| Mission Statement
The Alaska Boreal Forest Council promotes sustainable communities
and economies in Interior Alaska through boreal forest education,
community-assisted research and information exchange.
Background
The Alaska Boreal Forest Council was formed in 1993 and has since
found that the best approach to making sound land and natural resource
policy is to involve local residents as responsible partners in
decision-making. Accordingly, our efforts are aimed at building
a well-informed citizenry. Through inclusive forums, programs and
services, ABFC works to present and discuss all sides of an issue
so that people have the information they need to make their own
decisions.
Starting Assumptions
- Individuals and communities are integral and responsible members
of the natural system on which present and future life depends.
- A sustainable ecosystem is one in which community values, ecosystem
health, and economic development are integrated.
- Economic development and forest management should both be consistent
with the capacity of the ecosystem and the values of the community.
- The environment is undergoing rapid change and the ecosystem
in which we live has limits.
- Because our lands are neither resource-depleted nor degraded,
natural resource management in the Alaskan boreal forest can focus
on strategies that encourage the natural resilience of the ecosystem.
- The strong interdependence between the land and the people of
Interior Alaska is a special quality of this place.
- Given access to sound information and a place at the table,
residents can - together with resource managers and government
- be better prepared when making decisions concerning natural
resource policy.
- Working together is the most effective way for the whole community
to learn, consider options, make decisions, take and evaluate
actions. It is the best means to keep the forests and communities
of our region livable and healthy.
Vision Statement
Once we, the human species, see ourselves as one component of the
ecosystem, we will seek to learn to act from that perspective. We
will adapt our stewardship and practices to what is sustainable.
We will try to ensure that resource development reflects what is
ecologically possible, culturally acceptable, and economically profitable.
We will strive to leave the world a better place for future generations.
In Alaska's boreal forest region, acceptance of ourselves as part
of the ecosystem will motivate us to develop a robust, culturally-
and environmentally-sensitive economy. Diverse timber and nontimber
forest products and services will be important elements of that
mix. Sustainable community development will make it possible for
Interior Alaskans to continue living close to the land. Healthy
communities and natural ecosystems will serve local residents, businesses,
and communities beyond our region indefinitely.
Sustainable Development
The Alaska Boreal Forest
Council recognizes that sustainable development requires a sufficient
level of compatibility between economic, social, and environmental
systems to collectively maintain and improve the quality of life
in the long-term. ABFC endorses the 1987 Bruntland Commission definition
of sustainable development:
"Development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of futuregenerations
to meet their own needs."
|
|
Contact Us
Mission
Staff
Board
About our website
|
