The WDAFS Resource Policy and Environmental Concerns Committee is having a symposium at the joint WD/Oregon Chapter AFS meeting this spring in Portland, OR (https://orafs.org/annual-meeting/) and is soliciting presentations. The symposium title and abstract are below.
Symposium Title: Effects of roads on aquatic ecosystems and fishes
Abstract: The presence of roads on the landscape can dramatically affect aquatic ecosystems and the organisms that rely on them. Road prisms and their maintenance can introduce sediment and salts, vehicle traffic can contribute oils and chemicals, and bridges and culverts can lead to impaired organism passage. Recognizing these effects, in recent years substantial effort has gone into removing and reclaiming forest roads, replacing stream crossings with appropriately sized bridges, and researching the effects of road-associated chemical inputs. The Western Division AFS Resource Policy and Environmental Concerns Committee (RPECC) is planning this symposium to provide a forum for those that deal with road-associated effects to aquatic ecosystems. The RPECC is seeking a diverse lineup of presentations that include research, management, education, economics, and technology. If your topic involves the nexus between roads and aquatic ecosystems, we would like to hear about it. In addition, we are interested in hearing different perspectives and hope that members of academia, private industry, government, non-profits, and the public will contribute presentations.
