ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

Other conflicts between agencies cited in the report in the program area of forestry
include:
.Inconsistency of management purpose and extent of water reservation on
public lands.
.Duplication of authority.
.Limitation on ELM clearcutting guidance.
.Lack of strong private forest development.
.Conflict over RARE 11.
Similar lists of conflicts were developed by the working group for 14 other program
areas such as --
water, air, and minerals.
MEDIATION
Is competition increases for our 1 imited natural resources, so will the need for
orderly responses to environmental conflicts. Industry and government can marshal
substantial resources in support of projects embroiled in litigation. But environ-
mentalists have effectively countered these by mobilizing broad publ ic support and
by call ing on a pool of sophisticated attorneys from the new publ ic-interest law
firms.
Yet, for all parties involved, a siqnificant economic and social cost must be paid
for the resolution of environmental conflict through protracted disputes. The
question has been raised by many: "Is environmental mediation a solution?" What
is mediation? It can be defined as a voluntary process in which those involved in
a dispute jointly explore and reconcile their differences, employing a mediator who
has no authority to impose a sett1ement.l
This passive exercise and other techniques have been tried, but no serious national
effort has been made to bring a greater use of mediation to environmental disputes.
A RATIONALE
The forestry profession finds it difficult to understand why environmental groups and
the general public do not give our mission of rowinq trees at least equal billing
with cutting trees. Growing trees is slow and p---T
unspectacu ar compared to the action
associated with fell ing, logging, road building, and hauling. And perhaps that
partially explains the imbalance between credit and criticism. But it would be
unwarranted to conclude that the public and concerned groups are not interested in
growing trees. Perhaps the passive nature of forest replacement is seetl as a "cure,"
and "no comment" should be accepted as endorsement of doing what is expected of the
profession, whereas tree cutting may be perceived as being on the side of "injury"
requiring remedial action or prevention.
Timber harvesting, as a part of the overall environmental movement, is now caught up
in directives, regulations, laws, and the will of society. These controls are so firm
that all forest land planning must now give serious consideration to the possible
adverse consequences of any management activity. Are we wise enough to use our
science and technology for real rather than apparent progress? If we are, the future
of forestry seems unlimited.
lThe Office of Environmental Mediation of the University of Washington's
Institute for Environmental Studies.