| Abstract: | Abstract Forest health should be determined by ecological criteria as opposed to the more limited tree production approach. We must recognize the vital relationships between conserving biological diversity and sustaining forest ecosystems. World-wide forest management practices have too often ignored ecological principles, thereby jeopardizing forest health in the long-term. Much warranted attention has been given to rain forest problems. Temperate, mountain forests are also threatened, presenting unique sustainability problems. The forests of western Montana are a case in point. Sustainability is, of course, about time, and it is about time that forest management is changed to assure healthy forests for the future. |
