| OSU
has formed a new Institute for Natural Resources that will improve
people’s access to the most current information, analytical tools,
and scientific expertise on some of Oregon’s most pressing natural
resource and environmental issues. The Institute is one fruit of
the Oregon Sustainability Act of 2001, recently signed into law.
For the first time ever, say
the initiative’s leaders, anyone wrestling with a natural resource
issue—from a federal agency to a concerned citizen—will have a place
where they can come for current information, coordinated research,
organized data, and advice on policy options. The Institute will
provide a central site for a client to ask questions, request information,
propose studies, learn about natural resources and environmental
conditions across the state, and get help in developing options
or policy proposals.
“We believe this Institute will
become a key asset in Oregon’s pursuit of sustainability for our
communities, economies, and environments,” says Hal Salwasser, Dean
of the College of Forestry and one of the leaders in organizing
the initiative. “The time has come to address the major resource
issues facing the state in an integrated way, combining the economic,
environmental, and social dimensions that are common to every natural
resource challenge, and work with affected people to find solutions
that help both our environment and our people.”
OSU President Paul Risser,
a strong advocate of the new Institute, says only OSU has the range
of international experts and the reputation of scientific credibility
to successfully tackle these issues. “OSU has an incredibly diverse
research faculty with expertise in everything from forestry to oceanography,
agriculture, habitat protection, fisheries, soils, and climate change,”
he says. “Oregonians will now have somewhere to turn for credible,
scientific options to deal with the challenging issues we face.”
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The new Institute
will be based and housed at OSU, but will collaborate as necessary
with other institutions and agencies in Oregon. It will include
a research office, a policy office, and an information office
to accomplish such tasks as data acquisition, original studies,
development of policy options, linking of research databases,
synthesis of information, and communication of findings. Six colleges,
three statewide public service programs, one center, the Sea Grant
Program, and the Valley Library are charter partners in this new
endeavor.
Most of the work, says Salwasser,
will be done on a project basis, by contract; research contracts
could eventually be worth millions of dollars per year. Initial
funding of $145,000 is provided for the first fiscal year by the
OSU Research Office and the 12 collaborating OSU colleges and
programs. Staffing will be minimal at first, but will later expand
to include permanent scientists with expertise in appropriate
areas. A national search is already under way for a permanent
director; Salwasser is acting director. The Institute’s goal is
to become self-supporting in five years.
The Institute will also have
an executive board of directors, an interdisciplinary scientific
and scholarly advisory board, a stakeholder advisory board, and
ad-hoc working groups.
The Institute’s clients will
range from state agencies to tribal governments to natural resource
industry leaders, environmental groups, and concerned citizens.
Citizen participation in developing policy options will be encouraged.
The institute is already at work responding to requests from state
agencies on the topics of river recreation, fisheries research
plans, and forest biodiversity.
— D.S.
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