Today, the dramatic growth of interest groups assigning different values to natural resources has created a highly polarized environment in which leadership built around a specific vision is difficult. Pinchot's vision has become blurred as values change and as the Government's parameters for managing natural resources have proliferated. It is no longer enough to simply establish appropriate standards for protection of resources while supporting and facilitating some level of production of goals and services from the land. A new generation of leadership must be built around a vision of sustainable resource management in which productivity is coupled with maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem integrity. Let me review some definitions which are central to my concept of this community of interests model.
Leadership is needed in situations where disequilibrium is managed.
No work occurs unless progress is made toward resolving a problem. So much for definitions. The main difference is in how we view the public and how we view the role of the natural resources leader. Leadership must emerge from within the various communities of interests dealing with each other effectively. The key is to keep the focus on resolving issues, not avoiding work.