Because the public values our public forests for a number of reasons, people feel passionately about their management – and this can lead to controversy and disagreement.
But dig a little deeper and you will find there is more that unites us than divides us. Some citizens across the West have begun to work with diverse stakeholders to develop areas of agreement around contentious forest management issues, which has led to healthier forests and communities. Investing in this kind of “collaborative conservation” has promise for restoring forested landscapes in our region.