Course ID: | FANR 3400-3400D. 2 hours. |
Course Title: | Society and Natural Resources |
Course Description: | An overview of the social, political, and ethical aspects of
making natural resource management decisions; topics include
natural resource conservation history, regulatory and legal
issues, decision-making processes involving public and private
stakeholders, the importance of human attitudes and values
(human dimensions) in natural resource management, and
professional and environmental ethics. |
Oasis Title: | SOCIETY & NAT RES |
Duplicate Credit: | Not open to students with credit in FORS 3810-3810D |
Nontraditional Format: | Course will meet for seven weeks only. The lecture portion of
this course will meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for one
period. Discussion section will meet on Tuesday or Thursday for
one period. |
Semester Course Offered: | Offered fall and spring semester every year. |
Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
Course Objectives: | By the end of the semester the student will:
I. Know the history of natural resource conservation and
describe how societies and humans have valued natural resources
historically, and how changes in values have altered the use
and conservation of natural resources
A. Describe legacies of natural resources use (e.g., tragedy
of commons, previous disasters, and previous successes)
B. Describe changes in human values, management philosophies,
etc. (exploitation, conservation vs. preservation,
sustainability, adaptive management)
C. Know how early legislation was created and the implications
these pieces of legislation have, past and present, upon
natural resource policy
II. Know the importance of people, human dimensions, public
relations, public policy, and private landowners in the
conservation and management of natural resources, and
understand how human dimensions information is applied to the
management of natural resources
A. Identify the societal drivers of change in past, present,
and future uses and users (stakeholders, cultural groups, etc.)
of natural resources
B. Demonstrate the impact of human dimensions information in
natural resources management
C. Identify paradigms for natural resource decision-making and
planning
D. Understand the role of public education and communication
efforts in natural resource management
E. Know how to use qualitative criteria when assigning non-
economic values to natural resources
III. Describe the role of professionals in ethically planning
and implementing management programs designed to conserve
natural resources with a minimum of conflicts among public and
private stakeholders.
A. Know the current employment opportunities,
responsibilities, and professional societies in natural resources.
B. Know how to apply the concept of human dimensions to public
policy in reference to resource management
C. Know how to assimilate social, demographic, political,
environmental, biological, and geographical information into
policy decisions
D. Understand the basics of ethical and moral decision-making
E. Know how to prepare for and conduct a public meeting
designed to inform the public and receive their input on
natural resource management programs |
Topical Outline: | I. History of human use of natural resources in North America –
changes in societal norms and human attitudes and values
associated with the environment, wilderness, environmentalism,
environmental quality, conservation, and preservation.
A. Native Americans
1. Beliefs and values; effects of beliefs on land-use
practices; use of fire
2. Differences among tribes in their relation to the
environment
B. European Colonization
1. Beliefs and values; effects of beliefs on land-use
practices
2. Development of land policy in the United States
3. "Myth of Superabundance" and exploitation of natural
resources
C. The Land Ethic, preservation, and conservation of natural
resources
1. Early conservationists – Pinchot, Muir, Roosevelt,
Leopold
2. Development of national forests, national parks, etc.
3. Key legislation and implications for policy
II. Current and future changes and issues – perceptions and
assessment of modern environmental issues, decision-makers, and
natural resource conservation
A. Agencies, organizations, agendas, and philosophies
1. Major legislation and governmental policies that affect
natural resources
2. Current issues and philosophies that affect managerial
decisions
B. Decision-making in natural resources
1. Preparing for and conducting public meetings dealing with
natural resources
2. Use of information facilitation and technology in
conservation education
3. Role of science vs. politics in resource management
decisions; role of lobbyists in decision-making
4. Incorporating traditional and nontraditional data in
natural resource management decisions
C. Human dimensions and natural resource conservation
1. Basic concepts of human dimensions
2. Paradigms for natural resource decision-making and
planning
3. Past, current & future socio-demographic changes, issues,
and trends
4. Urban-wildland interface and development pressure
D. Resource-dependent communities
1. Subsistence hunting
2. Logging on public vs. private forests – local community
effects (social, economic, and ecological)
3. Eco-tourism and restoration of species
III. The role of natural resources professionals
A. How to resolve conflicting demands and pressures on natural
resource management
1. Diverse stakeholders and conflict resolution
B. Professional ethics
1. Codes of ethics and standards of professional conduct
2. Understanding and evaluating moral dilemmas |
Honor Code Reference: | All academic work must meet the standards contained in the
University’s academic honesty policy (see “A Culture of
Honesty”; www.uga.edu/ovpi). All students are responsible for
informing themselves about those standards before performing
any academic work. The penalties for academic dishonesty are
severe (see “Sanctions for Dishonesty”; www.uga.edu/ovpi), and
ignorance is not an acceptable defense. |