Shifting public values for forest management: making sense of wicked problems

Wicked problems typify many of the natural resource debates in the United States and certainlydescribe the management of forestlands in the Pacific Northwest. Wicked problems are interrelated ones oforganized complexity that cannot be solved in isolation from one another, but also hinge on differingsociopolitical values that clash in the political arena. Forestry professionals frequently find themselves caughtup in the dilemma ofmaking decisions in this era of social change and much scrutiny. This paper examines whatshifting social values mean for forest management and research by ( 1 ) providing a conceptual context forforestpolicy decisions, (2) examining relevant problems facing management and research institutions, and (3)characterizing the implication for publicforest management given the nature of wicked problems. West. J. Appl.For. 14( 1):28-34.