Sustainable forestry management workshops that recently brought together small-scale landowners, foresters, environmentalists andregulators have produced proposed regulations now being considered by the California Board of Forestry. The proposed new regulations would give small-scale landowners important incentives to manage their forests in a way that balances economic viability and environmental sustainability, says workshop coordinator Kim Rodrigues, forest advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties. "The workshops succeeded in bringing together a core group that is having a significant impact in changing the existing regulations. It's not a long-term solution, but it is an important step in the right direction." The workshops, funded by the UC Davis-based UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, took place in Briceland, Eureka and Dunsmuir, areas hit hard by complex timber problems. While there is widespread agreement in the agroforestry community that past laws have often encouraged poor management, there remain significant disputes about how best to achieve sustainable forestry. "It is time we quit imposing further legislative restrictions and start fostering a sense of stewardship by providing education, incentives and benefits to non-industrial timberland owners," says Rodrigues.