19 Landscape Management Plans
Plans. You probably have some for the weekend … for the semester … for your life. The more complicated the plans and the longer the timeframe, the less certain that you can be that you will realize your plans. There is uncertainty, but to move forward without a plan, to manage haphazardly, probably will not allow you to reach a goal or a set of goals either for your life or for biodiversity.
In order for society to achieve biodiversity goals, the filter approach (Chapter 18) or some other comprehensive approach must be described in a plan that is then implemented and monitored to ensure that the risk of losing species from a region is minimized. Plans must have goals. Goals are developed by the landowner, land manager, and/or stakeholders who have a vested interest in the future of the land. Goals are a reflection of the desires and actions of stakeholders, such as affected publics and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). These goals usually reflect the priorities for ecosystem structure and composition, plant communities, and individual species, as defined in Chapter 18, and also by the economic, aesthetic, or cultural goals for the region. Although involving interested publics in plan development is imperative, under contentious circumstances, the initial investment in stakeholder involvement can be significant. In the long run, it is usually worth the effort.