Protecting forests

With President Clinton's recent announcement of an initiative to preserve some 40 million acres of national forest lands from commercial development, U.Va.'s Institute for Environmental Negotiation will play a major role in aiding discussions about forest uses as debate about the proposal continues around the country in the coming year.

"There has been much national progress on how to have better dialogue over forest uses," said Richard C. Collins. The institute has helped mediate disputes over national forest land in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Indiana and western states.

Collins said that the Clinton proposal would face tremendous debate in the coming year but predicted it would ultimately limit future conflicts.