CAMESA and The Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium:

Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

20-24 September 2004Adam’s Mark HotelDenver, Colorado USA

Sidney Draggan, Ph.D.Senior Science and Science Policy AdvisorU.S. EPA / Office of Research and Development

EPA-Based Sources

Ecological Research Strategy provide scientific understanding needed to measure, model,

maintain, or restore, at multiple scales, the integrity and sustainability of ecosystems now and in the future;

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Research Strategy pursue all monitoring framework tiers (that is, Index Sites,

Geographic Surveys and Landscape Monitoring); focus on research/demonstration that provides the scientific

credibility of the monitoring network; based on knowledge necessary for success, build a national

monitoring network;

EPA-Based Sources

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) research program to develop the tools to monitor and assess status

and trends of ecological resources; EMAP's goals:

advance the science of ecological monitoring and ecological risk assessment;

guide national monitoring with improved scientific understanding of ecosystem integrity and dynamics;

develop and demonstrate indicators to monitor the condition of ecological resources: and, investigate multi-tier designs that address the acquisition and analysis of multi-scale data including aggregation across tiers and natural resources.

Basis for Cooperation

Commission for Environmental Cooperation Council Resolution 95-05;

". . .facilitate cooperation on the conservation, protection and enhancement of the environment in their territories.";

North American Regional Action Plans (NARAPs);

Council of the CEC Council Resolution 99-02; directed development of a North American Regional Action Plan on

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment; access to, dissemination of relevant, reliable and comparable

monitoring information, and sound interpretive assessments crucial to the confirmation and quantification of progress made under other North American Regional Action Plans; and

Government Performance and Results Act.

CAMESA

Knowledge-based, non-legally binding forum Established formally in 2001; Mission: further development and transfer of monitoring science

and technology in the Western Hemisphere; and Action Area: Facilitate the integration of science-based monitoring

and inventory research, approaches, and tools across national and continental scales.

Members Government, non-governmental, academic and scientific

community, private sector, foundations; and U.S., Mexico, Canada, Brasil, Chile, NAFTA-CEC.

CAMESA Partners

U.S.Forest Service; Mexican College of

Postgraduate Studies; Brazil's Nature Conservancy

Center; Colorado State University; U.S. Geological Survey; Environment Canada's

Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network;

Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources;

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / Office of Research and Development;

Brazil's Agricultural and Forestry Research Organization;

Mexico's Ejido El Largo y Anexos;

FIPRODEFO-Jalisco State Gov's Trust Fund Partnership for Foresrty Development;

Jalisco State Government; Natural Resources Canada-

Forests; NAFTA-Commission on

Environmental Cooperation;

CAMESA Partners

Argentina's Secretariat of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, National Forest Inventory;

Brazil's Society for Forestry Research;

Instituto Forestal de Chile; Autonomous University of

Chih., Mexico; University of Colima, Mexico; University of Guadalajara,

Mexico;

Mexican National Institute for Forestry and Agriculture Research;

State Government of Chih., Mexico;

Mexican SEMARNAT's National Forest Inventory Program;

Chile Foundation; University of Las Vegas; National Autonomous

University, Mexico; University of Washington.

Symposium Sponsors

Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA-Forest Service

Southern Research Station, USDA-Forest Service

Research and Development (Science Policy, Planning, Inventory, and Information Branch), USDA-Forest Service

Environmental Protection Agency (Office of Research and Development)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Canadian Forest Service

CONABIO – Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad

CONAFOR – Comision Nacional Forestal

INIFAP – Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias

FIPODEFO – Fideicomiso para laAdministracion del Programa deDesarrollo Forestal de Jalisco

Colorado State University

Received Pending

Symposium Philosophy

Paradigms about natural resource management are maturing: Interactions among environmental assets and

economic and social activities are complex; Usefulness of monitoring approaches to evaluate

environmental conditions and monitor change over time at the pixel level;

Diversity of human expertise to rationally manage environmental, economic and social resources.

Symposium Motivation

Sustainability is affected by the interactions ofnatural and anthropogenic processes.

Natural Processes:Climate ChangeNutrient CyclingFireInsects/DiseaseHydrologic CyclingBiodiversityDesertificationGlaciationInvasive SpeciesAnimal Migration

Anthropogenic Processes:Science and TechnologyUrbanizationCommerceImmigrationIndustrializationEconomic DevelopmentTransportationResearch and EducationMulti-national AgreementsPopulation GrowthCivil unrest and War

Symposium Rationale

Promote unification of data, information, knowledge, and applications about environmental and human sustainability at multiple spatial and temporal scales.

Create knowledge partnerships and networks to advance and support the design and implementa-tion of ecologically-, economically- and socially-sustainable undertakings.

Symposium Goals

Create environment where people can exchange ideas (network) to promote hemispheric sustainability through monitoring science and technology.

Present a view on the current condition of, and trends related to, natural resources in the Western Hemisphere.

Illustrate sustainability activities, successes, and failures. Present advanced approaches and tools used to monitor for

and assess sustainability. Create a positive attitude and high level of awareness of, and

confidence in, the possibilities of human and environmental sustainability through monitoring science and technology.

Unifying Information and Knowledge

Environmentally-related research in the 20th century has lacked a connection to human values.

Fragmentation of science in the 20th century has caused thinkers to focus on the discipline, rather than the social and ethical impacts of their work.

Basic Premise – the greatest enterprise of the human mind has always been and always will be the attempted linkage of the sciences and the humanities.

Symposium Features

Plenary session with world leaders

Invited papers Unsolicited papers Technical poster

displays

Short courses Technical workshops Technical and trade

exposition Interest group meetings Organizational

meetings

Symposium Products and Outcomes

Web-based system for the unification of knowledge for sustainability.

Proceedings (paper and electronic). Input to state of environment report on the WH. Input to global assessment reports on sustainability. Input to local and site-specific assessment reports on

sustainability. Series of technical monographs on specialized topics. Refereed state-of-the-art papers in technical journals.

Outcomes