Issues and Opportunities Concerning Public Engagement in Natural Resource Management

There are many unknowns in the current era of rapid expansion and competing demands on British Columbia’s natural resources, but one thing is certain: resource professionals will continue to be called on to engage with stakeholders throughout their careers. This will be challenging and time-consuming, at times emotional and frustrating, but at the end of the day frequently rewarding. Some, be they students, researchers, professors, consultants, or land managers will themselves feel an impulse to become personally involved in resource issues and advocacy. Now, after a relatively quiescent decade on the forestry front, there is a new wave of mostly energy-related resource development taking place that is giving rise to growing concerns about cumulative impacts. This is stirring public reengagement in ways that we haven’t seen since the 1980s. Although the political, social, economic and physical landscape is constantly changing, and future opportunities will not mirror those of the past, there will always be new ways to influence the future. Through presentation and audience Q&A, Mike Nash will share some of his insights gained over the past 25 years of public involvement in natural resources.