Values and Science in Watershed Management and Restoration

当代环境政策的一个中心主题是建议采用基于分水岭的方法来恢复土著多样性、保护生态栖息地和管理生态系统。分水岭是一个复杂的生态系统，它输送水，如小溪、湖泊、泥泞或河口；它的边界通常与政治边界不重合。加州的分水岭为饮用水、娱乐、工业和农业提供水；它们为各种动物物种提供了重要的栖息地。这些流域的人口快速增长导致自然资源的人类使用者之间的冲突加剧，土著多样性急剧丧失，生态系统的健康状况普遍下降。在加利福尼亚州，联邦和州政府正转向以分水岭为基础的组织来制定和实施环境政策。科学家、政策制定者或公众并没有很好地理解这些分水岭管理活动的影响。这项研究将以加州的这些活动为重点，解决以下问题：目前参与流域恢复和管理的参与者的相关价值观是什么？科学信息在流域恢复和管理中的作用是什么？这项研究将使用三部分战略，即直接分析分水岭组织的文件；随机抽样所有加州分水岭组织的参与者的意见；以及对其中八个组织进行比较案例研究。科学家和政策制定者可以从对加州分水岭管理中价值观和科学地位的比较分析中学到东西。结果将通过学术和专业会议和期刊传播。将编写一份执行摘要，并分发给分水岭规划者、联邦和州政策制定者。

A central theme in contemporary environmental policy is recommending the adoption of watershed-based approaches to restoring native diversity, preserving ecological habitat and managing ecosystems. A watershed is a complex ecological system that sheds water, such as a creek, lake, slough, or estuary; its boundaries do not often coincide with political ones. California's watersheds supply water for drinking, recreation, industry and farming; and they provide critical habitat for a wide variety of animal species. Rapid population growth in these watersheds has led to increased conflict between human users of natural resources, dramatic loss of native diversity, and general decline in the health of ecosystems. In California, federal and state government are turning to watershed-based organizations to develop and implement environmental policy. The implications of these watershed management activities are not well understood by scientists, policy makers or the general public. Focusing on these activities in California, this study will address the following questions: What are the relevant values of participants currently involved in watershed restoration and management? What is the role of scientific information in watershed restoration and management? The research will use a three-part strategy of direct analysis of documents from watershed groups; a random sample of opinion of participants in all California watershed organizations, and comparative case studies of eight of these organizations. Scientists and policy makers can learn from a comparative analysis of the place of values and science in watershed management in California. Results will be disseminated through scholarly and professional conferences and journals. An executive summary will be produced and distributed to watershed planners, federal and state policy makers.