Resilience and transformation of heritage sites to accommodate for loss and learning in a changing climate

AbstractThe predicted increases in climate change vulnerability of heritage sites are alarming. Yet, heritage management focuses on enabling a steady state of heritage sites to ensure the continuity of values embedded within those properties. In this paper, we use the concept of resilience to demonstrate how expanding the heritage paradigm from solely a preservation perspective to one that also embraces a transformation perspective can accommodate for loss as well as promote learning. We argue that adaptation as currently conceptualized in the heritage field is limited, as it is not economically or ecologically feasible for all heritage sites or properties. When heritage properties are severely impacted by climatic events, we suggest that some remain damaged to serve as a memory of that event and the inherent vulnerabilities embedded in places. Moreover, when confronted with projected climatic impacts that exceed a financially viable threshold or ecological reality, or when rights holders or associated communities deem persistent adaptation unacceptable, we argue for transformation. We claim that transformation enables a reorganization of values focused on the discovery of future values embedded within changing associations and benefits. Therefore, we recommend that the heritage field adopts an alternative heritage policy that enables transformative continuity through applications of persistent and autonomous or anticipatory adaptation. We conclude by suggesting a pathway for such change at the international level; specifically, we call for the World Heritage Convention to develop a new grouping of sites,World Heritage Sites in Climatic Transformation

Economic Optimization of Historic Preservation in National Parks: Future Transitions for Climate Change and Cultural Resources

Climate change is increasingly posing great challenges to coastal cultural resources. Adapting from the Optimal Preservation (OptiPres) Model developed by Xiao et al. (2019) that prioritizes historic preservation for 17 historic buildings at Cape Lookout National Seashore across a 30-planning horizon, this study advances the OptiPres model to integrate a new management objective to identify the optimal adaptation plans to maximize the number of historical buildings receiving climate-focused adaptation actions and evaluate the trade-offs of adaptation actions under different budget scenarios. The results of this study not only calculate the changes in quantitative values of historical resources following preservation and adaptation treatments but also provide park managers guidance on how to prioritize climate adaptation decisions for historical resources under limited budgets. Moreover, the OptiPres Model enhances the transparency of values embedded in decision-making, supports the prioritization of climate-focused adaptation actions in historical preservation, and is transferable to other coastal parks

Examining the Complexities of Partnership Administration: Insight into the Programmatic Capacity of the USDA Forest Service

Abstract Partnerships significantly augment the capacity of the USDA Forest Service to care for its lands and serve people using those lands. As part of the agency’s recreation program, partners perform diverse services such as trail building, interpretive programming, grant writing, monitoring, and general maintenance. However, the increasingly formal nature of agency partnerships has added administrative complexity to relationships that were once solidified by handshakes. This paper explores the programmatic capacity of recreation partnerships using data from a multi-phased study conducted with agency personnel. The study found that dedicated leadership cultivates vibrant partnership programs. However, agency personnel expressed concern for declining programmatic capacity due to staff turnover, job compression, and outsourcing. Strategies for building programmatic capacity are discussed, including formalizing work with partnerships as an accountable job duty. As reliance on agency partnerships are predicted to increase, the implications section addresses the specific administrative challenges of partnering

Practicing Sustainability: Evaluation and Redesign of a Capstone Course Entitled “Integrated Natural Resources Planning”

This paper presents our progress to-date in evaluating and redesigning a senior-level capstone course for the integrated core curriculum in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) at the University of Idaho. This course, entitled “Integrated Natural Resources Planning,” is now being taught for the 9th semester to all College seniors. The course focuses on: understanding complex issues such as sustainability and ecological integrity; assessing alternatives for management where issues are currently contentious; planning for programmatic implementation; and refining students’ skills in working in teams, critical thinking, writing, and speaking. We first describe the history of the course, and then report some key results of evaluation research to assess its past effectiveness. The purpose of this research has been to further develop and improve upon the course over the last semester. The paper also describes changes currently being made in the course and their perceived effectiveness to-date, which are founded on a teaching approach of a sequential, building process of reviewing and applying resource management topics, skills, and planning exercises

Institutional Support for Agency Partnerships: Exploring Personnel Perception and Website Content

1.0 Abstract The USDA Forest Service increasingly engages partners to accomplish agency goals and enhance public services. In an age of fiscal constraints, partnerships continue to be an alternative management strategy. Previous research on recreational partnership has primarily explored the key elements of partnership success. Knowledge is limited regarding the structure of agency partnership, including the institutional characteristics, conditions and mechanisms necessary to foster a vibrant partnership culture. This paper briefly summarizes results from an online questionnaire administered to agency personnel on 12 randomly selected forests. Findings reveal a norm of partnerships may be replacing the internal support characteristics necessary to maintain a vibrant partnership culture

Optimizing historic preservation under climate change: Decision support for cultural resource adaptation planning in national parks

Climate change poses great challenges for cultural resource management, particularly in coastal areas. Cultural resources, such as historic buildings, in coastal areas are vulnerable to climate impacts including inundation, deterioration, and destruction from sea-level rise and storm-related flooding and erosion. However, research that assesses the trade-offs between actions for protecting vulnerable and valuable cultural resources under budgetary constraints is limited. This study focused on developing a decision support model for managing historic buildings at Cape Lookout National Seashore. We designed the Optimal Preservation Decision Support (OptiPres) model to: (a) identify optimal, annual adaptation actions for historic buildings across a 30-year planning horizon, (b) quantify trade-offs between different actions and the timing of adaptation actions under constrained budgets, and (c) estimate the effectiveness of budget allocations on the resource value of historic buildings. Our analysis of the model suggests that: (1) funding allocation thresholds may exist for national parks to maintain the historical significance and use potential of historic buildings under climate change, (2) the quantitative assessment of trade-offs among alternative adaptation actions provides generalizable guidance for decision makers about the dynamics of their managed system, and (3) the OptiPres model can identify cost-efficient approaches to allocate funding to maintain the historical value of buildings vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Therefore, the OptiPres model, while not designed as a prescriptive decision tool, allows managers to understand the consequences of proposed adaptation actions. The OptiPres model can guide park managers to make costeffective climate adaptation decisions for historic buildings more transparently and robustly

Changes in stakeholders' attitudes about wilderness management :exploring small-group deliberations and information processing in a public involvement process /by Erin Seekamp.

Deliberative public involvement processes have been advocated as ways to increase collective understanding and """"coming to public judgment"""" about resource management dilemmas. Some argue that the deliberative process, as well as presenting relevant technical information that is clearly communicated, can help participants make more informed, well-reasoned, and carefully considered judgments about a management dilemma. To date, research has yet to examine the influences of presented technical information and values-based deliberations on participants' opinions about management policies during these processes. In May and June 2005, four stakeholder involvement meetings (n = 50) were held in different communities in Oregon that measured the attitudes of participants with different levels of involvement, or vested interest, in the management of a specific high-use wilderness. Participants' attitudes about wilderness management were measured three times during the meetings to assess the relationships of presented technical information and facilitated deliberations with their initial and evolving attitudes about wilderness management. To evaluate the relationship of deliberation with changes in participants' attitudes, all of the small-group discussions were tape-recorded and coded using a new technique---based on the heuristic-systematic model of information processing and the model of social influence---to explore differences in group-level information processing. Mean scores for attitudes did not dramatically change during the meetings. However, two-thirds of the participants changed their attitudes at some point during the meetings, varying in direction (more or less supportive of management policies) and magnitude of change. Patterns of attitude change related to the presentation of information and the deliberations were inconsistent. The relationship between vested interest and attitude change was typically negative, as expected. Groups differed on their depth of processing; however, the relationships between group-level processing and individual change were not statistically significant, perhaps due to low statistical power. The study illustrates that changes in participants' opinions are complex and highly idiosyncratic.Thesis (Ph. D., Natural Resources)--University of Idaho, May 2006

Securing the Future of Cultural Heritage by Identifying Barriers to and Strategizing Solutions for Preservation under Changing Climate Conditions

Climate change challenges cultural heritage management and preservation. Understanding the barriers that can impede preservation is of paramount importance, as is developing solutions that facilitate the planning and management of vulnerable cultural resources. Using online survey research, we elicited the opinions of diverse experts across southeastern United States, a region with cultural resources that are particularly vulnerable to flooding and erosion from storms and sea level rise. We asked experts to identify the greatest challenges facing cultural heritage policy and practice from coastal climate change threats, and to identify strategies and information needs to overcome those challenges. Using content analysis, we identified institutional, technical and financial barriers and needs. Findings revealed that the most salient barriers included the lack of processes and preservation guidelines for planning and implementing climate adaptation actions, as well as inadequate funding and limited knowledge about the intersection of climate change and cultural heritage. Experts perceived that principal needs to overcome identified barriers included increased research on climate adaptation strategies and impacts to cultural heritage characteristics from adaptation, as well as collaboration among diverse multi-level actors. This study can be used to set cultural heritage policy and research agendas at local, state, regional and national scales