The North American Forest Insect Work Conference 2006

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North American Forest Insect Work Conference
Critical Issues Formulation

Introduction :

An important part of the ’06 NAFIWC is the formulation of Critical Issues—priority needs for research (acquisition of new knowledge), development (integration and interpretation of existing knowledge), application (use of knowledge for planning, problem solving, and decision support) and education (transfer of knowledge and its implications). In the past, the NAFIWC has served to provide a forum for information exchange for forest entomology. At the ’06 NAFIWC we would like to add a formal conclusion to the conference by identifying the critical issues associated with the program agenda. The goal is to conclude the conference with a comprehensive definition of the current and emerging issues facing the forest entomology community. This session will provide an opportunity for the ideas generated by each of the individual workshops to be presented and discussed within a broader framework

Overview:

The program for the ’06 NAFIWC (see Program) was formulated by the constituents of the forest entomology community, so the various workshops and plenary addresses defacto provide a coarse overview of the issues of contemporary interest and importance. The program consists of 28 workshops which are grouped into six tracks: invasive insects (6), management and silviculture (3), scales and interactions (4), change (5), direct tactics in forest insect management (7), and biodiversity and natural heritage (3). Each workshop has a Moderator who is responsible for organization. Typically, several individuals are asked to make a presentation on an important aspect of the subject at hand. We are requesting each workshop Speaker to identify the critical issues associated with their presentation. The Moderator will be responsible for compiling a list of critical issues identified in the workshop. We have designated one “Track Coordinators” for each of the six tracks. Their responsibility will be to compile, integrate, and synthesize the critical issues identified in the workshops within the track. At the conclusion of the conference, each Track Coordinator will present the results to the meeting at large for discussion and commentary. Ms. Nancy Walters, USDA Forest Service, will facilitate this session. The results of this activity will be presented as the conclusion of the ’06 NAFIWC and published as part of the Proceedings. Following is a brief description of the approach that will be used to identify the critical issues.

Procedure for Identification of the Critical Issues :

The flow of information needed to identify and capture the critical issues associated with the ’06 NAFIWC Program is illustrated below (Figure 1). Click the figure to enlarge the image.

Figure 1: Flow of Information for identification of Critical Issues for the ’06 NAFIWC

The procedure for identification of the Critical Issues follows:

Workshops:

We are asking each speaker in a workshop to prepare a short list of the critical issues associated with their presentation. Include this list as a Power Point slide at the end of your presentation, using the template illustrated in Figure 2. If you do not use Power Point, a typed list of the critical issues will suffice. Suggestions from audience participants in the workshop will be noted by the Workshop Moderator and added to the list. The Workshop Moderator, with the assistance of the Track Coordinator, will compile the list s of critical issues for the Workshop and develop a summary Power Point Presentation for the overall Workshop.

Figure 2: Rendition of the Power Point template for identifying the critical issues associated with individual presentations in a Workshop.

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A. Invasives insects (INV)

B. Management and silviculture(MGT)

C. Scale and interactions(SCA)

D. Change(CHA)

E. Direct tactics in forest insect management(TAC)

F. Biodiversity and natural heritage(BIO)

Plenary Addresses:

The individuals giving plenary addresses are also asked to prepare a list of the critical issues associated with their presentation. Please use the same Power Point template. The Plenary Track Coordinator will collect, compile, and summarize the critical issues associated with the addresses.

Workshop Tracks:

Each of the six Track Coordinators will be responsible for collecting the Summary Power Point Presentations for all workshops in their Track. With the assistance of the Program Staff, a Power Point presentation that summarizes the critical issues associated with the Track will be prepared.

Critical Issues Discussion:

In the Summary Sessions, each Track Coordinator will present an overview of the critical issues associated with their Track. Discussion among the ’06 NAFIWC participants regarding the critical issues will be facilitated by Ms. Nancy Walters. This discussion may lead to a prioritization of critical issues for the forest entomology enterprise for the near future. All of the critical issues, as well as any summary statement, will be included in the Proceedings for the ’06 NAFIWC.

Robert N. Coulson
Texas A&M University

Contact for Program
    Suggestions:
    Kier Klepzig
   USDA Forest Service

Fred Hain
   N.C State University

Rusty Rhea
   John Nowak
   USDA Forest Service