An Essay on National Forest Recreation Management into the Next Century
I was very excited to have the opportunity to attend the Regional Forester’s Centennial Forum this month. I was surprised to realize that in 2005 I will have 25 years of employment and I have been working on the ground for the Forest Service for one-quarter of the Agency’s life.
One of the first presentations at the forum was a history of the Forest Service from 1905 to WWII by Tony Godfrey of U.S. West Research. Mr. Godfrey talked about the early days of Forest Service “Custodial Management” and the “Inspection Division”. I see the recreation resource management rapidly returning to this original approach. The Next Century of Forest Service recreation management will look like the old Custodial Management and will include Forest Service Facilitators and Administrators working with the non-Forest Service Doers and the “Suers”.
The Facilitators:
Forest Servcie Project Managers, Planners
The Administrators:
Forest Service Staff and Support Staff
The Doers:
Non- Government Organizations (NGO’s), Contractors, Permittees, Volunteers & “Citizen Stewards”
The “Sewers” (pun intended) or Suers:
People who sue, use litigation and legislation to get the results they want.
The Forest Service is moving away from hiring employees to implement recreation management activities; trail construction, visitor information, campground cleaning, operations and maintence of national forest recreation facilities. Management activities on National Forest Lands will be accomplished by “Custodial Management.” Forest Service involvement will be in providing the facilitation of interested parties, the Doers, to complete operations and maintence on the National Forest recreation facilities. The current philosophy that “not all problems can be solved by the government” will advance to a practical practice that the government does not solve problems. Forest Service Facilitators will bring together interested groups and individuals to plan, implement and monitor activities on National Forest Lands. The Forest Service role will be the moderator for the various issues and views. Collaborative groups will offer a proposed course of action to Forest Service decision makers. Non-government organizations and contractors will comprise of the Doers who will actively repair the trail system, provide interpretive services, clean campgrounds and even inspect special use permits. The Forest representatives will work with the Doers to define problems, set objectives and devise management practices to accomplish the Forest Service Mission. Recreation management will be strictly driven by issues brought forward by a non-government groups or individuals.
There is no hope for more time and more money for the Forest Service. Contracts, sponsorships, permits and volunteers will be the only means of recreation management accomplishments on National Forest Lands. Multiple-party implementation and multi-party monitoring will dominate recreation activities. Along with the increased participation by non-government organizations, there will be no one right answer. The agency and users will need to educate each other and come to agreement on a course of action. The black box, unilateral decisions and industrialized approaches to land management will die. User Fees and income generated at the site will provide for the facilitation of collaborative activities, or will go directly to the Doers to get the task completed on the ground. If there is no representation or monetary compensation by an interested party, then it will not get done. That is, unless it is an issue of a “Sewer”.
The “Sewers” get what they want by litigation, legislation, and political intervention. The Forest Service is directed by mandate to fulfill a role of Administrator. Compliance with policy, laws, and regulations will be done through public complaints and legal mandates. Funded or not, Administrators will write justifications, letters of direction, and citations, with results focused on meeting the mandated process or product. Law enforcement activities will fill in where the Doers can not get compliance. Currently it is desirable to attempt to be proactive in identifying preemptive strategies to recreation management. Change will occur so fast, that being proactive will be futile. Ideologically driven “Suers” will direct their values upon the Forest Service. Public values versus private values will be challenged from both directions and no process or product will be bullet proof. Management by mandate will limit the remaining Forest Service employees to deal with the most serious of compliance and criminal actions. The recreation management priorities will set by the “Sewers”.
Albeit the future appears grim, especially if you are a Recreation Technician, it is not the end of recreation activities on public lands. Where and when they are allowed, District Rangers and Forest Supervisors will still be making decisions based upon the mission ‘Caring for the Land and Serving People.’ There will continue to be a pragmatic approach to resource conservation. If natural science or social science supports change, one way or another, the Forest Service will be compelled to work with the American People on finding and implementing solutions. Recreation management will move from the a representative democracy, where the Forest Service land managers attempt to represent the public interest, to a participatory democracy where those that participate will be managing public lands. The organizational changes caused by increased public disclosure and participation were just the beginning. Now expect big changes in land management and project implementation.
