• Danks, Cecilia
  University of Vermont
  

The practice of sustainable forestry is an essential part of managing the Northern Forest for the diverse arrays of commodities, amenities, services and other resources expected of the landscape in this region. The critical skills, concepts, and experience necessary to practice sustainable forestry have not yet been clearly defined. Educational institutions of the region, such as UVM and Paul Smith’ s College, are reorienting their forestry curriculum to address the challenge of education the next generation of professionals who will manage the Northern Forest. These efforts, as well as those of other institutions outside the region, can be aided by a national-level dialogue regarding the main elements of sustainable forestry and the skills and knowledge set needed to implement it. This project organized the Sustainable Forestry Forum, a two-day set of panels and working group sessions that grappled with these issues in March 2003. Over 70 national and regional practitioners, educators and students came to share their views and wisdom. Among their conclusions was that communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are as important as technical skills and knowledge of the sciences. These findings have been incorporated into the UVM Forestry program and shared through program websites.resources expected of the landscape in this region. The critical skills, concepts, and experience necessary to practice sustainable forestry have not yet been clearly defined. Educational institutions of the region, such as UVM and Paul Smith’s College, are reorienting their forestry curriculum to address the challenge of education the next generation of professionals who will manage the Northern Forest. These efforts, as well as those of other institutions outside the region, can be aided by a national-level dialogue regarding the main elements of sustainable forestry and the skills and knowledge set needed to implement it.