New Adaptive Management Course

Adaptive Management: Structured Decision Making for Recurrent Decisions
A new instructor-led training "Adaptive Management: Structured Decision Making for Recurrent Decisions" - CSP3176 - will be offered September 15-19, 2008, at the FWS National Conservation Training Center. This new course is currently being designed by scientists from USGS and FWS and is open to applicants from all DOI Bureaus. The course announcement can be downloaded.

Course Objectives:
  —Define adaptive management in the way that DOI does, and distinguish this definition from other competing interpretations.
  —Recognize the conditions under which adaptive management could be applied.
  —Describe the process of using adaptive management for managing natural resources.
  —Design an adaptive management framework that appropriately involves stakeholders and other partners.
  —Articulate the role of predictive models in adaptive management, and discern the qualities of a desirable set of alternative models.
  —Understand how learning occurs in an adaptive context, and identify the critical aspects of a monitoring program that supports adaptive management.
  —Understand the role of optimization in adaptive management and work with a technical consultant to interpret and evaluate optimal management strategies.
  —Appreciate the legal and institutional challenges to implementing adaptive management and develop strategies to overcome them.

Who Should Attend: Biologists, conservation managers, and scientists who have basic experience with structured decision making and/or have completed the “Introduction to Structured Decision Making” course CSP3171. Participants should be comfortable with the use of computer programs such as Excel.

Course Length: 4.5 days (36 hours)

Previous Adaptive Management Training

These broadcasts can be viewed at http://www.blm.gov/ntc/st/en/knowledge_resource.html. You may also request a DVD copy from your bureau broadcast contact.

Adaptive Management Overview & Orientation

An introduction to the Department of the Interior’s recently released Adaptive Management Technical Guide, this 90-minute orientation broadcast provides a brief overview of adaptive management as a resource management tool and describes circumstances under which it is appropriate to use adaptive management. This broadcast is targeted to a broad audience including technical field staff, line officers, and field and regional managers. It can be viewed at: http://www.ntc.blm.gov/Adaptive_Mgmt/AdaptiveFinal.swf.

Resources:  Handout (10 page PDF) used during the broadcast.

Implementing Adaptive Management: Set-Up Phase

This broadcast was the second in a series to introduce the Department of the Interior’s Adaptive Management Technical Guide. A panel of experts—Fred Johnson (FWS), Mike Mayer (NPS), Jim Nichols (USGS), Karen Simms (BLM), and Ken Williams (USGS) — described how to use adaptive management as a resource tool, using case studies to illustrate important points. The panel answered questions from the audience during the broadcast, which was hosted by Bert Frost (NPS). This broadcast can be viewed at: http://www.ntc.blm.gov/krc/uploads/54/AdaptManage2.swf.

    Introduction & Step 1: Stakeholder Involvement (7 page PDF)
    Step 2: Objectives (2 page PDF)
    Step 3: Management Actions (3 page PDF)
    Step 4: Modeling (4 page PDF)
    Step 5: Monitoring & Closing Remarks (5 page PDF)

Implementing Adaptive Management: Iterative Phase: This broadcast was the third in a series to introduce the Department of the Interior’s Adaptive Management Technical Guide. A panel of experts—Ken Williams (USGS), Jim Nichols (USGS), Mike Mayer (NPS), Fred Johnson (FWS), and Karen Simms (BLM)—described how to use adaptive management as a resource tool, using case studies to illustrate important points. The discussion focused on the Iterative Phase, including decision-making, follow-up monitoring, assessment, and the iteration of these steps. This broadcast can be viewed at: http://www.ntc.blm.gov/krc/uploads/78/AdaptManage3.swf .

    Implementation/NEPA (7 page PDF) — Ken Williams and Mike Mayer
    Small Scale Case Studies (5 page PDF) — Jim Nichols
    Florida Scrub Jay Case Study (2 page PDF) — Fred Johnson
    Las Cienegas Partnership Case Study (8 page PDF) — Karen Simms
    Adaptive Harvest Management (5 page PDF) — Jim Nichols

Broadcast Contacts (PDF 1 page)

Bureau Adaptive Management Training

Interior bureaus will incorporate adaptive management into training on related issues, such as NEPA and resource management planning.  Please contact your bureau’s training office to find out where and when bureau-specific adaptive management training is being offered.