Integrating neotropical migratory birds into Forest Service plans for ecosystem management

The USDA Forest Service is undergoing a major change in focus in response to public interests, growing concern for sustaining natural resources, and new knowledge about wildlife, fisheries, forests and grasslands, and how they interact at the ecosystem level. This shift in direction affects how Forest Service lands are managed, what research is conducted, how resource values are prioritized and how Forest Service employees are trained to meet future management needs. In meeting public concerns over time, Forest Service stewardship has evolved from an emphasis on (1) regulation of uses (avoidance of unfavorable activities) to (2) sustained yield management (managing for a few desired products) to (3) sustainable ecosystem management (focusing on the integrity of the ecosystem, which supplies many goods and services) (Salwasser 1990). "New Perspectives" was a Service-wide initiative designed to develop a new ecological and philosophical approach to effectively sustain public lands, biological diversity, landscape integrity and intact ecosystems. In June 1992, New Perspectives culminated in the Chief s decision to create a Forest Service staff group to implement "Ecosystem Management" (Overbay 1992). Ecosystem Management, as observed by the Forest Service, is the use