How the Social Sciences Can Inform Natural Resource Decisions
Presentation Abstract
Natural resource managers are fond of saying we don't manage nature, we manage people. Most often this management takes the form of advising people about the consequences of their actions on the natural world, and how to make those actions less harmful, or more beneficial. Sometimes we have economic information to help reduce the economic impact of regulations or increase the benefit of investments. What we seldom have is social science to help craft regulations, investments, incentives, or outreach and education strategies that will successfully influence human activity. After reviewing some examples of how NOAA Fisheries has used economic science to inform decision-making, I’ll suggest examples where information from the social sciences might also improve decision-making for west coast marine and anadromous resources.
Session Title
Session S-02H: Integrating the Social and Natural Sciences for Decision Making
Conference Track
Social Science Plus
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 607
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Marine resources--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Social aspects; Marine resources--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Management
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
How the Social Sciences Can Inform Natural Resource Decisions
Room 607
Natural resource managers are fond of saying we don't manage nature, we manage people. Most often this management takes the form of advising people about the consequences of their actions on the natural world, and how to make those actions less harmful, or more beneficial. Sometimes we have economic information to help reduce the economic impact of regulations or increase the benefit of investments. What we seldom have is social science to help craft regulations, investments, incentives, or outreach and education strategies that will successfully influence human activity. After reviewing some examples of how NOAA Fisheries has used economic science to inform decision-making, I’ll suggest examples where information from the social sciences might also improve decision-making for west coast marine and anadromous resources.
