ABSTRACT
In public land and resource management, a new perspective is emerging. It is more focused on ecological principles and more attuned to public values and expectations. To a degree, an ecosystem perspective is new—at least some of the science and technology are new. An ecosystem perspective will add a focus on diversity to traditional concerns for preservation and production. An ecosystem perspective is evolving in many places (though it may be called by many different names, such as stewardship, holistic resource management, and sustainable forestry). There are several aspects of how the ecosystem perspective is evolving in the Forest Service. New Perspectives projects had five primary aims: to learn how to better sustain diverse and productive ecological systems, to integrate all aspects of land and resources management in specific watersheds and landscapes, to improve the effectiveness of public participation in resource decision-making, to build partnerships between forest users and forest managers, and to strengthen teamwork between researchers and managers.
