Reflections on Forest Management: Can Fish and Fiber Coexist?, Part 1

Participants in this symposium will address the rhetorical question “Can Fish and Fiber coexist?”  Our canvas of the fisheries and forestry communities has generated a lot of interest in revisiting the topic, which was the focus of a symposium at the 2000 AFS meeting in St. Louis.  Participants representing a wide array of professional disciplines will outline the state of the science of forest management effects on aquatic faunas and habitats and update current knowledge of forestry best management practices (BMPs) and other approaches used to protect aquatic resources.

Timber harvest and management of forested landscapes has always generated controversy.  Unrestrained timber harvest and particularly the roads, trails, and stream crossings associated with timber harvest have been linked to declines in water quality, loss of instream habitats, and fragmentation of stream and riparian habitat features that are vital to fish and other aquatic biota.  In the last half-century, however, the development and widespread adoption of forestry BMPs has helped protect water quality and many aquatic species.  Although the benefits of BMPs are well known, their implementation is influenced by social perceptions and economic factors.  All measures used to protect water quality and aquatic species add to the cost of timber harvest, which begs the question: what costs (both economic and ecological) are acceptable and who should pay?  Our participants will address the key concerns associated with roads, instream habitat, watershed hydrology, stream temperature, sedimentation, and biodiversity, as well as emerging issues such as expansion of the wildland-urban interface and increasing demand for biofuels.  Population growth and the demand for forest products and amenities of all types will increase throughout the 21st century.  Our symposium will bring together practitioners and researchers in many fields to improve understanding of the challenges and opportunities that managers will face in the coming decades.