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Robert T. Lackey Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University
GEO 335H Water Resource Management May 26, 2015
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● Commonly misunderstood by many
● Frequently misused in policy debates
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“Implementing a set of actions to achieve desired benefits from water resources”
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“A choice designed to accomplish a desired outcome from water resources”
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“Information gathered in a rational, systematic, testable, and reproducible manner.”
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“The unique strength of the scientific method is also its major weakness.”
“Information gathered in a rational, systematic, testable, and reproducible manner.”
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“To what extent do you trust scientists to present unbiased scientific information about environmental issues?”
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“Four in 10 Americans now say that they place little or no trust in what scientists have to say about the environment.”
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“I provide solid scientific information, but no one seems to care. Worse, everyone spins science to lend support to their preferred policy preference.”
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Consider 2 policy realities . . .
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#1
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“Linear model” of policy making is implicitly assumed
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Does anyone oppose this notion?
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“If those lousy politicians only understood the science, the correct policy choice would be obvious!”
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“The public is scientifically illiterate and therefore the experts ought to make the policy decision!”
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“We are facing a crisis! I don’‛t understand why the politicians don’‛t make the obvious choice!”
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“The mechanism by which society answers important and complex public policy questions.”
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Audubon et al
NIMBY advocates
“Health” advocates
Proposer
AWEA
Campaign payback
Government role?
Media (e.g., NBC)
Radar users Solar advocates
Fishing advocates
Taxpayers
Climate advocates
Scientists for hire
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Audubon et al
NIMBY advocates
“Health” advocates
Proposer
AWEA
Campaign payback
Scientists
Government role?
Radar users Solar advocates
Decision
Hunting advocates
Taxpayers
Climate advocates
Scientists for hire
Media (e.g., NBC)
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Audubon et al
NIMBY advocates
“Health” advocates
Proposer
AWEA
Campaign payback
Scientists
Government role?
Radar users Solar advocates
Decision
Hunting advocates
Taxpayers
Climate advocates
Scientists for hire
Media (e.g., NBC)
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Audubon et al
NIMBY advocates
“Health” advocates
Proposer
AWEA
Campaign payback
Scientists
Government role?
Radar users Solar advocates
Decision
Hunting advocates
Taxpayers
Climate advocates
Scientists for hire
Media (e.g., NBC)
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“Information (i.e., science) that is based on
an assumed, usually unstated, preference for a
particular policy or class of policy choices.”
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#2
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Ecosystem “degradation”
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Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation”
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Ecosystem “alteration” Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation”
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Ecosystem “improvement” Ecosystem “degradation”
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● Native species — preferable to non-native species?
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“We should . . .”
“We must . . .”
“The time for waiting has passed.”
“Healthy ecosystem”
“Sick ecosystem”
“Degraded ecosystem”
“Ecological crisis”
“Biological integrity”
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Dr. Bob Lackey is professor of fisheries science at Oregon State University. In 2008 he retired after 27 years with the Environmental Protection Agency’s national research laboratory in Corvallis where he served as Deputy Director, Associate Director for Science, and in other senior leadership positions. Since his very first fisheries job mucking out raceways in a California trout hatchery, he has worked on an assortment of natural resource issues from various positions in government and academia. His professional assignments involved diverse aspects of natural resource management, but mostly he has operated at the interface between science and policy. He has published over 100 articles in scientific journals. Dr. Lackey has long been an educator, having taught at five North American universities and currently teaches a graduate course in ecological policy. Canadian by birth, he is now a U.S.-Canadian dual-citizen living in Corvallis, Oregon. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon 97331 OFFICE: (541) 737-0569 CELL: (541) 602-5904 EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: http://fw.oregonstate.edu/content/robert-lackey