Description:
As the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management turn toward ecosystem and adaptive models of forest stewardship, they are being called on to develop meaningful and lasting relations with citizens. These new management styles require not only improved strategies for public involvement but also methods to examine the interactions between citizens and agencies in orders to learn from such experiences. Using the general principles of adaptive management--which stress monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment--this report provides a comprehensive framework to help agency personnel and citizens to work together. This report describes the adaptive management concept, summarizes research about the goals and characteristics of successful public involvement, and lays out a framework for monitoring and evaluating citizen-agency interactions. Although designed for adaptive management settings, the framework is well suited to other situations where improving these interactions is a priority.