SEVENTH AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS

Many Voices - - A Common Vision

Summary Report

Draft Principles

The Forest Congress participants developed 40 additional principles during a missing- principles session. A tally was not recorded on one principle relating to urban forestry, Number 51 on the tally sheet, at the request of Congress.

There was no time, however, for working groups to recraft these additional draft principles before a tally on levels of agreement was taken. The 39 additional principles are listed in order of level of agreement, from most agreement to least.

At the top of each of the 19 sheets that listed the principles to be tallied, the participants were instructed to: "Please indicate your agreement (green); your sense of un-ease or lack of information (yellow); or your disagreement (red) for each potential principle. Do this for each potential principle as a stand-a-lone point, even if they overlap."

Green: Agreement, include as a vision element.
Yellow: Mixed feelings, but willing to accept as a vision element.
Red: Disagreement, do not include as a vision element.

1. Natural resource issues should be resolved by peaceful means.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	878	81%
Yellow	77	7%
Red	125	12%
Total	1080	100%

2. Create financial and nonfinancial incentives for long-term forest stewardship.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	875	81%
Yellow	112	10%
Red	93	9%
Total	1080	100%

3. Conflicts over forest issues will be resolved through nonviolent processes.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	772	71%
Yellow	93	9%
Red	215	20%
Total	1080	100%

4. Forest conservation will be promoted through efficient use, minimization of waste, recycling and reuse of forest products, and diversification of fiber sources. Clarification: "Sustainable forest management" may be substituted for "forest conservation."

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	746	69%
Yellow	205	19%
Red	130	12%
Total	1081	100%

5. Forest policies should be long-term, nonpartisan commitments‹needed to accomplish long-term sustainability.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	698	65%
Yellow	197	18%
Red	182	17%
Total	1077	100%

6. Recognize the special importance of existing old-growth forests.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	681	63%
Yellow	178	16%
Red	225	21%
Total	1084	100%

7. Forests should be managed through adaptive decision-making processes based on data obtained using standardized inventory protocols, continuing assessments, monitoring, and adjustments that reflect evolving knowledge.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	669	63%
Yellow	196	18%
Red	205	19%
Total	1070	100%

8. Forests will be understood in the local context in which they exist and valued for their special qualities.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	594	55%
Yellow	242	23%
Red	239	22%
Total	1075	100%

9. Dialogue and policy on forest issues will be based on a common understanding of terminology that is specific and clear.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	591	54%
Yellow	202	18%
Red	299	27%
Total	1092	100%

10. Soil productivity is a basic component of forest health.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	577	53%
Yellow	140	13%
Red	362	34%
Total	1079	100%

11. Forests should be professionally managed under a multiple use philosophy that recognizes that each acre cannot provide all goods and services values.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	567	53%
Yellow	256	24%
Red	251	23%
Total	1074	100%

12. Regulation of private forestlands for public benefit should recognize private property rights and responsibilities.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	571	53%
Yellow	231	21%
Red	282	26%
Total	1084	100%

13. Water quality and quantity from headwaters to the sea are essential to the health and vigor of both forest and human communities.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	564	52%
Yellow	211	20%
Red	304	28%
Total	1079	100%

14. Sovereign rights of tribes and responsibilities relative to forests should be recognized.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	542	50%
Yellow	226	21%
Red	320	29%
Total	1088	100%

15. Citizens and interests have the right to seek administrative and judicial review to ensure that land management decisions comply with existing laws, including Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Forest Management Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	503	47%
Yellow	167	15%
Red	411	38%
Total	1081	100%

16. Healthy forests require reinvestment in the communities they surround, through such vehicles as tax systems, incentive programs, and credit access.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	488	46%
Yellow	246	23%
Red	337	31%
Total	1071	100%

17. Forest resourcebased community wellbeing should be enhanced through value-added manufacturing as close to the source (forest) as feasible.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	486	45%
Yellow	244	23%
Red	345	32%
Total	1075	100%

18. Any forest will be appreciated as integral within a global ecosystem.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	485	45%
Yellow	214	20%
Red	374	35%
Total	1073	100%

19. Research reserves for all ecotypes should be established and maintained as scientific controls.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	479	44%
Yellow	289	27%
Red	312	29%
Total	1080	100%

20. Corporations should be accountable to the communities of place of its operations.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	428	39%
Yellow	253	23%
Red	404	37%
Total	1085	100%

21. Visual impact should receive suitable attention in the management operations on all forestlands.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	399	37%
Yellow	269	25%
Red	404	38%
Total	1072	100%

22. The people principle: people depend on the continued existence of all kinds of forests. Forests depend on the awareness and values of people.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	378	35%
Yellow	198	18%
Red	505	47%
Total	1081	100%

23. The remaining publicly owned ancient forests/old-growth shall be protected for future generations.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	358	33%
Yellow	212	20%
Red	508	47%
Total	1078	100%

24. Congress should not suspend existing law temporarily. If laws require substantive changes Congress should act through the authorization process, including full debate and public involvement.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	347	32%
Yellow	143	13%
Red	588	55%
Total	1078	100%

25. Forests will be cared for (managed) in order to maintain the greatest number of indigenous species world wide.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	338	32%
Yellow	251	24%
Red	477	45%
Total	1066	100%

26. National forests are not national parks.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	319	29%
Yellow	142	13%
Red	623	57%
Total	1084	100%

27. Forests, rivers, air, mountains, and all life forms, including humans, constitute one community to which we all belong.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	294	27%
Yellow	251	23%
Red	533	49%
Total	1078	100%

28. All people should be assured of the right to full public participation in all decision-making processes.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	292	27%
Yellow	193	18%
Red	592	55%
Total	1077	100%

29. Community wellbeing should be enhanced by recognizing that, though all forms of life are important, humans of this and future generations deserve top priority. People come first.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	284	26%
Yellow	199	19%
Red	590	55%
Total	1073	100%

30. Lost, damaged, and depleted forest ecosystems should be restored for future generations.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	266	25%
Yellow	272	25%
Red	531	50%
Total	1069	100%

31. Live as part of the larger ecology of the land.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	227	21%
Yellow	204	19%
Red	639	60%
Total	1070	100%

32. The full cost of timber sale preparation and harvest on public lands shall be borne by those deriving economic benefit.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	225	21%
Yellow	216	20%
Red	631	59%
Total	1072	100%

33. Roadless areas that are representative of all ecosystem types are necessary as biological refugia, baselines, and "controls" for management experiments. These areas should be at least 5,000 contiguous areas and include ancient (old-growth) forests.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	185	17%
Yellow	259	24%
Red	631	59%
Total	1075	100%

34. Cultural diversity is part of and is critical to the maintenance of biodiversity and is best expressed by the term "ecodiversity."

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	180	17%
Yellow	258	24%
Red	638	59%
Total	1076	100%

35. Forest product prices will reflect the full cost of maintenance, monitoring, and waste management.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	179	17%
Yellow	211	20%
Red	689	64%
Total	1079	100%

36. Public forests will be managed for all forms of appropriate recreation.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	169	16%
Yellow	256	24%
Red	646	60%
Total	1071	100%

37. Ecological and ecocultural restoration should be integrated into ecosystem management due to its holistic integration of ethics, economics, ecology, etc.

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	122	11%
Yellow	241	22%
Red	709	66%
Total	1072	100%

38. Roading on public lands (no road construction or reconstruction on public lands).

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	51	5%
Yellow	58	5%
Red	976	90%
Total	1085	100%

39. Logging on public lands (no logging on public lands).

Level of Agreement	Participants	Percent
Green	47	4%
Yellow	53	5%
Red	987	91%
Total	1087	100%

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