Title: Riparian and aquatic habitats of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska: ecology, management history, and potential management strategies.
Author: Everest, Fred H.; Reeves, Gordon H.
Date: 2007
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-692. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 130 p
Station ID: GTR-PNW-692
Description: Management of riparian habitats is controversial because land use policies have historically emphasized economic values (e.g., timber production) at the expense of ecological and social values. Attempting to manage these valuable resources to attain the greatest combination of benefits has created a long-term controversy that continues to the present. Our analysis indicates that at mid to large spatial scales, healthy riparian ecosystems and land management activities are not mutually exclusive, but the degree of compatibility is determined by policy decisions based on competing demands and pressing timelines as well as available scientific knowledge. Current management schemes on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are appropriately addressing large spatial scales and incorporating the principles of disturbance ecology. We found no scientific evidence that either the default prescriptions or the options for watershed analysis in the Northwest Forest Plan and Tongass Land Management Plan provide more protection than necessary to meet stated riparian management goals. We believe that additional alternative riparian management strategies could be implemented and evaluated in concert to shorten the time needed to realize effective strategies that fully meet riparian management goals.
Keywords: Riparian ecosystems, management, dynamics, Northwest Forest Plan, Tongass Land Management Plan
View and Print this Publication (818 KB)
Publication Notes:
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
- You may send email to pubrequest@fs.f
ed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly
which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility
Citation
Everest, Fred H.; Reeves, Gordon H. 2007. Riparian and aquatic habitats of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska: ecology, management history, and potential management strategies.. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-692. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 130 p