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September 29th, 2019

9/29/2019

A Global Community

In the solitude of the forest, I feel at home and with relaxation, my mind continues to search for truth and a deeper understanding of the natural world. My years in the work environment focused on the needs of people and provided little time to observe and understand the relationships life shares with the natural world. I was responsible for leading the management of three and a half million acres of which one and a half million were congressionally designated Wilderness lands. The two million acres of non-wilderness lands were managed for the resources we could take from the forest. Retirement allowed the opportunity to re-consider the 34 years of experiences I had and to reach back to the history of how these forest communities came into existence. I began to understand that modern science had been strongly influenced by ancient religious traditions. It seems the relation between the two still lacks a realistic appreciation and understanding. This may be a special task our modern society is being called to resolve.
Observing many of today’s issues; global warming, climate change, free trade, global economics, has resulted in the suggestion, that we are building a multiform global community where each person and country, finds existence in a comprehensive context. Today, we are observing a re-orientation from the needs of the group to the needs of the individual. This movement is primarily the result of urban expansion and our convergence to an industrialized society. Individualism has impacted societal norms by increasing division among the people, an increased emphasis on greed, alienation from our spiritual traditions and a lost concern for the life sustaining elements provided only by the natural world. We find ourselves in the present world distinguished by its science and technology, rather than its spiritual depth and richness of its human qualities. We now believe our future will be extended by advanced scientific knowledge and new technology, such as artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the new robotic technology that can think and solve problems and replace humans in many jobs within the work environment. Can you imagine what that will do to the human psyche? It will be an unbelievable technological advancement that will devastate the human species but, think of the monetary savings in production costs. The ability of the human mind is remarkable but, an in-depth review of history clearly demonstrates that technological advancements in the past have improved life styles and accelerated the destruction of the natural world. Thomas Berry states, ”The integrity of the life systems of the planet, diminished with the spread of humans across the planet, must be restored “. He continues, “It takes a universe to bring humans into being, a universe to educate humans, a universe to fulfill the human mode of being. …It takes a solar system and a planet Earth to shape, educate, and fulfill the human. The scientific community has developed this powerful mode of understanding but in many respects has exacerbated the situation.” The problem is that science describes the universe simply as a mechanical process which then justifies the exploitation of Mother Earth by advanced technology and commercial greed. Modern science still insists creation of the universe was by random mechanistic forces.
A careful review of major technological advancements in the United States of American, over the past 100 years, have improved life styles and working condition but, accelerated the destruction of our natural world.
As my mind imagines setting beneath a large oak tree, in the silence of the forest, I drift into the natural surroundings and am exposed to questions I have never thought of before. Things I have experienced, observed, studied and discussed require me to search for understanding and meaning. The specific solutions elude me but, it is clear the challenge is to renew the lands where humans and industry have exhausted the soils, fouled the air, polluted the waters and ruined the forests. Human-Earth relations have not been given the comprehensive consideration needed and resolution will require collaboration between the scientific community and the spiritual community. Alienation must be replaced with in-depth understanding and appreciation! A deep understanding of our natural world will provide far more opportunities than advanced technology can ever hope to provide!

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September 16th, 2019

9/16/2019

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A Return to the Forest

My side trip into the social changes have been based on my personal observations during my life, 34-year career and 15 different assignments throughout the country. Just 5 years into my career, I accepted an assignment with the Job Corp Conservation program and spent 4 years working with young men ages 16 to 21. They spent half of their time in education and the other half in work completing projects on the National Forests. The experience changed my life and the remainder of my career. The importance of human needs and desires became paramount in the pursuit of my efforts to manage the natural world and our valuable forests. The diversity that was necessary for human communities to function allowed me to see the same necessity within forest communities however, it was not until my retirement years that I began to completely understand that the extend of diversity was the measure of perfection. I have come to understand this concept is true for all life systems on our planet. My view of changing social values and norms has expanded my appreciation for the complexity of our natural world and a deeper understanding of the importance of our remaining tree covered lands. It is now time to return to the forest where I am at home and belong.
Retirement provided time to become an avid deer and turkey hunter where I spent many hours sitting in a blind observing life within the forest. It provided time to recall experiences and observations from my years with the Forest Service. Early in my career, I became aware of the variety of vegetative conditions within the forests and undertook a project to map those differences for the Ranger District I was assigned to. Unfortunately, I did not have the depth of understanding to appreciate that I was observing individual forest communities not just different vegetative types. Hours of observation opened my eyes to the different relationships that existed within these unique communities and demonstrated how inter-connected the living organisms were. Nothing is its self without all the rest! Everything in the living world is connected, has a purpose and contributes to the sustenance of life. Yes, what I was observing were individual communities where relationships and diversity provided the elements that support the variety of life systems that together functioned as a community.
When I presented my observations of the social changes within the human life system, it was because of the similarities I had found to the changing conditions within the natural world we depend upon for survival. My education and experience in forestry, has provided the basis for understanding that every single organism has a purpose, we are all connected and cannot survive without each other and it is the relationships we share that sustains life on our planet.
I am concerned that today’s facts and data suggest we are facing a worldwide problem where human demands and requirements for land and resources, will exceed Earth’s capability to provide. Our expanding world population and rate of deforestation, I am convinced, are the two major environmental issues that will determine our future destiny. 10 billion people, according to scientists, may well be the limit of Earth’s ability to support and the US Census Bureau predicts our world population will reach that number in 30 years. Today, the tropical forests of Brazil are burning to make room for increased agricultural production and as populations expand, more land will be required for food production, urban sprawl and new infrastructure. Over half of our original forest covered lands have already been deforested and converted to other uses or reverted to desert like conditions. Controlling population expansion is a complex and difficult issue with very limited opportunities to resolve and as the world population continues to expand, accelerating deforestation is inevitable.
The science of forestry will be challenged to play a leadership role in managing our remaining forested lands to benefit life systems on our planet in the future. This will necessitate a major deviation from managing the natural resources we take from the forests and a continuous flow of products from the forests, too managing forests for optimum health and maximum diversity so as to supply the elements required to support life systems on Earth. This will require new goals and objectives for every acre for forest covered lands. No longer can we manage for the sustainable flow of traditional wood products but, must focus on providing a store house for carbon dioxide, the production of life sustaining oxygen, purification of water, scrubbing our air of poisonous toxins, preventing the loss of rich top soil, providing shade to cool the surface of Earth and sustaining the unique attributes of each forest community. Artificial reforestation, using plantations of single species and single age classes, must be replaced with natural regeneration from local seed sources and non-indigenous species introduction must be terminated. Gifford Pinchot’s definition of forestry, “the growing of trees as a crop”, must be replaced with, “Providing the elements that support life on our planet by managing our remaining forested lands for health and diversity”. As our forested land base shrinks, the health of our remaining tree covered acres will become increasingly critical! Our pressing issue is how we initiate these mandatory changes in time to make a difference? Where is the leadership in the science of forestry, that has the wisdom to see and re-direct the science to focus on the life sustaining elements forested lands providing sustenance for 80% of the life systems on Earth? Who will break the old molds and institute the new principles required to provide our desired future for LIFE? We need to return to our home in the forest that gives life to each and every one of us! We can no longer afford to alienate ourselves from the forests and the natural world. It is only there, that we will find our future!

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September 03rd, 2019

9/3/2019

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ADJUSTING TO CHANGING SOCIAL VALUES!

I have only scratched the surface in identifying the significant changes our society has made the past 50 years and, I am sure you can find volumes of information presented by others far more knowledgeable. The point of my last two articles was to highlight the fact that much has changed in our life styles yet, I continue to observe the inability of our institutions to adjust to these changing social norms. This is true for corporate, academic, political, government agencies, religious institutions and many other organizations. I have observed numerous situations where serious family issues have resulted due to demands by their employer to transfer for promotion or expanded experience. Most of my career was in management and I can appreciate the need to expose employees to new experiences and work challenges. Changing social values, particularly in family structure, require a re-evaluation of managerial principles prominent in the past. I have observed several cases where valuable employees have been lost due to a lack of understanding by top management of the changing social values in our culture.
One case involved an employee with a strong educational background, excellent people skills and 12 years in place. His wife was a corporate lawyer at their present location and their family involved two high school aged children. Management insisted on transferring the person to a new location that was struggling and to expand the persons breadth of experience. The employee felt obligated and reluctantly accept the assignment. The wife was unwilling to give up her career resulting in the couple’s separation and eventual divorce. The family was split up and the new assignment was located in a very high cost living area where the employee was unable to cover the costs. In order to meet the high cost of living, the individual was forced to change careers resulting in managements loss a valuable employee. I don’t know if the family was able to re-connect.
In another case, both spouses had professional careers and had made the necessary family adjustments to provide for the needs of both spouses. Their profession frequently provided employee housing as re-assignments were historically a part of the profession for advancement and breadth of experience. The male member had just completed an advanced degree and was working on a less than full time assignment to help support the family’s needs but, found the need for a full-time position for financial reasons. He requested a re-assignment within a reasonable commuting distance of their home. Management decided they could re-locate the person to a full-time assignment but, he would be required to live in the new location which was unacceptable for his wife’s career and their child’s education. The result was the family took priority and the employee left for a similar position with a more flexible employer.
These are just a couple examples of situations where I believe management lost two valuable employees’ by not understanding changes in family needs however, they represent common situations encountered today.
With the loss of manufacturing jobs, to other countries, skilled labor has had to adjust to lower paying jobs in the service industries. Today, many of the better paying service jobs are with the health industry however, salaries are not yet competitive with past manufacturing job salaries. The other significant change has been in employer provided health insurance and annuity benefits. We are also observing a raise in temporary employment agencies which, allows companies to use temporary labor without paying benefits of any kind. These changes have resulted in a decline in employee morale and company loyalty which, I believe, has adversely effected employee work ethics and productivity. When I entered the work force in 1960, most employees spent their entire career with one company or organization however, today employees are searching for better opportunities and will change jobs and even careers several times prior to retirement.
Corporation efforts to increase profitability, urbanization and a world economy have contributed significantly to the changes we have described and encouraged large investors to look for other labor sources. Advanced technology is rapidly being developed which will also have a serious reduction on the demand for skilled labor.
Management is being challenged to understand and develop management principles that will encourage American workers to bring back our American work ethic and support their company’s goals and objectives. Adjusting to today’s social norms will require a new relationship between management and labor where labor is recognized as the most valued company asset and are given the freedom to participate in building the company’s value and reputation. America’s future depends upon working together and sharing in the success. Employees need to look forward to the day’s work opportunities and leave at the end of the day feeling fulfilled with the contributions they have made to their company’s mission. We can still return to the best and most productive work force in the world, the challenge is up to management! I have seen foreign investors achieve success by forming partnerships with their work force so, the examples are available if we will initiate change! America’s economic strength was built on the strong work ethic of our workers and has been lost primarily as a result of corporate greed for increased profits. It can be rebuilt when management develops a work environment where corporate leadership and the employees share in the company’s success and profits. It is the ingenuity and dedication of the employees that builds strong profitable companies! The focus on individualism and individual success that is what is destroying the values that elevated the United States to world leadership. Rebuilding management and worker relations is required for our desired future!

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