Breakout

Title: Bridging the Divide: Putting Science in the Hands of Natural Resource Managers

Organizers: Ellen Paul, Executive Director, The Ornithological Council; Gwenda L. Brewer, Science Program Manger, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Additional Discussants:
Arpita Choudhury, Science and Research Liason, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Tom Fish, National Coordinator, Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units
Tom Serfass, Professor, Frostburg State University
Doug Miller, Professor, Penn State University
Kevin Whalen, Deputy Chief, USGS Cooperative Research Units
Michael Fry, Director, Conservation Advocacy American Bird Conservancy
Tim Jones, Science Coordinator, Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
Mary L. Klein, CEO and President, NatureServe

Summary:
Though science is said to be the cornerstone of conservation, the resource managers often have difficulty accessing that science. This breakout session is intended to identify ways to bridge the divide between researchers and managers. Researchers generate enormous amounts of data and publish their findings in thousands of papers scattered across hundreds of journals in dozens of disciplines.  Ease of access to the scientific literature and all manner of biological data has improved, but significant barriers remain. But even unlimited access to the vast and fragmented body of literature and reams of data can’t give the resource managers the time needed to find, read, analyze, and synthesize this vast body of knowledge. In reality, natural resource managers often rely on a mélange of personal observations, local surveys, and a handful of scientific papers. Knowledge gaps, uncertainty, and conflicting information are additional challenges. Climate change will likely complicate the picture, as data and assumptions – even for very basic information such as species distribution and habitat associations - become obsolete. What can the research community do to assure that the information and knowledge they generate reaches natural resource managers in a usable format? How can the research community develop a culture that expects researchers to routinely work with natural resource managers to be sure that science is incorporated into natural resource planning and implementation on an ongoing basis?