Linda Joyce, Emeritus Scientist, Research Ecologist, Forest Service Volunteer
U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

The value of exploring future effects of land use and economic development on natural resources was recognized with the Resource Planning Act of 1974. The Forest Service was required to prepare decadal reports on how current and future economic drivers would affect all rangelands and forests. Since that legislation, the assessment focus has expanded from primarily a timber and economic emphasis to a multiresource integrated assessment, incorporating biological and ecological information. The requirement to address climate change was added in 1990. Through my efforts, the assessment has expanded the climate change analyses from forest production to include wildlife, water, recreation, and land use, incorporating ecosystem models into the forest, wildlife and range analyses. For the 2010 Assessment, my colleague David Wear and I led the effort to shift the futuring process from a business as usual framework to an integrated assessment approach. The talk will cover my contributions to the assessment process and identify additional scientific areas needed to support management and policy direction.

Everyone is welcome to the seminar. If you would like to meet with the speaker, please email Dr. Brian Buma at brian.buma@ucdenver.edu