Natural resources are produced by the Earth on which we are guests for the years allotted to us. These resources are not all the same, however. Some are renewable, that is, in a very short period of real time, they are reproducible. Some are non-renewable.

Wood is a renewable resource. Trees may be cut down and used but if replacement trees are planted, the resource is renewed often within 20 to 30 years. Likewise, a corn crop is a renewable resource. Corn is planted and harvested the same year. The next year corn, planted again is renewable in one year. Another example of a renewable resource, although thought to be a threatened by contamination and overuse, is our fishery resource.

Water also can be considered a renewable resource. The same amount of water is present now as was here early in Earth's existence. Yes, some water may become contaminated and unusable but the amount of water doesn't change.

So what is a non-renewable resource? Coal is one. It is comprised of organic material that, over eons, was subject to heat and pressure within the earth leading to its formation. When coal is mined it is not renewed in real time. It may be renewed in geologic time but not in a year, 20 years, or even 10,000 years. Oil and natural gas are other non-renewables.

The Renewable Natural Resources Association (RNRF) headquartered in Maryland is an organization whose purpose is to advance the science for managing and conserving renewable natural resources. It is a consortium of eight nonprofit organizations that deal at least in part with various renewable resources. These widely diverse organizations are the American Meteorological Society, the Geological Society of America, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Geophysical Union, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the Society of Wood Science and Technology.

The common thread between these organizations is their recognition that sustaining the Earth's renewable natural resources requires a collaborative approach by not only the disciplines they represent but also other disciplines including social sciences. Each member organization has a seat on the RNRF Board of Directors.

These RNRF members, as stewards of our renewable natural resources, recognize that management of these resources must be sustainable. They support the RNRF mission which is to educate policy makers and the public not only on the science of renewable resources but also on the stewardship of these resources and the recognition that sustaining these resources is vital to the Earths future.

I'm a water guy. I've been a steward of our water resources for my entire working career, the last 16 years as Technical Director, AWRA. Since 2006, I've been the AWRA representative on the RNRF Board of Directors. I believe that RNRF does provide a vital link between its member organizations and policy makers, through its journal, its national conferences, its congressional forums and its policy briefings. I also believe that most Americans support what RNRF stands for, the responsible management of renewable resources. Our livelihood and well being now and in the future depend on these resources. Sustainable management assures that these resources will be available in the future even if non-renewable resources are no longer available.

You may check out RNRF at www.rnrf.org.