PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #97: Restoration Philosophy and Education.
Presiding: S. Cunningham
Friday, August 9. 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Mohave Meeting Room, TCC.

Restoration and rhetoric: Language and values in restoration conflicts.

Flynn, Christina^*,1, Friebolin, Jesse^*,1, Legg, Jeremy^*,1, Moote, Ann^*,1, Taylor, David^*,1, ¹ Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

ABSTRACT- With the publication of Forests Forever! (1996), Flagstaff environmental groups and restoration ecologists together envisioned a promising future for restoration practices in ponderosa pine forests. In the ensuing years, this vision deteriorated into contentiousness, ad hominem claims, and competing interests. Key players have become so embroiled in controversy that some observers have said forestry in this region is "locked in a politics of stalemate." In a series of interviews (conducted in 2001 and 2002 by the presenters), environmentalists, Forest Service managers, restoration ecologists and other research scientists, conservationists, municipal officials, and interested community members revealed their perceptions of the current state of the forest, the opinions of other key players, the role of scientific information, public participation, and the meaning and practice of restoration. Our analysis of the rhetoric and values expressed in these interviews suggests that the words and rhetoric of the various participants reflect a language of competition and hierarchy, even though their core values have many commonalities. A literature review conducted by the authors in 2002 suggests that these findings apply in other place-based and policy-based restoration disputes and may imply a need for a new approach to conflict management.

KEY WORDS: conflict, criticisms, rhetoric, values