This project will explore the role and value of Joint Fact Finding (JFF) as a means to avoid and/or resolve disagreements over scientific and technical information and to explicitly link science and policy considerations in decision-making and evaluation processes. This exploration will take place in the context of a demonstration project using JFF methodology to address the current controversy surrounding fuels-reduction programs in beetle-killed lodgepole pine stands in Colorado.

Working with the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, we will design and carry out a collaborative process among scientists and stakeholders to explore the reasons for apparent scientific discrepancies in views on the value of fuels reduction in beetle-killed lodgepole pine zones and to develop a research agenda aimed at resolving questions of fuels treatment effectiveness in reducing fire and other risk in these zones.