Changing times in natural resources

Excerpt

Change is certainly the name of the game in natural resource management in the 1990s. Dealing with natural resource issues is dynamic and challenging, and the changes of this decade offer a real opportunity for better management—now and into the next century. Those of us who manage natural resources must be ready for change and be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities brought by change.

Resource management policy at the federal level, budgetary issues, and the legislative direction of the farm bill are certainly among the principles of change happening today. Even with some of these constraints, there is still opportunity for advances in resource management and water and soil quality. Although the traditional means of funding natural resource management may not be as readily available as they once were, there are, in a changing environment, opportunities to identify and utilize other resources.

The farm bill legislation and related discussions provide an excellent opportunity for natural resource managers to rethink approaches to conservation, especially in today's environment of changing financial resources. Forming new state and local partnerships is increasingly important in dealing with resource issues. Targeting efforts toward specific problems at the watershed level or critical …