Natural Resources Policy
State and federal executives and legislatures define how private landowners and natural resource agencies administer forests and natural resources. Landowners and natural resource administrators respond to these influences and stakeholders’ political power when they make natural resource management decisions. My research uses program evaluation and policy analysis to explore: 1) how private landowners and public land managers manage forests and natural resources, 2) how legislatures and land management agencies influence these decisions, and 3) the “on-the-ground” impacts of these decisions.

Previous Research: During the past decade, my graduate students and I have used case studies, legal and content analysis, to investigate these affects. Our findings have addressed:

  1. Paleontological resources policy for federal lands;
  2. Historical and contemporary perspectives on fishing rights in nontidal, navigable New York State rivers;
  3. State and federal implementation of recommendations of the Northern Forest Land Council; and
  4. Trends in state’s “Right-to-Practice” forestry laws.

Current Research: My graduate students and I are currently:

  1. Investigating the impact of the Healthy Forest Initiative. Masters student, Katy Wallace, is analyzing how the Healthy Forest Initiative”s new categorical exemption rules have impacted National Forest management.
  2. Examining recreation on public lands. Masters student, Kari Obrist, is investigating how public agencies make recreation management decisions.

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