WHEREAS The County-Forest Partnerships Project is a proposal for an innovative County-National Forest project for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests in Colorado and the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico to restore landscapes and watersheds to more desirable and sustainable conditions; and
WHEREAS The Project incorporates the three National Forests in an effort to represent a diversity of landscapes, communities and issues to allow for a more thorough evaluation of approach and the Project designation is necessary to obtain the appropriate scientific assessments, collaborative processes, and flexibility in program authorities and budgetary resources to adequately address the complexity of issues faced by these Forests and communities; and
WHEREAS The County and National Forest Partnership has been developed in response to the increased desire of state and county governments to be more meaningfully involved in defining future landscape conditions and appropriate actions to achieve them and as an approach to improve ecosystem decline, threats from wildfire and other factors that are contributing to ecological, social and economic impacts within the three Forests and surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS The community-based, collaborative process will facilitate dialogue and deliberation about the complex interrelationships between public lands and resources, and community cultures and values; and
WHEREAS The Project responds to growing concerns of land managers, scientists, local communities and other stakeholders about the ecological decline on National Forests and the corresponding effects on local communities; and
WHEREAS The scientific assessments will describe ecological, social and biological components of the landscapes and the outcomes of the collaborative efforts will be integrated with the scientific assessments to formulate proposed actions;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CLUB 20 supports the concept of the pilot County-Forest Partnerships Project whose goals are to improve the ecological, social and economic conditions in watersheds, landscapes and communities through an effective process that produces results on the ground.
Adopted by the Board of Directors, 3/02
(Formerly 02-3 PL 5)