Indeed, the pace of life seems to spiral ever upward with new capabilities, options, problems and opportunities descending on us in a daily deluge. In forestry, this change offers a unique challenge since foresters deal with situations covering decades rather than days.
Continuity is a pipe dream.
Public concerns and involvement in the forestry arena is increasing to a point where the technically desirable often seems to be overwhelmed by the politically acceptable. It is a matter of some concern to foresters how the profession should deal with this changing paradigm. It is apparent that a forester's education and training must change to meet the changing needs. As the technical knowledge base required for forest management has increased, there has been a growing reliance on specialist knowledge to deal with aspects of fisheries, stability, biotech, GIS, recreation, biodiversity, value added, aboriginal values and on and on. A forester no longer represents the sole source of expertise on forestry matters.