Balancing Act

In the past decade, there has been much debate over the environmental impact of forestry. People are justifiably concerned about what is happening to the local and global forest environments. But they are also confused by the polarized rhetoric that has characterized both sides of the debate. In "Balancing Act", Hamish Kimmins calls for a balanced, more objective approach to forestry issues in order to bridge the gap between the most extreme opponents in the debate. He suggests that we need to begin with a common understanding of what forestry is about and how forest ecosystems work. He outlines the scientific and ecological aspects of the major environmental issues facing British Columbia and the world today, arguing that we need to disentangle the scientific from the value-based social aspects of these questions. He also contends that much of the current debate about forests and their management ignores the time dimension of ecosystems and he calls for a more dynamic view of current environmental issues in forestry -- one that accounts for change.
"Balancing Act" is for those who are searching for an objective, accurate and readable evaluation of the issues at the heart of the forestry/environment debate. By emphasizing that forests are not static but change over time, Kimmins adds an important, often ignored, dimension to the discussion. Only by understanding all of the intricacies of the ecosystems can we learn to manage our forests in a sustainable fashion. Hamish Kimmins is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He has spent thirty years visiting and studying forests both in British Columbia and around the world. He is past chairman of the BC Ecological Reserves Committee, current moderator of the National Forest Round Table, and a frequent consultant to governments and environmental groups on proposals for wilderness areas, parks and ecological reserves, and on a variety of environmental issues.