions to

the best of our ability.

Vision

We are highly sought for our

scientific leadership and

impartial knowledge.
Both science and land management policy issues

drive our research. A balance between fundamental

science questions and short-term, issue-driven research

makes us responsive to current and emerging needs.

Science provides the foundation for developing options to

resolve emerging or unforeseen science and policy

issues. Responsiveness to needs for applying science in

current policy and management decisions is essential.

We seek the appropriate balance between the two and to

engender the skills and resources sufficient for worldclass research efforts for both.

We strive to make knowledge useful and relevant

for our clients and partners. We emphasize the creation

of knowledge. We put knowledge into forms and formats

useful to managers, policymakers, and scientists. We

produce a diverse array of products, including new information, models, guides, frameworks, decision-support

systems, methods, processes, and prototypes. We synthesize knowledge from research into a coherent whole,

resulting in new or different perspectives, often leading

to new or modified options that expand various choices

available to managers and policymakers. Our ultimate

success rests on the ability of resource managers to

actively participate in and support the creation and use

of applied knowledge and tools.

We ensure that our science findings are of high

quality through a rigorous system of quality assurance and

quality control. The relevance and value of our products

to our clients and partners are validated through regular

client and partner meetings and ongoing, informal interactions and needs assessments. This requires a focused

effort not only to create new knowledge but also to affect its use. We develop new tools, concepts, and frameworks based on results from our research and

synthesizing other available knowledge. We also are

responsible for communicating the degree of confidence that can be placed in our findings.

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As society struggles with ways to integrate ecological, social, and economic values in managing natural resources, several forces are adding unprecedented complexity to the resolution of natural resource management and

policy issues: (1) changing values about forests and natural resources; (2) shifting distribution and structure of society; (3) shifts in the economy resulting in

redistribution of wealth; (4) distrust of government, people in authority, and

expertise; (5) complex legal environment; and (6) fragmented public institutions

struggling to deal with transboundary problems. We respond to these issues by

making conscious choices about how to focus our scarce research program

resources. The range of possible research questions far exceeds our capacity to

investigate them. We set reasoned goals and priorities in a collaborative manner

with clients, scientists, and science managers based on our comparative advantage. Our advantage lies in our ability to conduct interdisciplinary, long-term,

geographically broad, and policy-oriented research.

Mission

Our mission is to generate and communicate scientific

knowledge that helps people understand and make informed

choices about people, natural resources, and the environment.
Specifically, the Station emphasizes:

Interdisciplinary and integrated solutions.

The diversity and size of the Station's workforce and

of close partnerships with managers and other research

institutions permits the formation of interdisciplinary

teams that can achieve integrated solutions.

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Research that is a balanced portfolio of longand short-term research.

The Station seeks to balance short-term research and

response to policy issues with the need to improve

understanding of those basic biophysical, social, and

economic aspects of natural resource management that

are only revealed through long-term study. The relatively stable funding source and organizational structures of the PNW Research Station create an

environment that enhances the Station's ability to conduct long-term research.

Working at multiple scales and ownerships to

solve increasingly complex natural resource

issues that society faces.

Our science is diverse, cutting across biophysical, social, and economic dimensions. We increasingly study

the interrelations among different spatial scales from

fine to broad scales and across multiple ownerships.

Contributing to informing the debate about

controversial natural resource policy issues.

Station research will link research and management to

gather information from operational activities to better

understand and anticipate emerging issues important

to managers. We also will link science and policy to

provide scientific information to address key policy

questions in large-scale assessments and in planning

processes. We will summarize and synthesize our scientific information so it can be readily used by all

people interested in the policy issue for evaluating

and comparing consequences of policy decisions.
Goals and Priorities

Goal 1. Develop a fundamental understanding

of ecological, social, and economic

systems and their interactions.

 Priority

1.1 Advance the understanding of structure, function, and processes of

terrestrial ecological systems.

 1.2 Advance the understanding of structure, function, and processes of

aquatic and riparian ecological systems.

 1.3 Improve the understanding of social and economic processes and

their interaction with natural resource values and uses.

Goal 2. Assess the status and trends of

ecosystems and natural resources and

their uses.

 Priority

 2.1 Conduct inventories of forest resources and use.

 2.2 Analyze and assess resource trends.

 2.3 Develop monitoring protocols and data analysis techniques.
Goal 3. Develop science-based options that

enhance management.

 Priority

 3.1 Manage riparian and aquatic areas for multiple values.

 3.2 Restore ecosystems at risk and reduce the risks people face.

 3.3 Develop recreation and tourism options for diverse populations.

 3.4 Produce wood within sustainable frameworks.

 3.5 Create operational strategies for conservation of biodiversity.

Goal 4. Communicate science findings and

enhance their application.

 Priority

4.1 Respond to emerging issues.

 4.2 Bridge the gap between information generation and its use.

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To fulfill our mission, our goals guide our integrated programs of research,

development, and application. With a 5- to 10-year horizon, they address

important issues, build on clearly established capability, and are designed to

encompass the full scope of our mission. They focus on developing a fundamental understanding of systems, assessing status and trends, developing options and alternatives for management, and applying and communicating our

science findings. We will strive to meet the following goals.

Goals
We are steering our science to address broad issues affecting landscape patterns at multiple scales as

we deal with topics including species decline, forest fragmentation, water quality and

quantity, and conflicting human

values. Understanding these

complex interactions is crucial

to developing options that sustain forests and related systems. This fundamental

research also can yield results

that help us see issues differently, craft new and innovative solutions to problems, and grasp opportunities that

we did not even realize existed.

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Goal 1. Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, social, and

economic systems and their interactions.
Scientific assessments of forested ecosystems

allow us to monitor forest resource trends, learn the outcomes of previous management decisions, and provide

the basis for developing future management alternatives.

Programs of geographically targeted or comprehensive,

long-term monitoring remain our best means of learning

how forests change at landscape and regional scales,

with or without management. They provide the contex16

Goal 2. Assess the status and trends of ecosystems and natural

resources and their uses.

tual framework for management and information that can

be used to locate potential resource use opportunities.

Issues such as conversion of forest land to residential

use, and its effect on the supply of forest products; wildland-urban interface and fire management; and increased

emphasis on forest amenity values call for new approaches to assess trends, generate forecasts, and analyze the information collected.
Natural resource management issues are often

contentious and complex. These issues can encompass or

affect multiple land ownerships and have ecological,

social, and economic dimensions. They manifest themselves at different geographic scales, and strategies to

address them often have both short- and long-term consequences. As a result, we seek to provide scientific

information about the consequences and risks of various

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Goal 3. Develop science-based options for informed management.

Goal 4. Communicate science findings and enhance their application.

The scale, scope, and complexity of natural

resource and environmental issues have dramatically

increased. Their urgency often requires immediate

information that spans disciplinary boundaries, synthesizes material from various sources, draws inferences,

and identifies levels of confidence. Choosing from

available information and distilling the essential

management alternatives to address high-priority management issues. Our research produces an integrated

picture across different dimensions and scales affected

by management. A display of the full range of potential

management options broadens the public dialogue about

land management decisions beyond simple advocacy to

informed debate about which management strategy to

implement and the ensuing consequences.

elements to identify potential implications for land and

resource management can be overwhelming. We seek

not only to generate scientific knowledge but also to

communicate it and help in the application of our science findings. We will develop ways to interact with

clients and partners to optimize the diffusion of our

information.
To meet the above goals, we have developed the following priorities to

guide our work for the next 3 to 5 years. These priorities will be reevaluated

annually to determine if they should be revised, although the issues that drive

these priorities are not expected to change quickly. The priorities are organized

under our four goals and their order is not significant. They are also not mutually exclusive. There are links between them all.

Priorities

To continue click here for pt. 2