The Mind of Janus
Intersections of Law and Science on the National Forests
Will be published approx. on 31. August 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
527 pages
978-1-64769-274-2 (ISBN)
Description
A novel assessment of the interplay between law and ecology in forest management
Trees are the embodiment of existence: abundant, regenerative, irrepressible. Yet as more of the planet undergoes profound and accelerating climate change, deforestation, loss of biotic diversity, and a pitiless spread of pests and pathogens, which trees-if any-will thrive are increasingly urgent questions. Managing healthy forests remains factually uncertain, an uneasy dance between law and science.
How can law facilitate or even accelerate the application of forest ecology on landscapes like our national forests? This book is a thorough exploration of that question from more than a century of intersections of law and science on the national forests. With a focus on law-as distinct from mere policy-as an agent in human relations and as a catalyst of scientific research, it makes the case that we can and must do better to solve intractable land management problems.
Trees are the embodiment of existence: abundant, regenerative, irrepressible. Yet as more of the planet undergoes profound and accelerating climate change, deforestation, loss of biotic diversity, and a pitiless spread of pests and pathogens, which trees-if any-will thrive are increasingly urgent questions. Managing healthy forests remains factually uncertain, an uneasy dance between law and science.
How can law facilitate or even accelerate the application of forest ecology on landscapes like our national forests? This book is a thorough exploration of that question from more than a century of intersections of law and science on the national forests. With a focus on law-as distinct from mere policy-as an agent in human relations and as a catalyst of scientific research, it makes the case that we can and must do better to solve intractable land management problems.
Reviews / Votes
"A great resource for anyone interested in Forest Service law, policy, and history." -Sam Kalen, University of Wyoming College of LawMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Salt Lake City
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64769-274-2 (9781647692742)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jamison E. Colburn is the A. Robert Noll Distinguished Professor of Law at Penn State. He served as assistant regional counsel for US EPA and as trustee of the Connecticut River Watershed Council. He is the author of The Scales of Weighing Regulatory Costs: Technology, Geography, and Time.
Content
Contents
Part One: Forest Ecological Inquiry: A Special Science
Science in Forestry: An Unending Arc
The Prospect of Forest Service Science - In Retrospect
Ecology in Space and Time
Part Two: Law as Normative Tool
The Forest Service as Agent
Law's Exclusionary Function
Shared Legal Powers in Context
Part Three: Science and Law: From Retention to Reformation
Foundations Set and Hardened
Scaling the Search for Causes: Of Farms and Forests
The Campaign Against Fire: A Science of Timber Protection
Missoula: Apex of Service Fire Science
Facts Worth Knowing? Service Science Meets a Reformation
Forestry Evolved: The Legal Landscape of "Resources"
Scientific Forestry? On Legal Foundations Rebuilt
Part Four: Ecological Forestry in an Age of Polarities
Regulations for Forest Planning: Guides to Local Optima
A Geography of Biotic Diversity
From Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems: The Habitat Focus Hardens
The 'Megafire': What Kind of Nemesis?
A Lynx Tale: Restoring and Protecting Wide-Ranging Species in Rapidly Changing Forests
Part Five: Intersections: Toward More Deliberate Redesign
Fact, Fiction, and Forestry: Weighing Available Evidence
Succession, Patchiness, and Evolution: Mosaic Ecology, Joint Inquiry
Depth: Facilitating Forest Ecological Inquiry by Law
Appendix - Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Part One: Forest Ecological Inquiry: A Special Science
Science in Forestry: An Unending Arc
The Prospect of Forest Service Science - In Retrospect
Ecology in Space and Time
Part Two: Law as Normative Tool
The Forest Service as Agent
Law's Exclusionary Function
Shared Legal Powers in Context
Part Three: Science and Law: From Retention to Reformation
Foundations Set and Hardened
Scaling the Search for Causes: Of Farms and Forests
The Campaign Against Fire: A Science of Timber Protection
Missoula: Apex of Service Fire Science
Facts Worth Knowing? Service Science Meets a Reformation
Forestry Evolved: The Legal Landscape of "Resources"
Scientific Forestry? On Legal Foundations Rebuilt
Part Four: Ecological Forestry in an Age of Polarities
Regulations for Forest Planning: Guides to Local Optima
A Geography of Biotic Diversity
From Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems: The Habitat Focus Hardens
The 'Megafire': What Kind of Nemesis?
A Lynx Tale: Restoring and Protecting Wide-Ranging Species in Rapidly Changing Forests
Part Five: Intersections: Toward More Deliberate Redesign
Fact, Fiction, and Forestry: Weighing Available Evidence
Succession, Patchiness, and Evolution: Mosaic Ecology, Joint Inquiry
Depth: Facilitating Forest Ecological Inquiry by Law
Appendix - Table of Abbreviations and Acronyms
Notes
Bibliography
Index