Photo credit: Carl Heilman II
Cornell Working Forest Research Project
Faculty and students from the Cornell University Department of Natural Resources are conducting research on a unique approach to preserving and enhancing ecological and socioeconomic health in the Adirondacks. This project is in cooperation with The Adirondack chapter of The Nature Conservancy, with funding from the USDA Northern States Research Cooperative and the McConkey and DuMond scholarships.
Purpose:
The goal of our research is to develop a framework for tracking ecological, social, and economic outcomes of changes in ownership and land use on the former Finch Pruyn lands in the Adirondacks region of New York. Ultimately, this framework supports “adaptive management” whereby information about ecological and socioeconomic conditions can inform future management of these and other lands in the region. This land transaction is large (161,000 acres) and complex, involving non-governmental, governmental, and private interests. As such, we believe that this case can inform sustainable development efforts in New York State, the Northern Forest and beyond.
Approach:
By studying this historically significant land deal as it has evolved over time, and by combining research approaches from conservation biology and community sociology, we seek to produce an integrated assessment that can inform planning and monitoring efforts of scientists, conservation organizations, policy makers and local communities. Our approach will combine information about the Finch, Pruyn land transaction from published documents, scientific literature, detailed interviews with leaders of organizations directly involved in the process, and a mail survey of community members. These data will allow us to assess how ownership arrangements and monitoring commitments relate to the range of actors’ expectations and values applied to ecological, economic and social benefits flowing from the land.
Products:
Key products from the collaboration will include:
- A review of relevant large-scale working forests projects in the Adirondacks, the Northern Forest region, and other regions in the U.S.
- A synthesis of published and unpublished literature on defining and tracking integrated environmental and socioeconomic indicators at appropriate scales
- An analysis of the environmental, social, and economic priorities of key stakeholders
- An evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of ecological and socioeconomic monitoring commitments made in support of adaptive management
- Recommendations for enhancing monitoring through identification of cost-effective ecological, social, and economic indicators that align with the management priorities of relevant actors.
Contacts:
Note: to avoid spam, only partial e-mail addresses have been given - to complete Cornell e-mail addresses add (at) cornell (dot) edu. To complete Nature Conservancy e-mail addresses add (at) tnc (dot) org.
Rachel Neugarten, Graduate Student Researcher, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, ran63
Steven Wolf, Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, saw44
Rich Stedman, Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, rcs6
Michelle Brown, Conservation Scientist, The Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy & the Adirondack Land Trust, michelle_brown
Dirk Bryant, Director of Conservation Programs, The Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy & the Adirondack Land Trust, dbryant
Resources:
You can navigate this site either by following the links below, or by clicking on keywords to find downloadable resources related to a specific topic.
National, regional, and local coverage of the Finch, Pruyn land transaction and other large working forests.
Published and gray literature, reports, and books relevant to the study.
Resources relevant to the study organized by subject and with brief notes about each one
Information about forest certification, and links to other resources online.
Downloadable PDF maps of the former Finch Pruyn lands and proposed future ownership.
Cornell Working Forest Research Project
