State and Private
Forestry
Alaska Region
Alaska Department of Natural Resource
Division of Forestry
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Forest Service
State and Private |
Alaska Region |
Alaska Department of Natural Resource Division of Forestry |
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Conservation Education |
2001 |
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| Introduction | Conservation education in the Forest Service is an effective, dynamic way to connect the American people with their environment. Through our classroom visits, education
programs on the forests, education camps, focused state and community education projects, and resource-specific programs, the Forest Service is successfully connecting people to the land by providing
them the tools they need to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions in regards to sustaining our nation's natural and heritage resources.
Conservation Education coordinators for each Region, Station, and Area manage the program. The Alaska Conservation Education coordinator is a member of the Public Services staff in the Regional Office and is responsible for acting as liaison between the Washington Office and Forest Service employees and partners in Alaska. The coordinator provides leadership in education efforts, manages the project/grant program, and works with partners in other organizations to complement and enhance existing programs. |
| Goals | Forest Service core conservation education programs support two key themes: 1) sustainability of natural and heritage resources in forest, grassland, and aquatic
ecosystems; and 2) awareness and understanding of interrelationships in natural systems and between people and their environment. Forest Service conservation education efforts focus on three primary
audiences - visitors, youth, and urban communities.
In the Alaska Region, the conservation education program provides innovative conservation education activities throughout the state along with partners in other organizations whose conservation education goals complement Forest Service conservation education goals. |
| Budget | Funding for the Conservation Education program is contained in annual allocations. It is funded by Research, State & Private Forestry, National Forest System, and Wildland Fire Management appropriations. |
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Grant (PLT) |
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| Issues | The Forest Service began its conservation education efforts in the 1920s. The earliest efforts noted the importance of education in "promoting the best use of all forest resources in the country, public and private." Since then, education efforts have included handbooks, curriculums, classroom programs, and resource-specific programs. Although the Forest Service efforts have been extensive and diverse, the Conservation Education program has been fragmented and has lacked agency coordination. A national task group was chartered in the mid-1990s to review the current education efforts of the Forest Service and to develop a more organized, focused program. This is an ongoing process. Until a clear corporate strategy and messages are developed and adequate dollars are dedicated, the effectiveness of the Conservation Education program will be limited. The Alaska Region is supportive of conservation education and will continue to provide educational outreach consistent with available budgets, staffs, and partners. |
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Program Highlights |
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 United States Department of Agriculture |
Macky McClung USDA Forest Service P.O. Box 21628 Juneau, AK 99802-1628 Phone: 907-586-8729 Fax: 907-586-7866 Email: mmcclung@fs.fed.us |
Barbara Bodner Alaska Division of Forestry 550 West 7th Avenue, 14th Floor Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: 907-269-8481 Fax: 907-269-8902 Email: Barbara_Bodner@dnr.state.ak.us |
 State of Alaska |