JDSF Outreach/Communications Plan

Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) is a multiple use forest, providing a broad range of resource and social values to the public. The 2002 Management Plan provides detailed descriptions and the management strategies that are to be used to enhance those values, addressing watersheds, wildlife and fish habitat, recreation, and timber growth and yield. The Management Plan also provides direction for public and professional education and feedback in the adaptive management process. The following highlights both existing and new initiatives that JDSF will use to enhance participation of all interests in JDSF management.

Initiatives for increased public participation:

• Schedule at least two to four public meetings annually. These forums will also serve as an opportunity for dialogue between forest managers and the public. One will be held in early spring to provide a forum to present what timber harvests, research projects, and other significant Forest activities are anticipated during the year. At least one more public meeting will be held in the early-late fall. All forums will be used as an opportunity to provide information regarding monitoring results and implementation of adaptive management measures taken consistent with the Management Plan.
• Develop and maintain a link from the CDF website to a JDSF webpage. CDF will investigate opportunities for electronic forums to respond to questions the public may have regarding JDSF activities.
• The new JDSF Management Plan calls for implementation of user and county wide surveys during each planning period to provide public input for utilizing JDSF for special events and provide for increased integration of the Recreation Program with timber management, resource protection, demonstration and education, and the neighboring community.
• As funding is available, the Director’s State Forest Advisory Committee will meet at least once per year in the Mendocino County area and include a public forum in the meeting structure.
• Provide periodic guest editorials to the Ukiah, Mendocino, Willits and Santa Rosa newspapers. The authors will be rotated among subject matter experts. The editorial should be approximately 500 words on a variety of topics selected by JDSF and Sacramento management.
• As funding and staff is available, JDSF will sponsor regular woods tours, open to the general public and led by a JDSF professional forester, to learn more of JDSF resources and activities through on the ground contact.
• JDSF will take input and suggestions throughout the year from any community sponsored advisory groups. JDSF staff is open to meeting with such groups at their request.

Ongoing efforts include:

• Field trips: JDSF is open to requests for field trips and provides field trips regularly to all levels of educational institutions, groups of natural resource professionals, and other groups such as CNPS, industrial landowners, and mycological collectors.
• JDSF management regularly attends meetings of the Mendocino County Forest Advisory Committee to provide information regarding JDSF activities.
• JDSF mails a notice of its intent to prepare a THP to all persons owning property within 300 feet of the boundary of the proposed THP area. Included in the notice is an offer for JDSF representatives to meet with the property owner on the ground to discuss the proposed activity and concerns of the neighbor.
• Periodic research forums (e.g., 1998 Conference on Coastal Watersheds: The Caspar Creek Story).
• Production of research reports (note: The State Forest Program is developing a Strategic Plan for Research and Outreach for presentation to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection in late summer or early fall of 2003 which will provide more detailed standards for dissemination of information from research efforts.)
• CDF, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, UC Berkeley, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Humboldt State University, has embarked on development of a network of forest learning centers which will be available to students, educators, scientists, and the public where forest ecology, management principles, and forest watershed sciences can be taught, studied, and monitored.
• Forest Newsletter (at least one/year) on current activities.

In addition to all of the above, JDSF staff is generally available to the public at the Forest Headquarters in Fort Bragg. Also, staff will continue to be available for visits to schools, meetings, and other forums (see attached Research, Education, and Demonstration (READ) report for examples of just one year’s contacts).