Comments on: Ensuring Yellowstone’s Future http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: docpine http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602&cpage=1#comment-11011 docpine Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:57:27 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602#comment-11011 I also many times feel that I am in crisis mode, but I question the logic step between we are too busy and we don't think strategically. It's hard not to live and breathe something every day without thoughts of how things we work on could be better intruding on our consciousnesses- even when we are off the clock, e.g., in dialogues with colleagues over a beer, long drives through those great Wyoming or Montana or Idaho open spaces on our way to work. Indeed, we also read books about our world of natural resource management. Anyway, I will try to round up some folks and let you know when we've read the book. I also many times feel that I am in crisis mode, but I question the logic step between we are too busy and we don’t think strategically.

It’s hard not to live and breathe something every day without thoughts of how things we work on could be better intruding on our consciousnesses- even when we are off the clock, e.g., in dialogues with colleagues over a beer, long drives through those great Wyoming or Montana or Idaho open spaces on our way to work. Indeed, we also read books about our world of natural resource management.

Anyway, I will try to round up some folks and let you know when we’ve read the book.

]]> By: David Cherney http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602&cpage=1#comment-11008 David Cherney Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:04:51 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602#comment-11008 Docpine, Thanks for you comments. You can expect more natural resource posts in the future! I welcome a discussion and look forward to hearing your perspective. After you have a chance to review the book, send me an email and I will start a new thread. Remember that the phrase "poor in theory" was preceded by "rich in experience." ;-) Another way to view this argument is that many practitioners are overwhelmed with their workload and do not always have time to step back think strategically. I bet that you know civil servants who always feel like they are in crisis mode? A number of individuals I have interviewed in the Yellowstone region have explicitly said such. The "rich in experience but poor in theory" argument is not a personal attack on dedicated civil servants. In contrast, it is about how to how to free up time and supplement skill sets to help improve natural resource outcomes. It is an argument about an institutional problem, not an individual. I think in all our worlds we should be skeptical of glowing endorsements by those close to the author. As such, I wanted to be as transparent as possible. Take my recommendation with a grain of salt! Docpine,

Thanks for you comments. You can expect more natural resource posts in the future!

I welcome a discussion and look forward to hearing your perspective. After you have a chance to review the book, send me an email and I will start a new thread.

Remember that the phrase “poor in theory” was preceded by “rich in experience.” ;-) Another way to view this argument is that many practitioners are overwhelmed with their workload and do not always have time to step back think strategically. I bet that you know civil servants who always feel like they are in crisis mode? A number of individuals I have interviewed in the Yellowstone region have explicitly said such.

The “rich in experience but poor in theory” argument is not a personal attack on dedicated civil servants. In contrast, it is about how to how to free up time and supplement skill sets to help improve natural resource outcomes. It is an argument about an institutional problem, not an individual.

I think in all our worlds we should be skeptical of glowing endorsements by those close to the author. As such, I wanted to be as transparent as possible. Take my recommendation with a grain of salt!

]]> By: docpine http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602&cpage=1#comment-11007 docpine Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:47:00 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4602#comment-11007 Thanks much, David, for posting something of interest to us natural resource folks. It is quite interesting to have my world (for indeed I am one of those civil servants whose work touches the Yellowstone Ecosystem) investigated. It is interesting to be portrayed as "poor in theory" "lacking in spine" and can hardly wait to read the book. I ordered it today from my library. How about we start again in a month.. I'll share with my colleagues and we can have a "practitioner- academic" dialogue? These can be rich and fruitful discussions. P.S. as a grad of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies I have to say in my humble practitioner world- if the Chief of the FWS gave a glowing endorsement of one of his employees' books it would be taken with a grain of salt..if the CEO of Encana gave a rave review of one of his employees' books.. I'm just sayin' Thanks much, David, for posting something of interest to us natural resource folks.
It is quite interesting to have my world (for indeed I am one of those civil servants whose work touches the Yellowstone Ecosystem) investigated.

It is interesting to be portrayed as “poor in theory” “lacking in spine” and can hardly wait to read the book. I ordered it today from my library. How about we start again in a month.. I’ll share with my colleagues and we can have a “practitioner- academic” dialogue? These can be rich and fruitful discussions.

P.S. as a grad of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies I have to say in my humble practitioner world- if the Chief of the FWS gave a glowing endorsement of one of his employees’ books it would be taken with a grain of salt..if the CEO of Encana gave a rave review of one of his employees’ books.. I’m just sayin’

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