For ecosystem health restoration activities to truly succeed, monitoring and learning from these efforts is essential. The Forest Service and the research community, Congress, the Administration and the Governor s Office should join together in assuring that we learn from the management strategy employed to restore ecosystem health. Monitoring actual results will be critical to justifying ongoing active management. Cumulative effects analysis should include all ownerships within a watershed, where possible. This may be accomplished by working with local watershed councils.
Active management includes more than cutting trees.
Riparian area planting, reforestation, road obliteration and stream rehabilitation are all key components. Use of low impact cost effective, equipment is an important element in effective restoration. The Forest Service, federal government and the state should provide incentives that encourage the use of such equipment. Timber salvage may be an important component of ecosystem health restoration and fuel reduction strategies to the extent that it promotes ecosystem health goals. Where the costs of ecosystem health restoration efforts are not paid for by timber sale proceeds, funds should be made available to finance these activities on a priority basis.