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Virginia Tech student needed - help!

956 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  FAM 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

I just did a “google” of Anthony Scardina, the Forest Service contact regarding the six month seasonal closure of the El Dorado National Forest to OHV use.

He wrote a thesis about public input to forest projects. [Anthony.V.Scardina.Thesis.Final.pfd] but it is only open to Virginia Tech students.

From outside the campus, you need a student id, see below. Is anyone out there a student or know of a student? I think this would be good reading before we sit down with him later this month to discuss the closure.

Please get back to me as soon as possible about this,

Thanks,


Doug Barr
douglasmbarr@msn.com


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#4 ·
I gotta admit I felt kinda funny about this... I hadn't stopped to think what kind of skeletons I have in my closet from school (I think the statute of limitations has timed out for most of 'em! :laughing: ).

I decided to take a quick peak, nonetheless. Here's the title: PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN FOREST SERVICE PROJECT-LEVEL DECISION-MAKING: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS, AND LEGAL ARGUMENTS FROM CASE STUDIES ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON NATIONAL FORESTS
...and abstract:
Public involvement and participation in Forest Service decision-making is a contentious issue attended by charges and countercharges, unsubstantiated accusations and counterclaims, and value-based arguments by all entities involved. Yet, the numbers of studies to substantiate the debate is relatively minimal and tend to be sporadic, reoccurring during times of national forest management crises, which is inappropriate and shortsighted. Moreover, the studies tend to be quantitative or anecdotal in nature and have largely failed to identify or resolve the problems associated with public involvement and participation in Forest Service decision-making, as well as litigation, and yet researchers continue to advocate for comprehensive, systematic, empirical examinations without considering the possible benefits that comprehensive, systematic, qualitative research could contribute to identifying and possibly resolving such problems. Thus, a comprehensive, systematic, in-depth, qualitative analysis of public comments, administrative appeals, and legal arguments from 12 Forest Service project-level activities, and their seven associated lawsuits, on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, was conducted. The results suggest that there is an interested and vocal minority of individuals and environmental special-interest groups that dominate project-level public involvement and participation processes on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, and that these public involvement and participation processes work in reverse, providing incentives for post-decisional challenges and discouraging pre-decisional information-sharing, collaboration, and compromise. Therefore, the public, the academic community, the Forest Service, and Congress, must challenge the status quo and make needed changes to ensure that public involvement and participation processes are truly democratic and to reduce incentives for post-decisional challenges.

I don't have time to read the rest, but I'm stoked to be working with someone with such a good grasp on making public comment work with USFS planning. I like that he cites "charges and countercharges, unsubstantiated accusations and counterclaims, and value-based arguments by all entities involved," (emphasis added) as past experiences with government have smacked of we-know-best and we're-above-you-mere-citizens.

Randii
 
#5 ·
We're gonna have to work with Anthony and the rest of the Forest Service in this decision-making process, so it is good to see a thoughtful analysis of the process -- I read it as a commitment on Tony's part to pursue truly democratic decision-making and minimize the lobbying and legal manuevering by the vocal minority of individuals and environmental special-interest groups that would close our public lands from public use.

Randii (hopeful)
 
#6 ·
I've read part of Tony's thesis. I thought it was important to note that on page 16 if you are speaking on behalf of a club, organization, or group it was important to state that at the beginning otherwise your comments would be from an individual. If you can, follow Tony's guideline and speak on behalf of your club/organization - it sounds like it will carry more weight.


Fred
 
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