I would be grateful if you would participate and encourage your colleagues to participate in a survey on information needed to maximize effectiveness of management of natural resources in the United States. Colleagues and I coauthored a recent publication in BioScience (http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/bio.2011.61.4.9) that identified 40 research questions that, if answered, might provide information on natural resources needed by policy makers in the United States. The questions reflect the input of nearly 400 individuals affiliated with more than 100 public and private organizations. If you do not have online access to BioScience and wish to obtain a copy of the article, please request a reprint from Erica Fleishman ([email protected]). We now want to canvass a diverse group of policy makers and their advisors, resource managers, and researchers in the United States to rank these questions. Understanding how research priorities vary among sectors and organizations will help increase alignment between policy makers' needs and research. Please assist us in this prioritization effort by responding to the survey yourself and, if relevant, distributing the survey link below to individuals in your organization or department who have responsibilities or interests in natural resource management. The survey link is http://www.envsurvey.com/40Q/cgi-bin/ciwweb.pl?studyname=40Q&AC=111222 If you have any questions about the survey, which was developed by Murray Rudd at the University of York, or the original work and publication, please contact Erica Fleishman ([email protected], 530-754-9167). We estimate the survey will take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Links to a FAQ are included throughout the survey. Thank you very much.
