A unit of Lasting Forests Sustained forests; sustained profits evolving since March 30, 1999

States have fought off federal intervention in wildlife work based on concepts of States Rights and federal action has developed incentives and rewards for comprehensive planning related to tax funds distributed to the states that may improve the allocation of these funds. This has not yet resulted in equitable superior management nationwide.

One possible solution may be a series of 3 to 10 states formed into regions. Each region is a core state and all contiguous states. Each state would be involved with one or more other state regions. There would be 50 regions. Alaska and Hawaii having no contiguous states may elect to affiliate with no more than 2 proximal states. The regionalization would allow the joint use of funds, shared expertise, combined data bases, and attention to ecological and social phenomena affecting the resource and its use at the state boundaries.

Imagine managing a deer herd without information about harvests in surrounding counties (which is the situation at the borders of most states). Perhaps one species-expert (e.g.,a bear biologist) per region may allow economies and a distribution of knowledge for more species more widely than under the present system. Perhaps a GIS for a region can be very cost-effective. Synergism that can result from regional approaches can be very beneficial to the wildlife resource...and to other wildland resources.

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.