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Technical Management in an Age of Openness: The Political, Public, and Environmental Forest Ranger
Author(s) -
Anderson Sarah E.,
Hodges Heather E.,
Anderson Terry L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of policy analysis and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.898
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1520-6688
pISSN - 0276-8739
DOI - 10.1002/pam.21697
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , openness to experience , bureaucracy , politics , service (business) , business , public service , forest management , public relations , public administration , marketing , political science , sociology , psychology , social psychology , law , social science , ecology , biology
Modern bureaucracy faces trade‐offs between public and congressional input and agency expertise. The U.S. Forest Service offers an opportunity to quantitatively analyze whether an agency that is required to be more open to the public and congressional input will be forced to ignore its technical expertise in managing resources. This study uses data on 83,000 hazardous fuels reduction activities conducted by the Forest Service from 2001 to 2011. Although the results show that managers are responsive to public and congressional considerations, this has not prevented them from utilizing their technical knowledge to restore lands most deviated from natural conditions. This suggests that managers can balance responsiveness to public and political principals with technically sound management.