Mapping with Latino Forest Users

This work is described in

Values mapping with Latino Forest Users: Contributing to the Dialogue on Multiple Land Use Conflict Management

Practicing Anthropology Vol 36, No. 1, Winter 2014, Kelly Biedenweg, Lee Cerveny, and Rebecca McLain

PURPOSE

The ecosystem services concept is gaining ground as an environmental planning tool. Methods for assessing regulating, supporting, and provisioning services are well-advanced, but the measurement of cultural services remains challenging, particularly for services associated with ecologically knowledgeable but marginalized groups. In 2011 and 2012, the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station and the Institute for Culture and Ecology worked with Inmigrantes Unidos, a community organization in Shelton, Washington to develop a methodology for identifying the cultural services that Latino residents derive from Olympic Peninsula terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

APPROACH

A participatory mapping workshop was co-designed and implemented in summer 2011 with input from core members of Inmigrantes Unidos. Several mapping approaches were tested in a pilot workshop. Both the pilot and final workshop were held in Spanish. In the final workshop, three groups of 4-5 participants each (total N = 14) used sticker dots to mark the location of places of importance to them. Dots were color coded to represent different activity categories selected as most relevant during the pilot workshop. Each group identified key use areas based on the spatial groupings of points; the entire group then identified key concerns related to their outdoor activities. Concerns included immigration law enforcement, forest safety, and compliance with harvesting regulations. A follow-up meeting with land managers and law enforcement officials took place in March 2012 to discuss the key concerns and brainstorm approaches for jointly addressing them. The meeting was held in Spanish and English. Prior to the meeting, harvesters met as a group 4 times to prepare a formal presentation of their concerns.

RESULTS

The majority of areas mapped were important for either work (primarily harvesting shellfish, salal, or mushrooms) or recreation (primarily family outings such as picnics, swimming, and walking).

Washington Department of Natural Resources is developing safety signs to warn hunters that floral greens harvesters may be in the woods.