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Riparian areas--interfaces between land and water--cover 15 percent
of our region's surface. The seven National Forests in the
Upper Great Lakes States--a mere 4 percent of total Forest Service
lands--contain 41 percent of the lakes, reservoirs, and ponds in the
National Forest System. As hubs for both recreation and
resource use, these lands at the water's edge are in great demand,
and therefore in need of wise management. |
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| Yet little research has been
done on the ecology and management of riparian areas in the
Midwest. Without credible knowledge, debates will continue to
rage about the appropriate level of protection and use of these
signature lands. |
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