Atlas of human adaptation to environmental change, challenge, and opportunity: northern California, western Oregon, and western Washington.

Abstract

This atlas illustrates the dimensions, location, magnitude, and direction of social and economic change since 1989 in western Washington, western Oregon, and northern California that have occurred during a major transition period in natural resource management policy as well as large decreases in timber harvests. The diversity and the social and economic health of the Northwest Forest Plan region are synthesized by examining the fundamental attributes of the region, provinces, and communities; the atlas includes information about ourselves, our settlements, and our natural resources. We set the stage for dialogue, debate, and developing a set of indicators to monitor the dimensions of well-being for sustainable development. The atlas is a tool for decision-makers, civic leaders, economic development practitioners, researchers, and others interested in understanding change, easing the transition, and finding and pursuing opportunities to enrich society. The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) is a new paradigm for forest management. It is intended to provide a sustainable balance between the needs of people and the environment by focusing on three areas: economic assistance , forestry, and coordination among agencies. It is a major effort to end years of legal gridlock and to address human and ecological needs served by Federal forests of the Pacific Northwest and northern California. Developed in response to the need to maintain habitat for the northern spotted owl, this new approach to forest management led to reductions in timber harvests across all ownerships in western Washington, western Oregon, and northern California from 1989 to 1994. This fundamental change in forest management reflects social values. These values share common roots with those that led to the passing of the Endangered Species Act, international agreements for the protection of wildlife, and local, regional, and national responses to international global environmental awareness. Under the Northwest Forest Plan, the decline in timber harvests and subsequent changes are aimed at achieving, for the most part, long-term societal goals and sustainability. The period from 1989 to the present has been marked by an abrupt transition with rapid declines in timber harvest and related effects. Human populations in the Pacific Northwest impacted by change will emerge from this transition period as having either addressed or disregarded the problems, issues, and opportunities facing rural economies, communities, and regions. The as-yet-unknown long-term impacts of forest management changes will evolve from the actions and processes that individuals, communities, and society at large initiate during this transition. During the …