Making Monitoring Work for Managers

Danny C. Lee¹ and Gay A. Bradshaw²

1Science Integration Team Leader, Sierra Nevada Conservation Framework, Sacramento, CA
dlee/r5_snfp@fs.fed.us
²Research Mathematician, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR bradshawg@fsl.orst.edu

Outline (with hyperlinks)

Preface

Monitoring has become a dominant theme among environmental scientists, land management, and policy makers alike. The number of publications and plans which propose to do much the same, namely detect and identify system state and change, continue to multiply, each suggesting alternative approaches and solutions. Despite considerable effort by various institutions and individuals, effective environmental monitoring remains an unanswered challenge. This is particularly the case for large-scale, agency-led projects such as the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP), the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), and the Sierra Nevada Framework for Conservation and Collaboration (SNFCC).

In the following report, we begin a dialogue about an appropriate conceptual framework for organizing and developing a monitoring plan for broad-scale ecosystem management efforts. We were asked to prepare this report for the group drafting a monitoring charter for the ICBEMP. Because much effort is being invested in preparations for monitoring within the NWFP and in the Sierra Nevada, it seems logical to look also at these efforts. Our general impression is that the monitoring plans that are currently being developed for broad-scale ecosystem management efforts, while they may be statistically sound, often lack an integrated strategy that allows one to easily see why certain information is important and how such information might influence future decisions and investments. Thus, we believe that our comments offered here apply equally well outside the ICBEMP.

We also have decided to try a different approach to communication—using a hypertext approach instead of the traditional written report. Our purpose here is twofold. First, our view of monitoring embedded in a decision analysis framework relies on the synthesis of ideas ranging from ecological theory, to statistics, to decision analysis, to economics. Understanding the framework requires at least a cursory understanding of all of these ideas; operationalizing the framework will require in-depth understanding. Our intent is to provide links from the main body of the document to supplemental material that will provide greater detail and additional examples. [Few such links exist as of 10/26/98.] The second reason for the hypertext format is that we expect this to be a dynamic document that will undergo revision and expansion as the dialogue among scientists and managers regarding monitoring in the ICBEMP proceeds. Having a centrally accessible, electronic document that reflects that evolving dialogue should foster informed discussion.

Introduction