JAG RSC Workshop Synthesis - resources.ca.gov

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JAGResearchAllocationWorkshopNotes

JAG Research Allocation Workshop Synthesis Notes February 1-2, 2010

KEYTHEMES&TAKE-HOMEMESSAGES(EXECUTIVESUMMARY)

TheconvenedexpertsbroadlyagreedthattheLandscapeAllocationfora“World-Class”ResearchandDemonstrationForestshouldbeconstructedusingaHypothesis-OrientedFrameworkthatdefinesanorganizationalstructurefortestingandimprovingforestpoliciesandpracticesthroughouttheRedwoodregion.Suchaframeworkcouldbeorganizedaroundmodels,rangingfromsimpleconceptualmodelstomoredetailedquantitativemodels,thatwouldprovidesomeorganizationalrigorandcouldeventuallyimprovetheabilitytopredictpotentialimpactsassociatedwithmanagementpractices.Thistypeofframeworkwouldprovidestakeholderswithreliableinformationforhowtomanageforestsinasustainablemanner.ItwouldallowtheentireforestrycommunitytoleverageknowledgegainedatJDSFthroughouttheRedwoodregion(andbeyond),whilealsoensuringthatmanagementwithinJDSFmeetsthegoalsandobjectivesdefinedwithinthemanagementplan.EmbeddedwithinthisHypothesis-Orientedapproachshouldbe:

• AnAdaptiveManagementFrameworkthatrigorouslyteststheassumptionsaroundexistingpoliciesandpracticesthatoccurwithintheRedwoodregion.integratesmonitoring,research,anddemonstrationinwaysthatimprovepracticesandpoliciesofinteresttotheforestrycommunity

• Sufficientdiversityofstructuralconditionsexists(andismaintainedovertime)acrossthelandscapesuchthatcurrentandfutureresearcherswillhaveacomplementofvariedconditionsuponwhichtoconductresearch

AprimarygoalofthisHypothesis-OrientedFrameworkwouldbetotestandrefineForestrypoliciesandpracticeswithintheRedwoodRegion(andperhapsbeyond)thatcansupportcontinuedextractionofresourcesinasustainablemannerwithoutunravelingourwatershedsandnegativelyimpactingsensitiveresources.Suchagoalshouldmoreeffectivelyleadto:

1. Therecoveryofendangeredspecies,and

2. Restorationofold-growthredwoodforestecosystems

Therewasalsobroadagreementthatthelandscapeallocationshouldreflectafocusonstrategic“CentersofExcellence”thatdefineasomewhatnarrow,yetmulti-disciplinary

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researchfocusfortheforestthathelpstoresolvecriticalissuesfacingforestmanagementwithinandbeyondtheRedwoodregion.TwosuggestedCentersofExcellencearousedasubstantialdegreeofinterestbyalltheworkshopparticipants:

1. SeektoUnderstandingthedynamicsbetweenhabitatandstructuralrelationshipswithRedwoodEcosystems–specificallyfocusedarounduplandspecies,amongwhichwouldperhapsincludingasub-focusofhowtomanageforolderforests.Usemodelsasthebasisforourexistingunderstanding.Formulatethemodelsonexistingstructureofthelandscape.Aimtobepredictivesothatthedatacanbevalidatedthroughexperiments.

2. SeektounderstandhowtoachievetherecoveryofwatershedsbywayofafocusedapproachtoCohosalmonidrecovery-drivetorestorationofcohohabitat/riparianhabitats/watershedsasfastaspossible.Getreallygoodaboutrecoveringfish.Testnewrules.Investheavilyinrestorationtoseeifwecanrecoverthespecies.Constructmorecompletemanagementsystem,sothatwecanexportprinciples,policiesandpracticestootherlands.

Thesetwocentersshouldfollowparallelresearchpathwaysthatcouldprovideanalyticalandmethodologicalreferencesandthussupporttheirmutualdevelopment.

IndevelopingtheLandscapeAllocation,JAGshouldthinkmoreabouthowJDSFcanintegrateopportunitiesacrosstheentireRedwoodlandscape.Alandscape-based,cooperativeapproachincreasestherelevanceofJDSFtomanystakeholders.Also,theabilitytomanageatlandscape-scalesisgreatlyimprovedbycollaboratingwithotherlandownersthroughouttheRedwoodregion(sincethereisprobablylimitedopportunitywithinJDSFtoaddresslandscape-scaleissuesgivenitssize,limitedrangeofvariability,andothermanagementconstraints.BuildingaResearchCooperativewould:

• Leveragefundingresourcesfromabroaderarrayofcooperators,agenciesandgrantingentities

• EstablishJDSFasacenterofresearchthatprovidesthestaff,moneyandsupportforthecooperative

• Providecollaboratorsthatcanalsosupportadaptivemanagementeffortsbyengaginginevaluationsofpoliciesandpracticesthroughouttheregion

• LeveragetheuniquecapacitiesofJDSFtodomanipulativestudiesthatcannotbeeasilyreplicatedbyotherland-uses,recognizingthatgenerally,

o ParksandConservationblockscanprovidereferences

o Industriallandownerstypicallyoffermoreactiveproduction-orientedforestry

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o USFSlandshavedifferentmanagementconstraintsthantypicallyapplytolandsoperatingunderForestPracticesregulations

o HabitatConservationLandsofferothermanagementmodels

o Descriptivestudiescanbeconductedanywhere

TheExpertsbrieflyreviewedexistinglandscapeallocationproposalsunderconsiderationbyJAGandgenerallyfoundthatwhilecontainingsomegoodideasandconcepts,generally:

• TheManagementPlanproposalistoofocusedaroundsilvicultureandlacksanydefininghypotheses

• TheNaturalForestrydefaultistoorigidandlack’ssufficientdiversity

• TheworkingResearchCommittee’sapproachistoonebulous(initscurrentform).NeedsmorethoughtfulframeworkbuiltaroundCentersofExcellence.

Asaninterimapproach,theallocationbalanceasexpressedintheManagementPlanisprettyclosetowhereitneedstobeintheshort-term.ItissimilartoBlodgett’sallocationinitsdistribution,anditofferssufficientflexibilitytorespondtoopportunities.Asaninterimallocationpriortodevelopingamoredefinitivehypothesis-basedapproach,thisisprobablyenough.

ConstructingtheHypothesis-Orientedapproachtoallocationshouldstartby:

1. Synthesizeinformationfortheexistinglandscape

• Beginbydevelopingsimplified(cartoon)conceptualmodels

• Usetheconceptualmodelstobeginconstructingmorequantitativemodelsusingexistinginventoriesanddatatotestwhatwethinkweknowanddon’tknowaboutthekeyrelationshipsineachCenterofExcellence

• Startsimply,andincreasethelevelofsophisticationasknowledgedevelops

• Notethatmanyexistingmodelscanbefoundwithintheexistingscientificliterature(andotherforestmanagementexperiences).ThekeyforJDSFistorefineandintegratethesetoolssothattheresultsarerelevant.LooktoWatershedAnalysisandsimilartools.

2. ForWatersheds:beginactiverestorationofcohoassoonaspossible(recoveryisurgentlyneeded!)

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• Activerestorationfocusedonwoodplacement,fishpassageandotherhabitatimprovements(e.g.reconnectfloodplains,etc)

• Intensivelymonitortodocumentwhatworks(andwhatdoesn’t)

• Applyexperimentalmethodsusingtestablehypotheses

3. Developlimitingfactorsmodelsandbegindocumenting

4. Formulateandtestvariousworkinghypotheses(includingpeer-reviewfromcooperators)

5. Defineuplandunitsonwildlife/ecosystemsneeds(watershedsnotubiquitouslyusefulunitstructureforuplands,e.g.,firescapes)

6. Defineriparianunitsusinggeomorphicreaches

7. Begintodefineadesiredfutureconditiontrajectoryforallstands(ormanagementunits).Everymanipulationsisbasedontestinghypotheses.

InadditiontotheaboveactivitiesassociatedwithdevelopingthescientificbasisfortheHypothesis-Orientedallocation,severalrelevanttasksinclude:

• Formcooperativesandadaptivemanagementframeworksthatcanbeusedbythosecooperatives(possiblyintegratingwiththeMonitoringStudyGroupandothers)

• Holdasymposiumofland/oceanrecoveryofsalmonids(looktoNSFasaresourcehere)

• DevelopJDSFexpertisecenter(staffing,partners,resources,etc)

Overaperiodofyears,thiseffortshouldtargetthedevelopmentofformalmanagementsystems(combinationsofregulations,policies,practicesandAdaptiveManagement)thatwouldmakemodelsavailabletootherland-owners.Startusingthecontextoftheexistingregulatoryframework,andactivelyrefineasinformationevolves.

Fromastructuralperspective,theExpertssuggestedthatthebuildingblocksshouldbeunitsthatintegratea)existingconditions,b)desiredfutureconditions,andc)data-drivenmodelsthatdefineresearchobjectives(hypotheses).

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Theconceptofshiftingmosaicswerenotconsideredappropriate,astheycancomplicatestudiesbyintroducinggreatercomplexityinlegacyconditions(e.g.seedbanks,etc).Instead,strongsupportwasvoicedforstableunitsthatpersistovertimesoastoprovidethatstabilityrequiredforlong-termstudies.Specificrecommendationsfordataandinfrastructureneedsareprovided.

Withregardtomeasuring(andthusensuring)anadequatediversityofstructuralconditionsontheforest,theexpertsadvisedJAGtokeepitrelativelysimple,byusingexistingsilviculturalclassificationsystems(e.g.modifiedOliverandLarsenasdiscussedinapaperbyDr.KevinO’Hara’s)asthebase.Additionaldetail(silviculturalsystems,habitatrelationships,etc)canbeintegratedasourcollectivesophisticationoftheselandscape-scaleprocessesandfunctionsnaturallyevolves(andasthelanguagedevelopstobetterdescribethesevariations).Identifyunits(primarilyaroundsub-watersheds(sizedatapproximately500acres)orsimilareco-systemunits)andkeepthoseunitsstable.UnitsmightconsiderdefiningclassesoftreatmenttypesinamannersimilartoBlodgettForest(subjecttovariabilitywithintheunits).Overtime,asmodelsevolve,

MOVETOWARDDEFININGMEASURESOFDIVERSITYANSWERSTOJAG’SKEYQUESTIONS:LANDSCAPEALLOCATION

TheallocationbalanceasexpressedintheManagementPlanisprettyclosetowhereitneedstobeintheshort-term.ItissimilartoBlodgett’sallocationinitsdistribution,anditofferssufficientflexibilitytorespondtoopportunities.Asaninterimallocationpriortodevelopingamoredefinitivehypothesis-basedapproach,thisisprobablyenough.

Providespecificideasforlandscapeallocationthatwouldunderpinastronglong-termresearchanddemonstrationprogram.Theseideasmaybepresentedintheformofspecificcriteria,generalobjectives,and/orapproachesthatwoulddeliverapreferredallocation.

JAGshouldthinkmoreabouthowJDSFcanintegrateopportunitiesacrosstheRedwoodlandscape.SuchanapproachincreasestherelevanceofJDSFtomanystakeholders.Also,theabilitytomanageatlandscape-scalesisgreatlyimprovedbycollaboratingwithotherlandownersthroughouttheRedwoodregion.ThusbuildingaResearchCooperativewould:

• EstablishJDSFasacenterofresearchthatprovidesthestaff,moneyandsupportforthecooperative

• Providecollaboratorsthatcanalsosupportadaptivemanagement,dynamic

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policyinteraction,etc

• OneoftheuniquecapacitiesofJDSFisitsabilitytodomanipulativestudiesthatcannotbeeasilyreplicatedbyotherland-uses

o Parksandasreferences

o Conservationblocksas‘lighttouch,somereference

o Industriallandownersasmoreactiveproduction-orientedforestry

o USFSlandsthathavedifferentmanagementconstraintsthantypicallyapplytolandsoperatingunderForestPracticesregulations

Criteria,ApproachesandGeneralObjectivesforLandscapeAllocation

• Landscapeallocationshouldreflectafocusonstrategic“CentersofExcellence”thatdefineanarrowresearchfocusfortheforestthatintegratesmultipleissues.Restrainfromtryingtobeallthingstoallpeople.

• Watersheds(orsub-watersheds)intherangeof100to500acresareapreferredunitofmanagement,althoughthereisarangeofideasexpressedforhowsuchaunitofmanagementwouldbemanaged

• Harvestactivitiesshouldfinanciallysustainbothmanagementandscientificcosts

• Leverageexisting&historicaldatatoinformresearchactivities

• Amountofacreageinanymanagementunittypeshouldensureenoughlandsforreplicates(notnecessarilyexclusivetoJDSF),butrememberlossofcontrolwhennotonJDSFlands.

• Createopportunitiestoallowflexibilityinresearchtoensureanattractiveplaceforresearchers

• Allocationpatternsshouldbedevelopedbasedonwhattheforestcommunityneedstoknowtounderstandredwoodecosystems

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• Somecoreresearchtopicsshouldbecapableofprovidingusefulanswersindependentofanycooperativeresearchefforts

• Wecanuseconceptualoranalyticalmodelsasorganizingframeworksforhabitat/organismrelationships,andtheinformationneededtoinformbothscienceandmanagement

• Giventhetimeittakestogrowtrees,thereissomeadvantagetousingtheexistingstructuresasaguide,althoughweshouldbeawareofopportunitiestocreatethekindoflandscapeovertimethatisdesirable(e.g.viewtheexistingstructureasanopportunity,notaconstraint)

Expertcommentsonthecurrentlandscapeallocationproposals(TheManagementPlan,LandscapeCommitteeProposalandResearchCommitteePrinciples)toidentifyhowitwouldenhanceand/orimpactresearchanddemonstrationactivitiesandprojectsIncludingthe

TheManagementPlanproposalistoofocusedaroundsilvicultureandlacksanydefininghypotheses[alternateobservationisthatitviewstimberastheprimaryresearchablesubject]

TheNaturalForestrydefaultistoorigidandlack’ssufficientdiversity

TheworkingResearchCommittee’sapproachistoonebulous(initscurrentform).NeedsmorethoughtfulframeworkbuiltaroundCentersofExcellence.

Thisapproachtoallocationshouldstartby:

1. Synthesizinginformationfortheexistinglandscape.Buildscientificmodelsfortheexistingconditionstodemonstratewhatweknow(anddon’tknow)aboutthedynamicsbetweenhabitatandstructuralrelationships(andwatersheds).Usetheinventoryofcritersandstructurestoinformandtestmodels.

2. Defininguplandunitsonwildlife/ecosystemsneeds(watershedsuseastheunitofallocationforuplandresourcescanbeinconsistentwithlandscapeandhabiatformingprocesses,e.g.,firescape)

3. Definingriparianunitsusinggeomorphicreaches

4. Sendingallstands(ormanagementunits)ontoadesiredfutureconditiontrajectory.

5. Everymanipulationsisbasedontestinghypotheses.

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WhatExpertsLikeAboutExistingProposals

• TheResearchCommittee’sapproachthateveryactivityisanexperiment,andthatitshouldbetested

o Notnecessarilyagoodexperiment–requiressomefocus(needtodefinethequestion)someamountofdesignisappropriate

• Goodfocusquestionishowdoyouaccomplishold-growth/late-seralconditions(orrestorationforestry,orecosystemrestoration)whileextractingeconomicallyviableproductions

• NaturalForestryisonereasonablehypothesisworthyofconsideration,butnotassolemanagementpractice

• Theallocationwouldsubstantiallybenefitbyarigorouslydevelopedlandscapemanagementplan

WhatWeMightDoDifferently

NOTE:thesecommentsareincomplete,asweneverformallyrequestedcritiques.Someparticipantsofferedcritiqueanyway(whicharereflectedhere).Thusnotallperspectiveshavebeenproperlycaptured.

• Reallyneedtofocusonamorenarrowmission(s)fortheforest

o Can’teffectivelybeallthingstoallpeople

• NaturalForestryoptionrequiresfutureresearchquestionstobedesignednow,orwerisknothavingthestructuresinplace

o Needmuchgreaterdiversityofconditions

o Kate:can’tjustholdalloptionsopenforthefuture.Therewillbeopportunities.Needtodecideonwhatwewanttoanswer,andmoveforward

• Entirediscussionoflandscapeallocationneedstobehypothesisdriven

• Steve–wedon’tyethavegooddynamichabitatmodels–allbasedonseralclasses.

o Howcouldweseparatelegacyissuesthatallowsformoredynamicmodelingapproaches

o Dan:assemblytheory–

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o Brad–seralclassesbasedondominanttrees.Ignoresmuchofthevaluesimportanttowildlife(likeunderstory,etc)

• Kate:needtomakesilviculturemodelsrelevanttomorestuff(includingwildlife)

• CWHRandsimilarexistingmodelscouldbeastartingpointforlessonsonbuildinghabitatmodels

• ConcernsaboutthelackofvariationassociatedwiththeLandscapeCommittee’sproposal

• ConcernsabouttheabilitytopredictfutureresearchneedstodayintheLandscapeCommittee’sproposal

Identifypotentiallandscape-scaleelements(buildingblocks)thatshouldbeconsideredupontheforesttosupportresearchobjectives.Suchelementsmayincludeshiftingmosaiczones,reserves,intensivelymonitoring(orsensored)areas,specificresearchinstallations(e.g.canopycranes,weirs,etc),orotherelements.

Thebuildingblocksshouldbeunitsthatintegratea)existingconditions,b)desiredfutureconditions,andc)data-drivenmodelsthatdefineresearchobjectives(hypotheses)

Theconceptofshiftingmosaicswerenotconsideredappropriate,astheycancomplicatestudiesbyintroducinggreatercomplexityinlegacyconditions(e.g.seedbanks,etc).Instead,strongsupportwasvoicedforstableunitsthatpersistovertimesoastoprovidethatstabilityrequiredforlong-termstudies.

Specificrecommendationsfordataandinfrastructureneedsarediscussedbelow:

DataRequirements

Thefollowingdatashouldbemadeavailableassoonaspossibletosupportaninitialanalysisofexistingconditions,whichshouldformthebasisfordevelopinghypothesesthatin-turndefinethelandscapeallocation.

UrgentData

• Needarobustlong-termdatabaseinfrastructure

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o Existingdatabasemaybegood(nobasisforexpertstojudge).Looktoseewhatismissingorneedstobedone

o State-of-the-artdatabaseGIS(web-based)ORstaffresourcesavailableforinquiries

• LIDARsurveysfortheentireforest

o Valuableindependentofresearchquestions(manyuses)

o Lookforlocalpartnerswhomayhaveunprocesseddata

o CasperCkdata(3-4yrsago)

o Extractallavailabledata(e.g.groundtopography,habitatmodeling,etc)

• ReviewcertificationrequirementsforFSC/SFI,todetermineanyadditionaldataneedsifcertificationoftheforestisdesired

o Maytaketimetodevelop

OtherDataOpportunities

• Weatherstation(meterological),morerepresentative(e.g.beyondCasperCreek)maybeuseful[someareavailable,e.g.,RAWSstationNEofMaquire’sPond.

o Blodgetthasfoundittobethemostrequesteddata

• Low-costcarbonsensorsareunderdevelopmentthatmaybeusefulifCarbonSequestrationischosenasaCenterforExcellence

• Intensivefish&streammonitoring(similartoCDFGpracticesonFreshwaterCreek)throughouttheownership

• Morehydrologystations,distributedthroughouttheforest

o Gowithmorelow-techstations.NoneedforhighlypreciseinstrumentationlikeCasperCk(useCCforhighlyprecisequestions)

InfrastructureSupportRecommendations

• Theforestshouldprovideappropriatehousingfacilitiesforresearchersandtechnicians[ForestLearningCenterisavaialbalbe]

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• Theforestneedsawellmaintainedroadandtrailsystem,thatsupportsall-weather,accessibility

o Researchersdon’tliketowalktoofar(especiallyifcarryingequipment)

§ Distalsitescanalsocompromisedataintegrity(Kate)

o Disconnectroadsfromstreamnetwork(adequatedrainage,etc)

• Theforestshouldhire(orcontract)toprovideapoolofcompetentandtrainedtechnicians,capableofcollectingvariousformsoffielddata

o Includingforestinventory,biologicalsurveys,streamdata,etc

o Reconnaissancesurveysshouldoccuraftermajordisturbancestodocumenteffectsonpertinentresources

o Routinesurveyscanrotate,stratify,etcasperstudydesign

• Challenge:Chasingdatafromresearchersisoftentricky.

• Annualworkshop(symposium)ofresearchers

SuggestionsforalternativelandscapeallocationpatternsthatJAGshouldconsiderinlightofresearchanddemonstrationpriorities.

Thereareatleast2dominantapproachestolandscapeallocationthattheJAGshouldconsider:

1. Research-OrientedFramework-thelandscapeallocationprocesswouldbenefitbyanorganizationalframeworkforhowweapproachthemanagementoftheforest.Suchaframeworkcouldhelpdefinetheallocation,research&monitoringapproaches,andopportunitiesforcollaboration.Note:theallocationinherentlyestablishesaseriesoftestablehypothesesthatweshouldmoreexplicitlyleverage

a. AvariantofthisapproachisusinganAdaptiveManagementFrameworkthatintegratesmonitoring,research,anddemonstrationinwaysthatimprovepracticesandpoliciesofinteresttotheforestrycommunity

2. BuildItandTheyWillCome–defineastructurefortheforestthatcoversarangesofexpectedsilviculturalapproachesandlet

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researchersself-select

ANSWERSTOJAG’SKEYQUESTIONS:RESEARCHAGENDA

Thefollowingareinorderofroughpriority(basedonmulti-votingandinterpretationsofcomments).(thenumbersinparenthesesafterScribedversionistheresultofthemulti-voting)

Apreliminarylistofenduringbig-picture,long-termissuesandquestionsthatshouldbeusedtodirectmanagementofJDSF,sothatJDSFwillbecomeacorecenterforknowledge?Theseideaswillbeusedtoa)informtheResearchAgenda,andb)providearelevantcontextforallocationdiscussions)

The Experts indicated a general degree of excitement around two topics as potential Centers of Excellence:

3. Seek to Understanding Redwood Ecosystems – specifically focused

around the dynamics between habitat & structural relationships, perhaps

including the context of how to manage for older forest. Use models as the basis

for our existing understanding. Formulate the models on existing structure of the

landscape. Aim to be predictive so that the data can be validated through

experiments.

4. Coho (watershed) recovery - Drive to restoration of coho habitat/riparian

habitats/watersheds as fast as possible. Get really good about recovering fish.

Test new rules. Invest heavily in restoration to see if we can recover the species.

Construct more complete management system, so that we can export

principles/policies/practices to other lands. Parallel the work for redwood

ecosystems (stated ) but on separate tracks.

There was also some discussion about the value of the following topic:

CarbonSequestration?–howcanforestssequestercarbonandhowcantheserelatetoclimatechangemanagementpolicies

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TestassumptionsofmanagementpoliciesandpracticesScribed:“Arethecurrentmanagementpolicies/practicestakingustoourgoal”(8policies/13practices)

Scribed:isorshouldtherebemonitoringdatatosupportpriorityresearchand/ormanagementdecisions(5)

• Testtheideathatifwebuildhabitatthatspecieswillcome(e.g.doesprovidinghabitatleadtorecoveryofspecies)

• Arecurrentpolicies&practicesachievingdesiredgoals(e.g.riparianmanagementassumptions,etc)

o CompleteanAdaptiveManagementframework

Howdowecontinuetoextractresourcesinasustainablefashionwithoutunravelingourwatershedsandnegativelyimpactingexistingresources(e.g.fisheries,ecosystems,etc)?

Scribed:howdoforestmanagementsystemsachievesustainablewsorotherfunctionalmanagementgoals(5)

Scribed:arecoastalWS’sunraveling,sustainingorimproving(7)

• Doexisting(oralternative)forestmanagementsystems(includingbutnotlimitedtoFPR)achievesustainable(includingecosystem,watershed,andotherfunctional)managementgoals.

• Aretrajectoriesdeclining,stableorimproving?

RecoveryofEndangeredSpeciesScribed:Whatdocommonspeciestellusaboutmanagingforoutcomes(6)

Scribed:canweunderstandhabitatrelationshipstobetterpredictpopulationstrendsinguildsand/orspecies(6)

Scribed:whatorganismsprovideintegrativeknowledgeofconditionofwatershed/forest(3)

Scribed:howdoyoumanageforforestresilianceinlightofccuncertaintiesandconsequences(2)??

• Whatisneededtomaintainviablepopulations(veg,animals,etc)

• Buildittheywillcome(e.g.doesprovidinghabitatleadtorecoveryofspecies)

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• Canendangeredspecies-orientedmanagementinformforestmanagementatamoreholisticscale?

o Howcancommonspeciesinformforestmanagement?

• Whatorganisms(orguilds)provideintegrativeknowledgeoftheconditionofthewatershed/forest?

• Howcanweintegratehabitatneeds(intheformofforeststructure)atthelandscapescalesuchthattheirstatuscouldbepredicted(e.g.usingGIS)inresponsetomanipulations.Suchaquestionwouldinform:

§ Management

§ Monitoring,AM,etc

§ Habitat/landscapemodels

§ Testhypotheses

§ [usingthisasanorganizingframework]

Howtorestoreold-growthcharacteristicsScribed:doesoldgrowthstructure=old-growthforests(e.g.istreestructureenoughtosupportecosystemstructure/function)(4)

Scribed:whatwillweasacommunityofscientists,acceptasourgoalforrestoredecosystems(0)

• doesold-growthstructure=old-growthforest(e.g.istreestructureenoughtosupportecosystemstructure)

o Usingcommonspeciestocharacterizeentireecosystemsmaybenecessarytoaddressthisissue

• Whatistheappropriatemodernreference(targets,objectives,etc)forold-growth(i.e.historicanalogsmaynotbeappropriate)

o Whatbiologicalprocessescanbereferences?

• Isagetherightmetric?

o i.e.cana200-yroldforestprovideallthecriticalecosystemstructures&functionsofanold-growthsystem

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o whatcriticalecosystemprocesses&structuresarerequiredtoprovidethebasicsofanold-growthforestsystem(watershedsystem,etc)

• DP:whatwillweasacommunityofscientistsaccept?asourgoalforrestoredecosystems?

BasicecosystemprocessesScribed:WhatdoesWQlooklikeatthelandscapescale(3)

Scribed:whatcriticalecosystemprocesses&structuresarerequiredtoprovidethefunctions(basics)ofanoldgrowthforestsystem(watershedsystem,etc)(3)

• Understandingwhatisbiologicallyatstakeandhowinter-related

o E.g.mycorrhizaeinfoontreeproductivity

• EnduringBig-PictureQuestions:

o Disturbancedynamics(short&longterm)

§ Howdomodernanalogs(e.g.activemanipulations)mimicthese

§ Whatistheroleoffireintheecosystem

o WhatdoesWQlooklikeattheLSscale(buildoffCasperCk)

§ Whatistheover-archingworkingmodelthatCasperCkdescribesatthelandscapescale?

• limitingfactorsanalysis

• Watershed-analysis-likesynthesis

§ Lookforreferencesitesthatprovidecontext(e.g.old-growthareasforheadwateramphibians)

ClimateChangeIssuesScribed:doesclimatetrajectory=ecologicaltrajectory?Ifso,howtoincorporateintoplanning(3)

• Carbonsequestration

• Doesclimatetrajectory=ecologicaltrajectory

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o Isthesignalstrongenoughtobeadriverbeyondnaturalvariation?

o Howdowemanagetheforesttoberesilientinthecaseofclimatechange(oruncertainties)?

Exoticinvasivespecies&responsetodisturbances(e.g.fire,fog,etc)Scribed:howdowemanageforexoticinvasivespeciessothattheyareincorporatedintomanagementgoals(2)

• Howcanwemanageforthemwithinthecontextofexistingmanagementpractices?

OtherrelevantcommentsregardingtheResearchAgenda

Howtomonitor(measureandreporting)onthefeedbackloop,impacts(benefits)fromJDSF/JAGresearchactivitiestostakeholders(doesJDSFhaveimpact)

• Howdoweknowthatourrecommendationsareconsidered

• Structuredprocessfordatatobeshared

• HowarewedoingAMandhowdoweknow?

• ClosingtheAMloop

• Feedbackisimportant

• Accountabilityatnumerouslevels(management,policy,community,etc)

• Monitoringisanessentialelementofbothresearch&management

• Collecteddatashouldhaveanintendedpurpose(e.g.minimize(eliminate)datafordatasake).Warningw/exampleofweatherstations&climate

• Isthereappropriatemonitoringdatatosupportallkeyresearchquestions?

Basicinventorydataisessentialtointegrateinformationtomakeitavailabletoresearchandthecommunityatlarge

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• Whatresearchopportunitiesexisthere?

o E.g.lidar,remotesensingtechnologies,etc

• Thisseemslikeanimportantearlystep

• ThiscanmakeJDSFafocalpointforadefinitiveresearchforest

• Whatcoreskill-setsdefinethisplace?

o Whatdowereallywanttobegoodat?

o Withwhomcanwepartnertoextendthequalityofpractice

WeneedtoincreasethesenseofurgencyassociatedwithEndangeredSpecies

UseAdaptiveManagementasaeuphemismfortheterm“monitoring”tobypassfundinglimitationson“monitoring.”

• Howdoesdatawecollecthelpusmeetourresearchandmanagementgoals

• AMmorelikelytogetfundedthanmonitoringTruthinadvertising!

Evaluateeffectsofactivemanipulationonresources

• Replicatewatersheds(largersample)

• Needbroaderrepresentationofscale(e.gconsiderlargerwatersheds)

Extendingtolandscape/regionalscalesthroughgreatercoordinationwithotherlandowners

• Extendslandscapes

• ProvidesabroadermixofmanagementpartnerswhocanextendtherangeofpotentialmanagementmanipulationsbeyondwhatmaybepoliticallyviableonJDSF

• Problem:toomanyextrapolationstakenfromsmallsamples,assurancesofaccess,managementcontrol,andQA/QCatoff-JDSFsites.

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ANSWERSTOJAG’SKEYQUESTIONS:STAND&STRUCTURALDIVERSITY

TheExpertsappearedtobesomewhatfrustratedbythisdiscussion,asitappearedlargelyirrelevantafterthediscussionofamodel-basedapproachfocusedaroundCentersofExcellence.OnlyafewoftheExpertsactivelyparticipatedinthisdiscussion,thusthestrengthofthesepositionsisuncertain.

Provideasenseforthedesirableextentofdiversityofstandconditionand/orseralconditionsneededtosupportastrongresearchanddemonstrationprogramIdeasforhowshouldthesebeachieved?

Keepitrelativelysimple.Useexistingsilviculturalclassificationsystems(e.g.modifiedOliverandLarsen-seeKevin’spaper)asthebase.Integrateadditionaldetail(silviculturalsystems,habitatrelationships,etc)assophisticationsnaturallyevolves(andaslanguagedevelopstobetterdescribethesevariations).

Identifyunits(primarilyaroundsub-watershedsorsimilareco-systemunits)andkeepthoseunitsstable.Unitsshoulddefineclassesoftreatmenttypes(subjecttovariabilitywithintheunits).

Movetowarddefiningmeasuresofdiversityusinghypothesis-basedapproachdescribedabove.

Otherconsiderationsinclude:

• Researchquestionsshoulddriveboththeselectionofdiversitymeasuresandtheappropriatescaleofmeasurement

• Useexistingmeasurestodefinediversity

• Definewhatistherefirst,thensub-dividetoallocation

• Keepingbinslargeisagoodidea(i.e.provideflexibility)

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Provideasensefortheextenttowhichlandallocationanddiversityshouldbeblocked-upordispersed,toenhanceopportunitiesforlandscape-levelresearchanddemonstration.Ideasforhowsuchblockingshouldbeestablished,andhowdiversityshouldbemeasuredandmanaged.

MLInterpretation(pleaseverify):TherewerevariedopinionsrepresentedbytheExperts,withacommonrecommendationforsub-watershedgroupings.However,whenpressedtoexplainwhy,mostanswerswerelessthancompelling(andneverquiteanswereddirectly).100–500acres,withthelatermostcommonlystated.Groupnotedthatscaleaffectswhatlandscapequestionscanorcannotberesearched,andthattherearelandscapescalequestionsforwhichJDSFis,initsself,toosmall.

Ideasforwhatscientificinfrastructureisneededtosupportthisagenda(e.g.keymeasures,instrumentation,access,staffing,etc)?

SeeaboveunderLandscapeAllocationQuestions

JohnHelmsadd-Whatkindsandlevelsofstandstructureanddiversityareneededtobemaintainedovertimetostimulateandenablelong-term,mission-orientedresearchthatisachievedthroughincrementalorcomplementarypiecesofresearchdonebydiversecollaboratorsthat,overdecades,cumulativelybuildsabodyofinterdisciplinaryinformation?

Thisquestionwasnotspecificallyaddressed.Answerstothiscanbeinferredfromabove.

OTHERPROCESSDISCUSSIONIDEAS

WHATARETHECOMPONENTSOFAWORLD-CLASSRESEARCHFOREST?

JAGshouldidentifymorespecificallywhatitwantstobeknownfor.These“CentersofExcellence”shouldbecompelling,integrative,andexciting.

OtherConsiderations:

• InmostResearchForests,researchdrivesmanagementactivities

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• BroadlyconsistentstylesofManagementonthegroundthatpersistovertime(e.g.predictable&adaptiveconditions)\

o Outcomeoriented?

• ActiveIntegrationofresearch/demonstrationwithmanagementobjectives

o Activemanagementisfocusedon

o Researchhistoricallyopportunisticandpassive

o Researchinformsmanagement

• Integratessciencefromotherlands(“meta-analysis”)

o ResearchstafflookbeyondJDSFtointegratestudiesandlessonsfromotherrelevantforestlands

o Whatarethequalitiesofmanagingherethatarerelevantoutsideredwoodregionaswell

§ Oneopportunity:endproductthatresultsinasuccessfulrestorationofcommunity&ecologyinnativeforests

• Cleargoal(s)thatarewell-definedandintegratedintomanagementpracticesandpolicies

• Resultsarepublishedwidely,inabreadthofjournals(subjectmatterandstature),andcitedwidelyandoften.

• Mostinterestingthingweexportishowwemanage(techniquesofmanagement)

o Practices,policiesandknowledgeofecosystemprocessthataretransportabletootherlandscapes

§ E.g.how

• ManagementExperiments

• Data,database,&historyistrackedandwell-maintained(includingbothmanagementeventsandsubstantialnaturalevents)

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o Accessible

o Re-measuredovertimeataunitthatisdefinable

§ Caretakenifmeasurementprotocolschange(cross-walk)

• Researchpartnerships(universitiesorotherresearchinstitutions)

• Kate:notethat50Kacresisnotalotforlandscape-scalequestions–howtoleveragetheforest

• 100%oftheforestinventoriedwithalevelofinformationmuchmoreprecisethannormallyappliedbyprivateforests(shouldmixremotesensingwithgrounddata)

o E.g.Blodgettmeasures4%ofthelandscape(atwhatfrequency?),enoughtoprovideestimatesat+/-5%ofvolume

StaffComments

• Substantialbudgetthatcanfundtargetedresearchgrants(Mission-OrientedandResearchAgenda)

• Robustlong-termmonitoringdatatoprovidebaselineforresearchers

• Broadrangeofforestconditionstosupportabroadrangeofresearchactivities

• Demo&outreachtobroadrangeofaudiences

• Complimentarymixoflong-term&short-termresearch

• Researchonlandscapes,controls&undisturbedareas

Indicators(fromKathy/Brad/John)

• Createcontext(conditions,clearmission,interaction)forattractingresearchers

• Strongdatabasedesignandeffectivemaintenance

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• Multi-disciplinary

• Externalfunding

• Researchdirector(PhDscientist)

Vince:howdoesallthishappenwithinthe“military-like”(e.g.commandandcontrol)structureofCALFIRE

Helge:howdowemaintainaworld-classstatusinaworldoflimitedfunding.

WHATISJDSFUNIQUELYSUITEDFOR?ONLYOPENNESS, ACCESSIBILITYANDR&DFOCUS.

JDSFoffersanexcellentopportunityforactive,manipulativeexperimentalresearchthattakesapproachesthataredifficulttoconductonotherlands

• Descriptivestudiesareavailableanywhere–fewopportunitiesforactivemanipulationofthelandscape

• Otherlandsaremoretightlyboundby

o a)stateForestPracticeRegulations,

o b)HabitatConservationPlans,

o c)Federalconstraints,or

o d)conservationeasementconstraints

OtherConsiderations

• Hartwell:CALFIRERulesareinadequate–linksto(old)aquaticrules

• JDSFoffersstabilityinlandscapestructure:abilityforconfidencethatinstallationsandstudiescanpersistoverthelong-term(i.e.lesssubjecttoeconomicdriversorownershipchanges,etc)

• JDSFoffersstabilityingoalsandmanagementpractices:

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o E.g.ecologicalrecovery(restoration)

o Researchcompatiblewithgoals

• Kate:Tobemoreinteresting:focusonhowwearemorelikeotherplacesratherthanhowweareunique.ThisencouragesotherstobemoreinterestedinwhatJDSFisdoing(ensuresgreaterinfluence)

• Kim:JAGandJDSFcanplayavitalroleinlinkingresearcherswithmanagersandthepublic

• JDSFoffersvariousgradients(e.g.east/west;RW/DF;etc)thatallowstudiesalongrangesofcontinuums[note–limitedlatitudinalgradients]

• AmoreclearlydefinedmissioncouldprovidethecontextfortheroleofJDSF.

o Doingtoomuchreducesourimpact

• JDSFisprobablyNOTsuitedtolandscape-scalestudiesintheabsenceofcooperationwithotherlandowners

o Toofewreplicates

o Toofewsub-watersheds

o Toolittlevariation

LANDSCAPEALLOCATIONDISCUSSION

WhatisthepurposeforLandscapeAllocation

• Establishestheframeworkforinventory??andmanagement

• Kevin:let’sdesignalandscapebasedonwhatwewant,notjustwhatisthere

• LearnfromNWFP–potentialrisks(AMA’shostagetowildliferules)

o Useittoidentify/exploretrade-off’s(priorities)specifically…?

• Tomeettheobjectivesoftheforest…

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• Frieder:Allocationshouldbestaticspatiallybymanagementstyle?

o Providesstabilitynecessarytoprovidelong-termresponses

o Isthereascalebetweenlandscape&standscale

• Kate:Allocationdefinestheexperiment

o ImpliesStandstructure=ecologicalhealth

§ Establishes/definesassumptionsandhypotheses

o Stateshypothesis:standstructuretakescareofecosystemfunctions

o Probablycan’taddresstheseassumptionsatJDSFalone(needscoordinationwithothers)

o Canaddresssomequestionsatstandscale.

o Whatcanyoudowiththatapproach?

• Combiningstructurewithwatershedscreateschallenges

• Kevin:setsthecontextforfutureexperiments

o Suchfutureexperimentswouldaddto(andthusmodify)thelandscape-scaleexperiment

• Kate:World-class=howcarefulandthoughtful(andrigorouslytested)ourworkinghypothesesandassumptionsarecraftedanddocumented

o E.g.modelsarereasonablypredictive

• Kim:wholeforestshouldbeallocatedtoresearch–oratleastclearlydefined

Whatisanappropriatebasisforallocation?

• Sub-basinsthatcapturestructuralcharacteristics

pg25


o Loggedbywatershedsearlyinhistory

• Capturethemostcompleteassemblageoforganisms

Whatisleftbehindinusingsub-basinapproach?

• Potentialforfireissues

• Certainwildlifebioissues

EVENINGEXERCISEREADOUTS

Group3:• Informationdesires

o 2nd-orderwatershedsbuiltupto“unit”sizes(~500-1000acunitstreatedsimilarly)

§ Unitstreatedinsamemanner,butnotnecessarilyatthesametime

o Focus–sub-basintreatments

o Couldsmallerunitsprovidemoreopportunities(e.g.500units?)

o Whatiskeyresearchquestionsandtheappropriatescalesneeded

• Takehomeprinciple:

o Harvestiseconomicallyself-sustainingharvestactivities

o Leverageexisting&historicaldatatoinformresearch

o Potentialresearcharea:howtoframeresearcharoundthesilvicultureofrestorationforestry(paraphrased)

pg26


• Opinion:settheresearchcontext,researcherswillcometoparticipateintheopportunities

Group2:• Splitforestinto5majorunitswith3managementareas

o Specialareas–reserves

o Oldforestrestoration–experimental,withnoproductiongoals(short-termallowablecut)10%

o Managedlong(~200yrs)rotation–includingmulti-agedstands.Extractingtimber40%(includingriparianareas)

o Multi-aged–selectionsilviculturedesignedtocreatenewcohorts25%

o Even-aged(~100yrrotation)–25%

• Eachareawouldhavesimilardistributionoftheabove

o Accountsforsitequalityandvegetativeconditions

o Featuresincludedconnectingcorridorofoldforestrestorationandmanagedlongrotation

• Sub-watershedsusedtoallocateindividualtreatments

• Principles:

o Amountofacreageinanymanagementunittypeistoensureenoughlandsforreplicates

o 25%ofeven-agedwouldresultinverysmallproportionoflandscapeinclearcutconditionatanygiventime

o Createopportunitiestoallowflexibilityinresearch(builditandtheywillcome).Doesn’tbuildallocationonanyspecificresearchquestionsorapproach.

• Even-agedstandsallowgreatercontrolofvariablesthatcansupportresearchatanumberofredwoodecologyissues

o Blodgettexperience:newesteven-agedcutsarethemostin-demandobjectives

pg27


• Multi-agedresearchisverylimitedinlandscape

Group1:• Gotstuckinneedforclearlydefinedresearchquestionsbefore

theycoulddelineatepolygonsonthemap

o Whatwouldweneedtoknowtounderstandredwoodecosystems,including

§ Watershedsizes

§ Naturalvariability

§ ExpandingscopebeyondJDSFbysettingupasacooperative

• Conservationseasements

• Privatelands

• USFSlands

• Expandsspacefortimeandvariabilityintreatments

o WantedcoreanswersthatcouldbeprovidedbyJDSFexclusiveofthecooperative.

§ Howdostandsgrowinresponsetotreatments

§ Howdoorganismsrespondtothesetreatments

• Usinglandmanagementtoiterativielydevelopandtestmodels(organizationsframeworks)forhabitat/organismrelationships

o Focusedaroundcatchment/sub-watershedsshouldbeafundamentalunitofmanagement

§ Replicatesthataretreatedsimilarly

o 2-3zonationsdefinedbyexistinglandscape(similartoGroup2)

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MORNINGCOMMENTSFROMDAN

(DAN:pleaserefine):

• Monitoring

• Importanceofdatausabilitytopublic,researchers,etc

• Importanceofdataquality

• Needtoincludeunderstoryconditions

• Mission-OrientedPriorities–soundsgreat,butwhatarethey.Bemoreexplicitaboutissues,associatedassumptions.Openlytestourassumptions.

• Arecontinuedtimberharvestactivitiescompatiblewithsustainableecosystemresources?

• HowisinfofromJDSFpackaged,shared&disseminated.Transparenttolocalcommunity,policy,researchers

• Leveragepastworktosetdirectionformovingforward(gapanalysis)

• Whatistheappropriatescaleofresearchontheforest(self-containedorcollaborative)

RECOMMENDEDNEXTSTEPS

MovetowardimplementingsystemsbasedonCentersofExcellence.Asawaytosellthebenefitsofapproachtokeydecision-makersandfunders,we’llneedtoenunciateshort-term,mid-term,long-termapproachesandassociateddeliverables(outcomes)thatwouldarise.

• ShortTerm(fewyears)

o Developsimplified(cartoon)conceptualmodels

pg29


o Usetheconceptualmodelstobeginconstructingmorequantitativemodelsusingexistinginventoriesanddata

o Getrestorationofcohogoingassoonaspossible(recoveryisurgentlyneeded!)

§ Activeinstreamrestorationfocusedonwoodplacement,fishpassageandotherhabitatimprovements

§ Intensivelymonitoredtodocumentwhatworks(anddoesn’twork)

§ Applyexperimentalmethodsusingtestablehypotheses

§ R&Dandallocationimplicationswerenotdelvedinto.

o DevelopLimitingFactorsmodels

o Formcooperatives(seeabove)

o Holdsymposiumofland/oceanrecoveryofsalmon(looktoNSFasaresource)

o DevelopJDSFexpertisecenter(staffing,partners,resources,etc)

o Formulatehypothesesforstablev.dynamiclandscapes

§ NaturalANDmanipulated

§ Looktofindopportunitiesforcollaborationwithotherlandbases

• Medium-Term

o Targetthedevelopmentofformalmanagementsystems(combinationsofregulations,policies,practicesandAdaptiveManagement)thatwouldmakemodelsavailabletootherland-owners.Startusingthecontextoftheexistingregulatoryframework,andactivelyrefineasinformationevolves.

• Longer-term

o Silviculturaloutputs

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FEEDBACKFROMEXPERTS

Whatfinalwordsofwisdomdoyouhavetoofferinsummarizingthisevent.

• Hart:IdeasfromKatehadalotofmerit.Potentialforbringinginalotofpartners(cooperative)andhypothesis-drivenapproachspecifically

• Pete:reallylikescooperative–fitswitheffortsofGentry,etal

o AlwayswantedJDSFtobemorelikeHJAndrews.Appearstobemovinginthatdirection

• Kim:Partnershipsarekey.ExplorepotentialforDirector(PI).

o TheExpertsmighthavebeenmoreeffectivehadtheyseentheplansinadvance

• Ron:cleargoals

o Cooperationwithlocalandbroadercommunity

• Fred:puttingsilviculturesecondarytowildlifeisexcitingpotential.Likelytohavevaluetosmalllandowners.Alsolikestheideaofgrowingold-growth.

• Nick:like’sgoalofCohoascenterforexcellence.AlsouseofJDSFasopportunityforprofessionalinteraction.Moreconcertedeffortforannualfielddays??

• Kate:piecesarethere.Willvolunteertohelp.Ifwecanhitonbiggerideas,itwillhelpforestryinstateoverall.Willprovideveryrichway.

• Tom:Like’sKate’sideas,inventory,forest&aquatic,modelsasorganizationalideas,coho.HopethatcurrentplanwouldhaveminoradjustmentstogaintrustoftheJAG.

o Howdoweaddressbudgets,governmentissues,civilserviceconstraints,etc

• Steve:asscientist,alotoffixationonmoredata.Sometimesmoredataisnothelpful.Modelsaregreatorganizationsframeworkformovingthisforward.Simple,transparent,predictabilitywithchanginginputs,reasonablyaccurate(butnotnecessarilyprecise).Datacollectionneedsacontext.

pg31


• Frieder:keepopenoptionsonthegroundtogenerate$$andkeepthoseproprietarytoforest(rainydayfundtoo).Keep&maintaindatawell.Havemeetingstoshareinsightsandideas.

• Kevin:prefersbuild-it-and-they-will-comeapproach.Theapproachusedhereisinteresting.Careshouldbetaken.

FEEDBACKFROMJAG

Hasthisbeenhelpful?

• Vince:happywithwherethisworkshopbroughtus

• Kathy:informativeandinteresting.ChallengingtoconveythisdiscussiontoremainingJAGmembers.Worthwhile,doable,andlotsofwork.JDSFisworthit.

• Dr.Helms:whateverdirectionwerecommendhastobeexciting,imaginative,engaging.Enjoyedideaofacenterofexcellence.

• Brad:learnedmuch.Veryinteresting.LotsofoverlapwithpriorJAGdiscussions.Fewissuesresolved,butdifferentperspective.Like’stheideaofacenterofexcellence,andasafocalpointforcooperative.

• Pam:thanks

• Russ:thanksabound

• Helge:INSPIRING!!Didn’tsolvetheelephantintheroom.Movingindifferentdirectionthantypicallydone.Willbeinteresting.Goodeffortathighlightingthetradeoffs.

• Dan:innovative,authenticway.

• Rick:pitchednextRedwoodSymposium(SantaCruz,Spring2011).

Documents

JAG RSC Workshop Synthesis - resources.ca.gov