A research program for the Hudson River Estuary : prepared for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation pursuant to the Hudson River Estuary Management Act of 1987

Abstract

from the preface, ". . .Management means decision making in the face of uncertainty. The question at hand is, how much uncertainty are we willing to accept. Currently vast sums are being expended on public and private capital projects with too little understanding of their environmental consequences. We basically have two choices -- to continue the status quo knowing that many of the most significant impacts on the resources are not well understood, or alternatively to begin to guarantee a steady stream of information on how the Hudson River ecosystem functions, on how our actions impact it and what the consequences will be. This does not mean holding off on development of the region until we have all the answers. That day will never arrive. It does mean adapting management decisions to an evolving and increasingly useful information base and a commitment to transforming new scientific data and information into forms tailored specifically to management needs. It means creating a baseline and a mechanism in the future to evaluate changes as they occur. It means developing and sustaining new partnerships among scientists, managers, industry and the public. . ."