getting caught up.........

In class today Dr, Carp said something that I have been thinking about for a long time. She mentioned that everyone gets a warm fuzzy feeling that stream restoration is mentioned. To take that notion further I believe that all types of things involved with the environmental movement invoke romanticism. From Global warming to stream restoration people can get caught up in the movement. This is not always a good thing. The romantic and idealistic views often get in the way of basic scientific principles. This is where the planner can be useful in obtaining a balance.
I specifically have a lot of experience in the field of stream restoration. When I am called in to evaluate the feasibility of a restoration project 9 out of 10 times folks have unrealistic or idealistic ideas. I start by explaining that while in principle restoration is great it is impossible to accomplish. In stream channel work the best we can hope for is rehabilitation and enhancement. The problem with restoration of streams and other natural processes is that it is hard to be certain what the previous conditions were. In addition humans have altered the landscape and streams to a level that restoration would involve the elimination of infrastructure and residences nationwide. To be successful in think that planners must harden there senses to romanticism and focus on the facts.