yet been brought to bear on the subject. To be useful, that knowledge must 

 be organized so it makes sense . . . 



Perhaps the greatest challenge that faces professionals engaged in . . . 

 research and management is the organization of knowledge and insights 

 into forms that can be readily applied. To say we don't know enough is to 

 take refuge behind a half-truth and ignore the fact that decisions will be 

 made regardless of the amount of information available ... it is far better to 

 examine available knowledge, combine it with expert opinion on how the 

 ecological system operates, and make predictions about the consequences 

 of alternative management actions." 



THE 1970s - JUST THE BEGINNING 



It seems likely that HEP and F&WHR will continue their parallel evolution; 

 eventually, they may evolve or be melded into a single system. They almost certainly 

 will become more quantitative and more reliable as better data become available."* 

 There have also been somewhat parallel efforts to develop a national data base and a 

 national application of species/ habitat relationship data. These are described in 

 other chapters. ^'*'^5 



Each successful effort should produce a more reliable and sophisticated product. 

 The initial efforts should be quickly outdated and outmoded. The important thing is 

 that the first steps have been taken. 



In the 1970s, the way we view wildlife in planning and management changed 

 radically. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 was the beginning. And 

 wildlife biologists today are much better able to participate effectively in land-use 

 planning than they were in 1970. Planning, execution, and accountability will be 

 bywords for those concerned with land-use planning and wildlife management in the 

 1980s. Improvements in those abilities should accelerate in the 1980s. 



REFERENCES 



1. Public Law 91-190. S. 1975, January I, 1970. National Environmental Policy 

 Act of 1969. 42 U.S.C. sec. 4321, et seq. (1970). 



2. Public Law 94-588. S. 3091, October 22, 1976: National Forest Management 

 Act of 1976. 16 U.S.C. sec 1600(1976). 



3. Public Law 91-135. H.R. 1 1363, December 5, 1969: Endangered Species 

 Conservation Act of 1969. 16 U.S.C. sec. 668(1970). 



4. Public Law 93-205. S. 1983, December 28, 1973: Endangered Species Act of 

 1973. 16 U.S.C. sec. 668(1976). 



5. Public Law 93-378. S. 2296, August 17, 1974: Forest and Rangeland Renewa- 

 ble Resources Planning Act of 1974. 16 U.S.C. sec. 1601 ( 1976). 



6. Holbrook, H. L. 1974. A system for wildlife habitat management on southern 

 National Forests. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 6(3): 1 19-123. 



7. Siderits, K., and R. E. Radtke. 1977. Enhancing forest wildlife habitat through 

 diversity. Trans. N. Amer. Wildl. and Natur. Resour. Conf. 42:425-434. 



8. Thomas, J. W. 1979. Introduction, pp. 10-21 In Wildlife habitats in managed 

 forest — the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington. J.W. Thomas, ed. 

 USDA Forest Service, Agric. Handb. No. 553. U.S. Gov. Print. Off., 

 Washington, DC. 



9. Flood, B. S., M. E. Sangster, R. D. Sparrowe, and T S. Baskett. 1977. A 

 handbook for habitat evaluation procedures. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 USDl. Resour. Publ. 132. Washington, D.C. 77 pp. 



10. Whitaker, G. A., E. R. Roach, R. H. McCuen. 1976. Inventorying habitats 

 and rating their value for wildlife species. Presented at the 30th Annual Conf. 

 S. E. Assoc. Game and Fish Commissioners. Multilith. 18 pp. 



34 



