1. What does this picture make you feel? * Photo from http://www.canalazul24.com/?p=23401

2. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of Western North AmericaA Presentation By:Tucker FreemanMaster of Natural Resources StudentUniversity of Idaho *Photo from http://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/managing-forests-against-insect-infestation/ - Summary of current research - Communication campaign proposal - Communication campaign opportunities and weaknesses - Next Steps for the project - One important lesson learned

3. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of Western North AmericaSummary of Scientific ResearchCurrent Insect Infestation of Epidemic Proportion • “From northern Mexico up to northern Canada” (Tinker in Robbins 2010) • Outbreak is an order of magnitude larger in area and severity in British Columbia (Kurz et al. 2008) • Largest in U.S. history (US Forest Service 2011) *Photo from http://uanews.org/story/climate-change-could-cripple-southwestern-forests

4. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of Western North AmericaSummary of Scientific ResearchEffects Have Been Alarming with Potential to be Ecologically Devastating • Beetles, moths, and worms kill mature conifers during their normal life cycles • As of 2010, nearly 70,000 square miles of forest had been killed in the U.S and Canada • Legitimate concerns exist that a warming climate will intensify the epidemic (US Forest Service 2011) • In combination with proper fire weather, recently insect-killed trees are a major fire hazard • If major wildfires took place in large dead stands, forests could turn from carbon sinks to carbon sources • Additional concerns from catastrophic wildfires • Residential losses • Aesthetics • Recreational opportunities • Water budget dynamics • Soil productivity • Fish and wildlife habitat loss Photo from http://blogs.idahostatesman.com/otter-nez-perces-whitman-debate-forest-trust-idea-in-d-c/ *Photo from http://uanews.org/story/climate-change-could-cripple-southwestern-forests

5. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of Western North AmericaSummary of Scientific ResearchInsects are Natural to Western Forests, Even at Epidemic Levels • Epidemics have occurred regularly throughout forest history and are a normal part of functioning ecosystems • Can benefit forests by killing weak trees and increasing nutrient access • Land management has been slow to respond due to speculation on the issue * Photo from http://blogs.idahostatesman.com/otter-nez-perces-whitman-debate-forest-trust-idea-in-d-c/ *Photo from http://uanews.org/story/climate-change-could-cripple-southwestern-forests

6. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of Western North AmericaWestern Forest Insect Communication ProgramPurposes • Educate the public on the issue, particularly those in affected areas • Engage the public, land managers, and scientists in meaningful discourse which facilitates mutual learning • Provide a forum for public participation in discussions, planning, decision-making, and implementation actions *Photo from http://www.tripleblaze.com/blog/2010/08/09/happy-birthday-smokey-the-bear/

7. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaWestern Forest Insect Communication ProgramEducating the Public • Program website with educational materials, links, and an event calendar • Campaign brochure for those without internet access • Facebook page with photo catalog on topic • Quarterly newsletter

8. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaWestern Forest Insect Communication ProgramStakeholder Collaboration • Forest management agencies will be engaged to identify geographic areas in which to target initial marketing activities • Initial marketing will direct people to the program website, brochure, Facebook page, and newsletter • Resource councils will be introduced and assembled with representative from the public, land management agencies, and scientists • Forum through which discussion, planning, decision-making, and implementation of action occur • Stakeholder engagement • Cooperative learning environment

9. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaWestern Forest Insect Communication ProgramProgram Opportunities and Weaknesses Opportunities • Media spotlighting wildfires regionally and nationally • The role of the internet in the daily lives of Americans enhances the reach and effectiveness of a marketing campaign at minimal costs • Pictures, pictures, pictures. Pictures of dead forests and wildfire evoke emotion and wonder on the topic • Land management agencies have a wealth of resources to dedicate to the issue Weaknesses • Project scope in terms of geographic area and sheer number of people affected • Scope size of the project will require a lot of funding, which will be provided entirely by grants to begin with * Photo from http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/06/26/wildfires-forest-regeneration-stymied-by-hot-crown-fires/

10. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaWestern Forest Insect Communication ProgramFuture Plans • Expand the target audience to forest visitors • Forest visitors are those not residing in areas immediately affected by insects, but travel there • Forest visitors have their own values and views tied to the forest to bring to the conversation • Assimilating forest visitor representative on resource advisory councils will enhance the value of stakeholder collaboration in the forest insect management process • Adding this demographic to the marketing mix may lead to new revenue streams for the program

11. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaMost Important Lesson Learned • The Value of Communication • Often taken for granted, neglected, or done poorly • Discoveries are useless without the communication strategies and mediums to connect them to the masses • In the case of Western forest insects, the directives of land management agencies are ill-fated without public input and public awareness • Hence the need for a communication program!

12. Addressing the Insect Issue in the Forests of North AmericaReferences • Kurz, W. A., Dymond, C. C., Stinson, G., Rampley, G. J., Neilson, E. T., Carroll, A. L.,…Safranyik, L. (2008). Mountain pine beetle and forest carbon feedback to climate change. Nature, 452(24), 987-990. • Robbins, J. (2010). What’s killing the great forests of the American West? Retrieved from http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2252 • Romme, W. H., Clement, J., Hicke, J., Kulakowski, D., MacDonald, L. H., Schoennagel, T. L., & Veblen, T. T. (2006). Recent forest insect outbreaks and fire risk in Colorado forests: a synthesis of relevant research. Retrieved from http://coloradoforestrestoration.org/CFRIpdfs/2006_InsectOutbreakFireRisk.pdf • United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. (2011). Western bark beetle strategy: human safety, recovery, and resiliency. Retrieved from http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/bark-beetle/bark-beetle-strategy-appendices.pdf