65 



■\^ Tn adrilfion .re ^K.r> nthmr barrlara faconoalc. BOcial ■ or PQlltical) 

 that migh t alBo cr«fltg probl^M? 



Perhaps tha Boat important barriar ia tha lack of a aoclatal litaracy 

 about the connactlona aaong raaourca systaaa and th* dapandance of human 

 sociaty on thoaa raaoureaa. Aa a raault. we act aa if our ability to altar 

 carrying capacity through technological innovation la unliaitad. But ve are 

 subject to many eonatralnts because, although our cultura and technology 

 changes rapidly, we are atlll dapandant upon alowly changing ecological 

 syBtams. New policy goals and manageaant objectivea that clearly integrate 

 biological, social, cultural, and econoaic perapactives are needed. 



The current predicaiaant is to a large axtant a by-product of the growth 

 of economic models that Herman Daly (1991) characterizes as "boundless bull." 

 Economics is an abstract science that. In Its most coimon form, distorts the 

 relationship between the economy, society and natural resources (Daly and Cobb 

 1989, Costanra 1991, Karr 1993). In reality, the human economy is supported 

 by an array of services supplied free by natural syatema. Thus, the concept 

 of value must be extended beyond what "can be computed simply in terms of 

 consumptive preferences" (Haskell et al. 1992). The failure to recognise the 

 dependence of tha economy (the frosting on a layer cake) on a healthy society 

 and a natural resource base (the upper and lower layers of the cake) is beat 

 Illustrated by the simplistic but often cited environment vs. economy 

 dichotomy . 



4. What management techniQu ea are available cc maintain and raatpre hi£h 

 quAltrv watersheds that wil l «u«tain harvetable. naturally anawning fish 

 populations? 



An organized program ia needed to restore these vital ecological systems 

 to prevent extinctions, declines in valued resources (including consumptive 

 and nonconsuaptive use of those resources), and an emerging water crisis 

 (including water rationing in Seattle last yearl!). 



Comprehensive watershed- level, restoration programs should involve a 

 fiv«-scep process: 



1) Identify resource condition (status and trends); 



2) Identify the components of ecological health or integrity that 



have been degraded; 



3) Identify the human action(G) responsible for the degradation; 



4) Establiah a watershed- level plan to reverse the degradation; and 



5) Evaluate the success of protection and reatoration programs. 



The final step should involve direct assessment (step 1) of the 

 condition of valued biological resources (e.g., salmon) to detaraine If 

 program goals are being accomplished. The iaportance of avoiding sole 

 dependence on use of water quality parameters or "habitat quality" as 

 surrogates of biological Integrity or atatua of salmon populations cannot be 

 overemphasized. Special care should be exercised to Insure that suceees Is 



