Engaging Communities of Practice to Improve Forest Management Policies and Practices

Project Abstract:
The ability to understand the implications of tree- and stand-level prescriptions to the broader estate and watershed levels rarely resides with an individual. In the complex forest management problem-solving situations we now find ourselves, solutions must involve teams that understand and are able to apply science, indigenous and experiential knowledge to unravel and address these complex issues. The resulting solution must achieve the business and landscape objectives that exist within the policy realm, but they must also stand up to public scrutiny while being both practical and cost-effective to implement. Communication, education, and capacity building at a community level are critical to reaching forestry solutions. Forestry was once a discipline for professional foresters only; now it is a community of practice represented by a variety of forestry professionals which includes, but is not limited to, foresters, engineers, biologists, ecologists, indigenous knowledge keepers, hydrologists, geologists, and geomorphologists as well as economists and social scientists. Forestry professionals must be able to practically apply the knowledge they have acquired through institutional training and education, as well as knowledge and skills that they have acquired through practice and experience. They must be able to reach out and link to the knowledge sector when faced with questions they cannot answer. This project will engage the forest dynamics community to respond to the priority information needs and knowledge gaps of the forestry professional as identified by a number of client surveys including Swift et al. 2001, MOFR-MPB 2005, Morford et al. 2006, the Forest Resources Dynamics Extension Cluster technical working groups, and the FIA-Forest Science Program Timber and Value Program Advisory Committee.

The focus of this extension project will be on working collaboratively with other organizations to increase knowledge in such priority topical areas as retention, decision support tools (such as timber supply analysis), and silvicultural practices, as well as in the areas of forest harvesting, transportation, engineering, and salvage practices. Building on activities from last fiscal year, the extension team identified the need to bring a larger community of practice together around the topic of partial cutting since this harvesting practice is being used to achieve a diversity of objectives resulting in various impacts on the landscape. Due to the overlap with other extension efforts (water, species at risk, socio-economics, safety, access management, etc) the Forest Resources Dynamics extension team will combine efforts with the broader communities of practice to host a multi-disciplinary Retention Science Forum that will focus on bringing all of the issues related to the practice of retention from all perspectives together into one forum. Through this forum, we hope to increase dialogue and discussion to enhance the development around the community of practice in this area. We also hope to use the opportunity of this forum to identify knowledge gaps which will be brought forward to the research community, including the FIA-Forest Science Program Timber and Value Program Advisory Committee, to engage in strategies to address them.

Other activities such as site visits, field tours, presentations, and technical sessions focussed on addressing issues associated with harvesting, transportation, and engineering issues, will be used by the extension team to bring together relevant parties to discuss issues and develop action plans to help address barriers that exist in implementing policies and practices associated with these areas of focus.

For further information on this project, please contact kathie.swift@forrex.org.