Recommendations for establishing or renewing scientific councils in protected areas

The following recommendations stem from a workshop entitled Interface between science and mountain protected areas: The role of scientific councils, held in Chambery (France) in June 2015. This workshop gathered together some 30 scientists and managers from all Alpine countries and different types of protected areas (PA) and allowed discussing the goals, composition, organization and management of scientific councils. While based on experiences in Alpine countries, these recommendations can be applied to managed PAs in general. They are addressed to PA managers and scientists involved or interested in participating in scientific councils, as well as to the PA executive boards and administrations in charge of PA management and policy. They intend to help decide if and when to establish a scientific council and how to compose, organize and manage it if such a decision has been made, is planned or envisaged. Given the diversity of national regulations and practices, they remain rather general: the aim is to identify the questions to bear in mind when establishing or renewing a scientific council rather than to give predefined or definitive answers.