Date

Dear Colleague,

The Arctic Council's working group on Conservation of Arctic Flora and
Fauna is preparing a report on the status and trends of arctic flora,
fauna, and their habitats. The report will be a plain-language book,
about 200 pages long, in full color with graphics, maps, and photos. It
will make recommendations concerning conservation needs, primarily those
of international significance. Rather than being simply an inventory of
what is found in the Arctic and in what numbers, the report will focus
on processes and functionality--in other words, the ecological
understanding that is needed to assess the state of the arctic
environment. Naturally, the report cannot cover all topics in detail,
but it should include as much specific information as possible.

I am a member of the editorial team preparing the report, and will be
the chief writer. To make our work as authoritative as possible, we are
seeking by September 15 contributions from experts in arctic ecology,
biology, and other fields relevant to our work. Specifically, we are
asking for any information, references, graphics, or other material that
you think is relevant and that you can provide.

To make your task as simple as possible, material can be in raw
form--e.g., 1-2 pages of rough text, a list of points in bullet form,
copies of articles with relevant sections indicated--so long as it
includes appropriate references. All contributors will be acknowledged in
the book, and we will circulate the draft text for comments, to make sure we
have used your material appropriately and accurately.

If you have any questions, please let me know. My phone number is
907-696-3564, and my fax number is 907-696-3565. Because this message
will be sent out to through several channels, I apologize in advance for
any duplication. You are welcome to forward this to any colleagues who
you think may be willing and able to help.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Henry P. Huntington
hph [at] alaska.net