Balancing conflicting values: ecosystem solutions in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada.

Ecosystem approaches to sustainable forest management in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada have arisen in response to significant changes that have occurred in these societies over the past century or so (Interagency Ecosystem Management Task Force, 1995). One such change as been rapid population growth along the Pacific Coast, where the mild climate and growing regional economy have induced a high rate of immigration from other parts of the continent. Nearly all of the population growth during the past few decades has been in urban areas, and urban dwellers tend to have different expectations toward large-scale forest management than do rural, resource-dependent populations. Many of the new immigrants come from regions with less abundant natural endowments, and the landscape beauty and opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest are often cited as major reasons for their immigration.