A second wish is that I knew how to get the coordinated action going in my life time. Maybe ecological change wouldn't be so confusing if we didn't use linear time as our standard of measure. For example, take the conclusions emerging from the convocation of scientists gathered as part of the forest conference follow-up. A major thrust is that part of our problem in the PNW is a lack of context for local actions, ie, we are lacking a regional or sub-regional scale in our thinking. Lacking that scale, we have not allowed for the cummulative effects of a raft of local actions across both time and space.
Scale is an important part of understanding and working with natural resources.
We need to work on understanding sites, areas, river basins, landscapes, regions, yup, even continental and global scales. We will survive the current debacle in the Northwest, and will adapt and adjust the timber industry, the Forest Service, and the social and economic aspects of life in the Northwest and the rest of the country. In this first Eco-Watch Classic we resurrect Russell Sadler's commentary on the situation. The consensus over proper forest management lies in shreds. The battle is over WHO will build the new consensus.