Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management

Despite current efforts to develop consensus goals and objectives for America's public and private forestlands, polarized debate continues in many regions of the country.

Three of NASF's standing committees (Emerging Issues, Forest Health, and Resource Management) met in May, 1997 to discuss how the use of internationally agreed upon criteria and indicators (C&I) to define and implement sustainable forest management (SFM) may be a valuable vehicle to establish a clearer vision for the management of the nation's public and private forest lands.

The three committees believed that C&I can provide the needed framework to assure adequate support and interagency cooperation for data gathering and reporting of information for sustainable forest management of the nation'' forests. This would result in increased support for both National Forest System and State & Private Forestry programs as a result of better national planning efforts and better resolution of the appropriate contributions of public and private forest lands for sustainable forest management of the nation'' forests.

The Committee chairs discussed the results of the joint meeting with the NASF Executive Committee, who directed them to draft a letter from the NASF President to USFS Chief Dombeck who responded favorably.

The NASF Executive Committee also directed the Resource Management Committee to prepare a white paper by August 4, 1997 that was a focus of discussion in the 1997 Committee of State Foresters meeting in August.

The potential use of C&I was further discussed at a three hour interactive panel at this annual meeting in Salt Lake City.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NASF body supports the recommendations brought forward by its Resource Management Committee entitled, The Use of Criteria and Indicators in Sustainable Forest Management, which states:

1. NASF and the USDA Forest Service jointly articulate a policy of sustainable forest management to guide the stewardship of all the nation's forests,
2. NASF endorse the seven criteria established by the Montreal Process as a framework for integrating and measuring sustainable forest management,
3. The Chief of the Forest Service and the President of the NASF co-chair a coordinating group to implement mutually determined actions toward achieving this national policy. The agenda of the group should consider the following:

1. review of the 67 Montreal Process indicators to assess their applicability on a national basis,
2. design a more effective forest inventory system to address, among other issues, key measures, timelines for information, common data structure, and advanced remote sensing technology, and
3. redirection of forest resource planning to align national strategic direction with sustainable forest management policy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NASF may stay engaged in national and international activities as they relate to sustainable forest management. This should include, at a minimum, continued participation in the Forest Service's Interregional Ecosystem Management Coordinating Group and, on the international level, the newly formed Intergovernmental Forum on Forests.

NASF ACTION:

( X ) Approved Attest: Paul D. Frey

Date of Action: 9/18/97 Witness: L. Earl Peterson

Note: Resolution 97-6 approves a white paper entitled "The Use of Criteria and Indicators In Sustainable Forest Management", which will be published separately by the National Association of State Foresters.