You are invited to the People’s Forest Forum for Mt. Hood National Forest on Saturday April 15, 2017 at Sunnyside Community House. Join Bark staff and volunteers to address the critical need to expand environmental protections for Mt. Hood National Forest to prepare for regional climate instability. With mounting political obstacles to ecologically-based management, the public must create our own effective and transparent avenues to have a hand in the future of Mt. Hood National Forest. RSVP HERE!
Focusing on climate change, clean water and recreation, the Forum will offer expert speakers and presentations, facilitated break-out groups and informal discussions, creating space and resources for participants to engage in defending and restoring local public lands. We will share, learn, and build the necessary resources to amend the Mt. Hood National Forest Plan.
Bark will be using the information generated at the Forum to develop recommendations for substantial improvements to the outdated Mt. Hood National Forest management plan and your input is crucial!
Details:
10:30 am: Doors
11 am – 1:45 pm: Welcome, and brief presentations covering Forests & Climate Change, Water & Aquatics, Recreation on Public Lands, and the need to change Mt. Hood National Forest’s outdated management plan. Keynote speakers include:
- Dr. John Talberth, President and Senior Ecologist at the Center for Sustainable Economy
- Professor Heejun Chang, Chair, Dept. of Geology and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Solutions
- Maya Jarrad, Community Organizer, 350PDX
- Adam Baylor, Stewardship and Advocay Manager, Mazamas
- Brenna Bell, Bark, Staff Attorney
1:45 – 2:35: Lunch & informal conversation (bring your own lunch, Bark will provide snacks).
2:30 – 4:10 : Two rounds of break-out discussions covering topics such as:
- Forest resilience in a changing climate: How will plant & animal habitat move and change?The People’s Forest Forum
- Fire management: How does fire shape ecosystems, and how is climate change shaping fire?
- Water as habitat: What are the current and future threats to aquatic species?
- Recreation economy: How does the specialized recreation community leverage its economic power for forest advocacy?
- Conservation and Social Justice: How can we ensure diverse communities are influential in public lands decision-making?
- Feelin’ Good?: How do public lands and climate change affect public health?
- Water for People: How the changing climate will impact Mt. Hood’s water and our communities.
- Forest Carbon Cycle: How do forests sequester, store, and release carbon?
- The Need for Change: Mt. Hood forest management issues, problems, and goals for the future.
- Prioritizing recreation in Mt. Hood’s Future: What are the benefits and barriers?
Each break-out discussion will have two sessions to allow participants to attend two topics.
4:20 – 5 pm: Reports from break-out discussions and closing
Speakers and discussion leaders include representatives from Physicians for Social Responsibility, World Salmon Council, Center for Sustainable Economy, The Soil Not Oil Coalition, Bark, 350.org, Mazamas, Living Cully, and the Cascade Forest Conservancy.
Child care will be provided. Please contact Bark, 503-331-0374, with any questions.
