As we have read and discussed the issues and implications surrounding sustainable forestry, there comes a constant call for solutions and for action -- solutions to destructive tendencies of current forestry operations and action to remedy the harm; solutions to disparities in knowledge and skills and action in accordance to holistic and integrative understanding and ethics; solutions to balancing the use and value of a forest and action that is sustainable or will bring about sustainability. The conclusion of the Chornesky, et al. article draws attention to the continual need to translate technical knowledge of forest ecosystems into “actionable knowledge” -- knowledge that causes us to take notice and get something done if and when we see a problem. By 'us', the article is calling on actors and scholars that extend well beyond science, people from all facets of the community who have an interest in management of the forests.

Taking a logical look at this proposal -- If we hypothesize that solutions follow from action, action follows from knowledge, and knowledge follows from internalized experience and value, then we need to look at ways in which experience is translated into knowledge and values. Education . . . learning . . . seemingly, this is why we go to school, to accumulate and evaluate knowledge. Since sustainable forestry in Minnesota is a public issue, and so, a political issue, evaluation and management should be a collective and collaborative effort by any and all stakeholders. Coordinating a states worth (and then some) of opinions and interests in how the forests should be used and managed is probably impossible. However, ethics are fluid and ever-changing products of social learning -- and so this research looks at the primary structure for controlled shared learning: K-12 public education.

The purpose of my research is to:

• investigate the intersection of missions and needs between Minnesota forestry and the Minnesota K-12 public education system
• survey existing opportunities to meet needs of both MN forestry and K-12 education
• discuss challenges that face collaborative efforts and initiatives
• determine the capacity for :
  • mutually beneficial care for conservation and sustainabiltiy of Minnesota forests and for the education of Minnesota students
  • the collaboration of government officials and agencies, community members, businesses, landowners, students and others to enhance educational initiatives and forest conservation and sustainability
  • change and improvement, as goals of Minnesota forestry and education are continually checked and modified

Forest ecosystem use, health, and integrity is a public issue since most of Minnesota forests are publicly owned, and even if land is privately owned, the forest ecosystem boundaries rarely respect property lines. The pursuit of “sustainable forestry” is difficult because different groups, communities, and people have different philosophies and ethics regarding forests and how they should be used – there are scientists who have extensive technical and factual knowledge of species and ecosystems, landowners who have property standards and rights, entrepreneurs who have financial interests, recreational users who wish to go camping and hiking in relative silence, and a whole host of other stakeholders. Reaching a common goal like “sustainability”, or even working towards a concept of "sustainability", will require extensive collaboration in thought, value, and action.

Political theorist, John Barry, draws attention to the political-normative character of sustainability - that a politically held conceptualization of the ideal is ultimately a matter of collective judgement on patterns of human production and consumption in relation to natural resources and ecological services. In other words, what society deems a desirable and "sustainable ecosystem" is contingent on the cultural human values attached to the resources and services provided by the ecosystem. Technical and economic issues concerning sustainability follow from the collectively established values (Barry 116). So, in the case of Minnesota forests, as Minnesotans pursue “sustainable forestry”, it is suggested that the public come to, at least a certain degree, a political understanding and consensus of how "we" value the forests, what sustainable forests look like, and how "we" want forest ecosystems to function in the future. Research of Minnesota forest ecosystems and management initiatives would then follow from publicly determined values.

In practical terms, there are major issues with the above approach: forest management cannot be halted while all of Minnesota decides how to value their forests, the entirety of Minnesota citizens probably would not participate in determining how Minnesota forests are valued, private landowners are not going to agree with how others think their forests should be managed, and even if every single Minnesotan submitted their opinion and turned their forests over to state jurisdiction, it is highly unlikely that there would ever be a concensus on forest values and management. So, how is this evaluation of Minnesota forests suppose to occur? How is a vision of "sustainable forestry" to be formed?

As with most social issues, environmental movements promote various methods of educating and building awareness throughout the public in hopes that they function as agents for change and action. If it is desirable for Minnesotans to assess values of the forests and begin thinking more seriously about sustainable forestry, then it seems worthwhile to look into how the publicly held values are being culitvated in the first place. An issue like sustainability that by definition is concerned with the values of future generations, must take into account how the values of future generations are being formed. K-12 students of the public education system is a sub-population vulnerable to the values instilled through public education. As children, they are perhaps more open to considering and deliberating the full range of values attached to forests, since they do not own property or participate fully in the U.S. economy. So, in terms of understanding or guiding the means by which Minnesota might come to value and manage its forests, this research project looks into how the Minnesota K-12 public education system aids, or has the potential to aid, in forest education and evaluation, and thus the future of sustainable forestry in Minnesota.