Ecological Restoration as the Zone of Agreement in Southeast Alaska - Human Dimensions of Ecological Restoration - page 131

litical will for such a transition is essential. Place-based collaborative forums, includ-
ing one on Prince of Wales Island, should be established in order to better coordinate
efforts, encourage peer-to-peer networking, develop a shared vision and ownership,
and foster innovation and learning. Similar models from elsewhere in the country,
such as Wallowa Resources in Oregon (see chap. 7, this volume) or the Watershed Re-
search and Training Center in California, present excellent models.
Conclusion
Decades of large-scale, old-growth timber harvest have left thousands of acres across
the Tongass in need of ecological restoration to improve fish and wildlife habitat as
well as landscape connectivity. Long-standing conflict over management of southeast
Alaska's natural resources has also left a legacy of deep mistrust among stakeholders,
creating the need to restore social capital and transition land management priorities
to better meet current ecological needs and the needs of adjacent rural communities.
Collaborative restoration and stewardship contracts represent a tangible, near-term
opportunity to begin making this transition. Participants involved in Tongass National
Forest management are in a position not only to capitalize on the clear ecological
need but to develop restoration projects and forest management activities that also
meet social and economic needs. Furthering the existing momentum will require in-
stitutional efforts to prioritize restoration, encourage learning, and use stewardship au-
thorities through model projects. In addition, there is a need for a durable, collabora-
tive forum that increases community capacity and builds an integrated approach to
sustainable forest management.
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