The US Forest Service may be moving in a new direction. US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told his regional offices and station directors that "responding to the challenges of climate change in providing water and water-related ecosystem services is one of the most urgent tasks facing us as an agency. History will judge us by how well we respond to these challenges."
In a memo (pdf) sent on November 20, US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told his regional offices and station directors that "responding to the challenges of climate change in providing water and water-related ecosystem services is one of the most urgent tasks facing us as an agency. History will judge us by how well we respond to these challenges." Referring to how the challenge will alter future forestry management, Tidwell said that “Climate change is dramatically reshaping how we will deliver on our mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands for present and future generations."
Tidwell's memo follows up on the strategic framework for responding to climate change released last month, and seeks to integrate that framework into the agency's day-to-day operations. Tidwell has proposed dividing the country into five planning regions, asking his managers and area directors to work together to create "aggressive and well-coordinated" area-specific action plans for landscape conservation.
Much of the planning work is already underway, but Tidwell is urging his agency to expand their work into "full blown regions, stations and area action plans" addressing water as "fundamental outcome set."
Article continues: http://www.globalwarmingisreal.com/blog/2009/11/30/the-changing-role-of-us-forest-management-in-response-to-climate-change/
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