Why Should the U.S. Move Towards Sustainable Forest Management?

2. Why Should the U.S. Move Towards Sustainable Forest Management? • Forests cover about 750 million acres -- more than a quarter of the entire United States -- and sustainable management is key to their future health. Rangeland 26% Cropland 20% Forest land 28% Other 26% % of U.S. Land Cover

3. Threats to Forest Sustainability • Fragmentation = habitat loss • Exotic & invasive species = native species loss • Degradation of forest soils, air & water • Demand & consumption

4. Montreal Process: Seven Criteria 1. Conservation of biological diversity 2. Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems 3. Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality 4. Conservation and maintenance of soil & water resources 5. Maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles 6. Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socio-economic benefits to meet the needs of societies 7. Legal, institutional, and economic framework for forest conservation and sustainable management.

5. C&I Provide a Framework For: • Inventory and monitoring • National progress reporting • Common language and understanding • Research and development planning • Management planning • Best management practices • Adaptive management accountability

6. State and local 9% Non-industrial Private Landowners 49% Forest Industry 9% Federal 33% Why A Roundtable? Forest lands in the U.S. are owned and/or managed by myriad public and private entities. A successful strategy requires partnerships. U.S. Forest Ownership: 2000 RPA Assessment

7. The Roundtable on Sustainable Forests: • Consists of an inclusive partnership of public and private organizations and individuals; • Promotes the national goal of sustainable forests by helping engage forest stakeholders; • Helps the U.S. implement the Montreal Process criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management; • Leads to increased understanding and better decision-making about our forests.

8. Roundtable Criteria & Indicators: Technical Workshops • The Roundtable’s Technical Work Group sponsored workshops in Spring 2000. • Leading scientists evaluated options for C&I measurement and reporting. • Options for measuring C&I data for the NationalReport posted at www.sustainableforests.net

9. Current Outreach • March 22, 2002, Washington, DC, private forest owners focus group. • April 30-May 2, 2002, Portland, OR, National Report Review Workshop. • May 29-31, 2002, Washington, DC, National Report Review Workshop.

10. C&I Challenges • Multiple ownerships (government and private) • Difficult to obtain and manage data from many sources • Lack of widespread understanding of C&I applications • Lack of some data or monitoring methodologies clouds ability to assess progress

11. C&I Relevance to Stakeholders • Expansion of forest research • Combining of social and technical sciences • Links between communities & forests • New forestry education approaches • Tools which are accepted and accessible • Multi-level, coordinated data reporting • Facilitation of international dialogue

12. Scales of C&I Application • International • National • Regional and Ecoregional • Local & Community

13. Toward SustainabilityNational Sustainable Development Indicators International Sustainability Indicators Network (ISIN) Sustainability Institute Sustainable Development Indicators Team (SDIT)

14. New York Meeting: March 10-13: Who Came? Companies Government NGOs (national/state) Academics

15. Defining the Need Integrate across resources. Make sustainability visible. Create common language. Track progress.

16. Familiar Challenges Who owns the process? Who decides? What data sources fit? How will we fund this?

17. Where We Stand Now Commitment to advance a design. Commitment to seek funding. Outreach and engagement. Institutionalize the idea.