BLM's Science Needs for Intensive Forestry
Bob Alverts, BLM, Portland, OR

There are 3 types of federal agencies that influence intensive forestry in the Pacific Northwest and implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan: Regulatory agencies (e.g. US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, EPA); Research agencies (e.g. US Geological Survey, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, EPA); and Management agencies (e.g. Bureau of Land Management and USDA Forest Service).

I represent a management agency, the BLM and will address BLM priorities.

As Dean Salwasser noted this morning on the graphic that aligned management to purpose, the future of intensive management on federal lands is uncertain. For BLM historically, the Oregon and California Railroad Act of 1937, the O7C Act, provided a legislative mandate for a management aligned with the Dean's multi-benefit/value category with some application of the high yield category, given the dominant use features of the legislation. That history was modified with the decisions of the Northwest Forest Plan. Currently, BLM's focus is on the Dean's multi-value and nature forestry categories as we implement the Northwest Forest Plan.

The 4 themes that Dr. Bliss mentioned this morning: technology, complexity, integration, and values are central to federal science and research needs universally, not just those tied to intensive forest management.

BLM has enjoyed a rich history of cooperative science and research work with the OSU College of Forestry and we intend to continue and grow that relationship into the future. BLM's science needs include: research, technical assistance and education/technology transfer.

Our science priorities begin with management issues that get converted to corresponding science needs. Our needs are both short and long-term and vary in scale from stand level to landscapes. Our needs are not new, but represent complex issues for which some excellent work has been done, but for which there is considerably more yet to do.
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[Updated: April 4, 2002]