Agenda 21 - Chapter 11 - Combating Deforestation: Ecosystem Management

Abstract

"This note discusses the United States' adherence to its Agenda 21 commitment to combat deforestation. Section II of the paper discusses the specific provisions of Chapter 11 that recommend strong governmental policy schemes and advocate a sustainable ecosystem management approach to the forests. Specifically, this section explains the concepts of Chapter 11 provisions and their importance to the United States. Section III examines actions taken by the United States to sustain its National Forests both before and after the Earth Summit. Section IV evaluates the United States' actions by analyzing the efforts of the United States Forest Service in implementing ecosystem management and determining the consistency of those efforts with Chapter 11 and the Forest Principles. Finally, Section V provides recommendations for future United States action in managing its National Forests so as to achieve the goals expressed in Chapter 11 of Agenda 21."