Trees of Life: Our Forests in Peril - Paperback

by Brian E. Stout (Author)

." . . a more eco-friendly approach to managing our remaining a valuable forested lands."The book challenges the current management of our remaining forestlands and proposes a different approach to our relationship with nature and the implications for the science of forestry. It identifies the problem as a people problem resulting from the strong influence of cultural values on scientific principles. The European (Western) culture and the Native American culture are compared to identify opportunities for future changes that can lead to a more eco-friendly approach to managing our remaining valuable forested lands Current forest science focuses on the renewable resources to be extracted from the forests rather than the requirement of maintaining health and diverse forest communities. It is a call to observe the complexity of creation by identifying the multitude of relationships that are constantly evolving within each community. The book documents the concerns with current management based on the authors personal experience during his 34 year career with one of the world's leading public forest land managing agencies, the US Forest Service. The book concludes with a "call to action" for all interests, if we are to prolong human existence on this planet.

Author Biography

Brian Stout experienced the science of forestry growing up with a father that was a professional Forester. After much self-searching in his second year of college, he found his niche in the School of Forestry at the University of Minnesota. Graduating in 1960, he went to work for the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. He was privileged to serve on 15 different assignments within the Agency at different locations throughout the United States. In 1965, he was given the opportunity to serve as a primary staff officer in the Job Corps Civilian Conservation program which provided a work/education opportunity for under-privileged young men 16 to 21. This was a life-changing experience for him and, the rest of his career focused on the people aspects of forestry. He spent much of the rest of his time working with public interests on decision making and the legislative process at the Regional and National levels of the Agency. He retired as the Forest Supervisor of the 3 1/2 million acres, Bridger-Teton National Forest, in northwestern Wyoming. His search for the missing link in the science of forestry has haunted him throughout his 34-year career and into his retirement. Retirement provided the time to identify the missing link and left him needing to express his concerns and recommendations in this book.