Attention!
The Northern Research Station has realigned our staff from 37 Research Work Units and Programs into 14 new Research Work Units.
RWU-4454 is now part of NRS-9, People and Their Environments: Social Science Supporting Natural Resource Management and Policy.
Some members of RWU-4454, including Mark Twery are now part of NRS-14, Northern Science, Technology, and Applied Results Program (NorthSTAR)
Our Mission
To perform and integrate social and biophysical research for natural resource management, and to develop products that make research results available and useful for policy, planning, and management.
Our Research
Social structures and processes
Resource managers need a more complete understanding of the relationships among social institutions and organizations, forest management, and forest ecosystem processes to achieve their policy and management goals.
Individual values and decision making
Research on this problem is divided into two components: 1) identifying and analyzing the key human values that affect natural resource decisions, and 2) incorporating these values into better tools for analyzing and evaluating alternative policies and management actions, particularly those involving multiple goals and diverse stakeholder objectives.
Management applications
Natural resource managers need sufficient information on the array of human values and requirements that affect resource management, planning, and policy decisions. Specifically, managers need data on the the effects of social values on timber management, recreation, special forest products, and biodiversity.
Tool development
There is a need for decision support tools that will integrate the best knowledge available about biophysical and social systems and assist managers and policy makers in making informed decisions.
More Information
This site is under development as the Forest Service brings together the Northeastern and North Central Research Stations to form the Northern Research Station, serving the Northeast and Midwest. Check back often as we expand our site to reflect our combined commitment to supporting the natural resources and people of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.
For more details about our research visit http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/burlington/research/
ne4454/ne4454.htm
Last Modified: 12/21/2007