Conference website:
http://danr.ucop.edu/wrc/snssweb/snss.html
Call for posters (deadline June 1, 2002): http://danr.ucop.edu/wrc/snssweb/post_guide.html

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Policies and strategies that guide use and management of lands in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion are dependent on objective scientific information. In recent years attention to this region has increased. Correspondingly, there has been much new information collected. Efforts such as the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Program illustrate both the interest and effort that is devoted to collecting and using scientific information to support resource and land management in this region. Each year the array of decisions that affects lands and natural resources in the Sierra Nevada carries more weight; evidence the recent interest in the Sierra Nevada National Forest Plan Amendment. How do we, therefore, promote the development and communication of scientific findings to inform management and policy decisions?

No single meeting or institution is capable of providing thorough coverage of current scientific findings and insights. It is the intent of the organizing committee to provide a sampling of current scientific work, to enable access to more detail and other sources of information, and to put these findings into a context where such information can be synthesized and interpreted for applications in land and resource management.

This symposium is intended to promote the dissemination of recent scientific evidence to managers, policy-makers, other scientists and interested public, and, in turn, to inform policy decisions. Thus, the presentations will range from discussion of recently gathered scientific knowledge to integration of knowledge into planning and management. We support the many other efforts intended to achieve these and similar goals, and acknowledge the need to coordinate all such efforts.

CONFERENCE CONVENORS
Sierra Nevada Research Center, Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service
Wildland Resources Center, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
Center for Forestry, University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley Natural History Museums, University of California, Berkeley
Information Center for the Environment, University of California, Davis
Biological Resources Research Center, University of Nevada, Reno
Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno
Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service
Western Region, National Park Service
Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey
The Resources Agency, State of California

DATE & LOCATION
Monday, October 7, 2002 (Field Trips)
Tuesday-Thursday, October 8-10, 2002 (Conference)

North Tahoe Conference Center
Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe, CA

PROGRAM & SCHEDULE
The symposium sessions are intended to provide a synthetic, comprehensive overview of research topics within each of six main topics: Fire/Physical Processes, Climate and Landscape Change over Time, Forest Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Aquatic Systems and Watersheds, and Policy and Institutions. All oral sessions will be plenary with invited speakers. Three keynote speakers will address current topics of broad interest. Poster sessions will complement the plenary talks with contributed presentations on specific research activities ongoing in the Sierra Nevada. Field trips are planned for the day prior to the meetings to provide first hand views of selected issues.

The program is in preparation. Information is available (updated regularly) at:
http://danr.ucop.edu/wrc/snssweb/schedule.html

POSTER SESSIONS
Call for Posters
Closing date for expression of interest: June 1, 2002
Detailed information and guidelines for submitting poster abstracts:
http://danr.ucop.edu/wrc/snssweb/post_guide.html

Although all oral sessions are by invitation, we encourage wide participation in contributed poster sessions. We seek contributed posters that highlight current research relevant to the Sierra Nevada and to topics of the Symposium. Each of the six plenary sessions will be accompanied by a poster session. Posters will be posted throughout the conference, and dedicated times will be available for discussion with authors. Poster space is limited to 100, so submit early.

FIELD TOURS
Arrangements have been made for six daylong field tours to research and monitoring sites and one natural history hike on October 7, 2002. These sites will be within 1-2 hours of the symposium location and will be hosted by local researchers to provide first hand views of active field projects.

RESEARCH PROJECT DATABASE
As an accompanying feature of this symposium, we are building a web site database that catalogues environmental research projects active in the Sierra Nevada. This catalogue will be a living project, developed by the Information Center for the Environment (UC, Davis), and co-maintained by the Sierra Nevada Research Center (PSW Research Station, USFS). Our intention is to maintain a queryable web site to identify research projects and expertise in the Sierra Nevada. The web site will available soon.

CONFERENCE CONTACTS
Program inquiries (Co-chairs):
Peter A. Stine
Richard B. Standiford
Sierra Nevada Research Center Wildland Resources Center
Pacific Southwest Research Station Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
U.S. Forest Service University of California
phone: 916-498-5378 phone: 510-643-5428
email: pstine@fs.fed.us; email: standifo@nature.berkeley.edu

Conference logistics and other inquires:
Joni Rippee
Wildland Resources Center
University of California, Berkeley
phone: 510-642-0095
FAX: 510-643-3490
email: rippee@nature.berkeley.edu

For additional information:
http://danr.ucop.edu/wrc/snssweb/snss.html
(symposium information will be updated regularly)