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Open Access
Assessing policy impacts on natural resource businesses : a review of research methods
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2016) Fenster, Emily; Abrams, Jesse; Moseley, Cassandra; Becker, Dennis R.
The purpose of this working paper is to review research methods used to assess the influence of public policies on natural resource business decision-making. We describe a suite of research methods that have been used to assess policy impacts on businesses, highlighting their analytical advantages and disadvantages. We emphasize natural resource policies and businesses in our review, but also present literature from other fields as relevant. With this review we attempt to contribute to a greater ability to conduct evaluation for policies and programs targeting natural resource firms.
Open Access
Assessment of early implementation of the US Forest Service's shared stewardship strategy
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2021) Kooistra, Chad; Schultz, Courtney A.; Huber-Stearns, Heidi; Abrams, Jesse; Greiner, Michelle; Sinkular, Emily
In 2018, in response to calls from Congress to accelerate cross-boundary fire hazard reduction and improve forest resilience, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) published the Shared Stewardship Strategy (USFS 2018). The document emphasizes partnership with the states, Tribes, and collaborative partners in order to identify priority areas for management, coordinate work across jurisdictions, and leverage diverse capacities. In 2019, Colorado State University entered into a challenge cost-share agreement with USFS State and Private Forestry to conduct independent research on the implementation and development of Shared Stewardship efforts. The first phase of our work took place in 2020, when we interviewed agency and state employees and representatives of partner organizations in states in the West that had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the USFS to formally pursue Shared Stewardship. Our primary goal was to understand the main factors affecting the early stages of Shared Stewardship efforts across these states, including key actors’ perspectives on the Strategy and early planning and development efforts, primary opportunities and challenges, and the types of capacities, mechanisms, and direction needed to move ahead successfully with partnerships and Shared Stewardship implementation.
Open Access
Community diversity and wildfire risk : an archetype approach to understanding local capacity to plan for, respond to, and recover from wildfires
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2014) Carroll, Matthew S. (Matthew Stephen); Paveglio, Travis; Ellison, Autumn; Abrams, Jesse; Moseley, Cassandra
The wildfire dilemma in the United States (and particularly in the U.S. West) has been well documented and its broad parameters are well understood. A very small fraction of wildfire igniting in wildland settings each year turn into major conflagrations that burn homes and infrastructure, pose significant threat to human life, and upend the budgets of federal land management agencies. Although the mandates of federal land management agencies also dictate a focus on protecting public land and associated natural resources such as habitat, the reality is that much of the effort and expense at federal, state, and local levels is directed toward protecting human infrastructure and other societal “values at risk.”
Open Access
Community experiences with wildfire : actions, effectiveness, impacts, and trends : results from two surveys in counties and communities affected by wildfire
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2015) Ellison, Autumn; Knapp, Melanie; Abrams, Jesse; Nielsen-Pincus, Max; Paveglio, Travis; Moseley, Cassandra
Wildfire has become a growing threat for communities across the American West and a complex concern for agencies tasked with community protection. This task has grown more difficult due to the increasing incidence of large fires and the continued expansion of the wildland-urban interface (WUI), the area where human habitations and wildland fuels abut or intermix. These trends have motivated both federal policies and community-level responses to protect communities, lives, and infrastructure.
Open Access
Community wildfire protection plans in the American West
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2014) Abrams, Jesse; Ellison, Autumn; Knapp, Melanie; Moseley, Cassandra; Paveglio, Travis; Nielsen-Pincus, Max
Large wildfires are increasingly common in the American West. The federal government is responsible for the majority of suppression costs, and has a significant interest in policies that can improve resilience at the community level. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 encourages communities to complete Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). While not mandatory, CWPPs give communities access to federal and state funding for activities highlighted in plans. HFRA allows flexibility to adapt plans to local contexts; however, little is known about whether communities have capitalized on the opportunity to develop site-specific plans that meet the needs of individual communities. This research analyzed CWPP structure and content to better understand variability between plans.
Open Access
Community-based organizations in the U.S. West : status, structure, and activities
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2016) Abrams, Jesse; Davis, Emily Jane; Ellison, Autumn; Moseley, Cassandra; Nowell, Branda
Many rural communities across the U.S. West were profoundly affected by economic and policy changes in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sudden shifts in federal land policies, restructuring of forestry and agriculture industries, and demographic changes led to social conflict and the decline of economic activities that had provided jobs and community identities for decades. In the wake of these changes, rural community members experimented with a variety of grassroots approaches to healing social divisions, creating new economic opportunities, and reinventing their relationships to nearby lands and waters. The best-known outcome of these grassroots experiments is the widespread adoption of collaborative decision-making processes for the governance of public lands. Through such processes, historically conflictive interests build trust and relationships while pursuing land management projects that meet social, ecological, and economic objectives. Collaboration is now considered an indispensable component of decision-making on public lands and is used in other contexts including mixed-ownership landscapes and in decision-making regarding watershed protection and restoration.
Open Access
Early implementation of the US Forest Service's shared stewardship strategy in the Eastern United States
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2021) Kee, Destin D.; Aldworth, Tyler; Abrams, Jesse; Kooistra, Chad; Schultz, Courtney A.; Huber-Stearns, Heidi
In 2018, in response to Congress’ calls for a renewed approach to forest management, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced the Shared Stewardship Strategy - an initiative aimed at increasing the pace and scale of cross-boundary forest management activities (USFS, 2018). In 2019, our team started conducting independent research through semi-structured interviews on the implementation and development of Shared Stewardship efforts in the western U.S. (Phase 1, detailed in Kooistra et al., 2021b). In late 2020, we began investigating states east of the Rocky Mountains (Phase 2), which we refer to herein for ease as “eastern” or “Phase 2” states, although our study included states as far west as Nebraska. This Executive Summary provides an overview of our key findings across Phase 2 states (also see Table A) and our observations on the future of Shared Stewardship.
Open Access
Economic development and public lands : the roles of community-based organizations
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2016) Davis, Emily Jane; Abrams, Jesse; Moseley, Cassandra; Ellison, Autumn; Nowell, Branda
The purpose of this paper is to examine the business assistance and economic development activities that community-based organizations (CBOs) undertake in rural public lands contexts in the U.S. West. We conducted three in-depth case studies of CBOs in Washington, Oregon, and California and a survey of 63 CBOs across the West.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in California
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in California’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in California and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in Michigan
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in Michigan’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in Michigan and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in Minnesota
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in Minnesota’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in Minnesota and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in Oregon
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in Oregon’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in Oregon and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in Washington
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in Washington’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in Washington and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effect of state and federal policies on biomass business investments in Wisconsin
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2017) Becker, Dennis R.; Abrams, Jesse; Fenster, Emily; Kudrna, Jordan; Smith, Timothy M.; Moseley, Cassandra
Wood-based biomass energy plays a key role in Wisconsin’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, and production, and the federal government has implemented policies to support related business development. The research reported here investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments in Wisconsin and in creating strategic opportunities along the biomass supply chain.
Open Access
The effectiveness of biomass policies in supporting business investments in Oregon : preliminary results
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2015) Abrams, Jesse; Moseley, Cassandra; Ellison, Autumn; Becker, Dennis R.; Kudrna, Jordan
Wood-based biomass energy plays key roles in Oregon’s wood products economy and in the state’s commitment to renewable energy. The state has developed numerous policies and programs to support biomass energy harvesting, transportation, production, and utilization. The federal government has also created policies to support biomass business development. Given the complex policy environment, it is not clear whether or how policies interact to influence business decisions. This research investigates what policies have been most important in fostering biomass business investments across the supply chain.
Open Access
Fire science needs in the Pacific Northwest
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2011) Abrams, Jesse; Creighton, Janean H.; Moseley, Cassandra; Olsen, Christine S.; Davis, Emily Jane; Pomeroy, Alaina; Hamman, Sarah; Bruce, Josh; Perleberg, Andrew B.; DeMeo, Thomas; Evers, Louisa; Fitzgerald, Stephen Arthur
After a century of wildfire suppression, the costs and complexity of wildfire management are increasing. Population growth in fire-prone landscapes, climate change, and diverse land management objectives all contribute to a complex management environment. The number and types of managers and practitioners involved in wildfire management has also grown. Government agencies, land managers, air quality regulators, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and others have a diversity of fire science and social science needs. To protect and restore fire-adapted communities and natural resources in the Pacific Northwest, a process for effective dissemination and accelerated user adoption of pertinent information, knowledge, tools, and expertise is necessary. An improved system to connect, engage, and exchange information between researchers and diverse groups affected by wild or prescribed fire could enhance exchange of existing fire science and technologies throughout the region, and encourage fire and land management stakeholders to evaluate and adopt relevant fire science.
Open Access
Incorporating resilience in national forest planning and management : an EWP quick guide
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2020) Chapin, James; Abrams, Jesse
The goal of this quick guide is to help national forest planners and managers achieve resilient outcomes by clarifying the meaning of resilience and reviewing relevant lessons from recent research. Through research methods that included a review of planning documents, case studies of recent forest plan revisions, and a survey of USFS planning staff, we have identified both challenges and possible solutions to the successful operationalization of resilience. This quick guide will offer lessons learned from these analyses along with tips for practitioners looking to put resilience into action.
Open Access
Land manager experiences with resilience in national forest planning and management
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2020) Coughlan, Michael R.; Ellison, Autumn; Abrams, Jesse; Huber-Stearns, Heidi
Through a Joint Fire Science-funded research project, we investigated the concept of resilience as a means of constructively living with disturbances such as fire and insect outbreaks on national forest lands, including what resilience means, what it takes to plan for resilient outcomes, and the factors that complicate and encourage these outcomes. Previous reports from this research document how agency policy mandates, approaches, and resources encourage the use of resilience in planning and compare three recently completed national forest plan revisions in terms of how they incorporated resilience concepts. This report focuses on how resilience is incorporated in project planning on national forests and how well it aligns with planning processes and frameworks on a broader scale. We draw upon data from a national survey of Forest Service planners conducted in 2020.
Open Access
Land manager experiences with resilience in national forest planning and management
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2020) Coughlan, Michael R.; Ellison, Autumn; Abrams, Jesse; Huber-Stearns, Heidi
As the concept of resilience has gained importance as a guiding principle in land management objectives and policies in recent years, there has been some question about how the concept is operationalized in forest planning efforts. In this Joint Fire Science Program-funded research project, we surveyed 428 USDA Forest Service planners to get their perspectives on what resilience means, what it takes to plan for resilience, and the factors that complicate and encourage resilient landscape outcomes. Survey results illustrate how resilience is incorporated into planning and how well it aligns with planning processes and frameworks on a broader scale, including factors that enable or constrain managing for resilience.
Open Access
Planning and managing for resilience : lessons from national forest plan revisions
(Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2020) Abrams, Jesse; Greiner, Michelle; Timberlake, Thomas; Schultz, Courtney A.; Evans, Alexander M.; Huber-Stearns, Heidi
Recent federal forest and wildfire policies have increasingly united around a vision of restoring resilient landscapes in the face of increasingly destructive wildfires driven by altered forest conditions and climate change. The process of revising forest plans guiding national forest management presents opportunities to reorient management informed by concepts of resilience. This Joint Fire Science Program-funded research used case studies of three recently completed national forest plan revision processes to determine whether and how USDA Forest Service staff were able to plan for resilient outcomes. The lessons from our comparative analysis are relevant for forest managers and key stakeholders attempting to plan in pursuit of more resilient landscapes.