Incorporating Science Into Legislative Advocacy.

Using science, both recent discoveries and fundamental principles, to inform policy-making is a difficult task of applying technical intricacies with wide relevance. Furthermore, science is just one of many components that influence policy priorities. Therefore, scientists actively participating in legislative advocacy must be prepared to balance these many demands - a skill common to many forest soil scientists who often balance multiple objectives and answer questions in an applicable and management-related frame. By applying similar techniques to advocacy the field is well suited for interpreting science to legislators.

Similarly to answering questions in such a way that forest soils data and analyses are applicable to management, advocacy requires: listening, framing the results in familiar terms, providing analyses of the effects of multiple reasonable scenarios, determining the suitability of options, and evaluating the economic, social, and long-term impacts of decisions.

Forest soil scientists are not only well prepared to actively participate in legislative advocacy, but they should feel entitled to do so. Advocacy is simply a form of education and sharing results, and it should be seen as an extension of the outreach mission that is part of the job description of many forest soil scientists. Educating policy-makers is as important, challenging, fun, and viable as educating students, land-managers, and other members of the public.