Alaska communities and forest environments: a problem analysis and research agenda.

Kruger, Linda E.; Mazza, Rhonda L. 2006. Alaska communities and forest environments: a problem analysis and research agenda. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-665. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 58 p. This problem analysis describes a variety of human-resource interaction issues and identifies related social science research and development needs that serve as the foundation for the Alaska Communities and Forest Environments Team within the Pacific Northwest Research Station. The document lays out a research agenda that focuses on understanding relations between human communities and natural resources. The agenda is divided into four subtopics: (1) communities in transition; (2) collaborative planning and stewardship; (3) sustainable tourism and outdoor recreation; and (4) cultural orientations to and uses and values of natural resources, including traditional knowledge, indigenous property rights, and tenure systems. Research questions are identified within each subtopic. Additional questions are listed in an appendix. The answers to these questions would contribute information important to forest planning and management and could help managers mitigate negative impacts and improve the flow of benefits for communities leading to a better understanding of how to sustain healthy forests and communities.