Presentation Abstract
When Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, were listed as threatened, in 1998, under the Endangered Species Act, citizens, tribes, and local governments in Washington State began developing and implementing the first bottom-up species recovery plan in U.S. history. This coordinated effort created the opportunity to study a place-based, collaborative approach to natural resource management. Utilizing interviews and primary documents, this case study explores the organizational structures and collaborative processes of watershed level organizations, Lead Entities, that are tasked with bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders to develop local salmon habitat recovery strategies. The robust data reveals a myriad of inter-related factors that influence collaborative processes within Lead Entities. These factors include the variation in physical and social landscapes Lead Entities exist within. Factors common among Lead Entities were also revealed in the data analysis, such as collaborative relationships, trust, communication, conflict, and conflict resolution. This study’s findings and recommendations contribute to the field of collaborative natural resource management, which focuses on creating management approaches that pool knowledge and resources from diverse groups to create management plans that are more applicable and resilient because they are formed through inclusive, collaborative processes. Furthermore, this case study contributes data for use in the current transformation of the field of natural resource management. This transformation is characterized by a paradigm shift that moves away from identifying and addressing natural resource issues from a purely natural and physical science lens and towards the recognition that effective resource management outcomes are dependent on our ability to work together collaboratively.
Session Title
Session S-08G: Rethinking Our Waterways: Effective Collaboration with Landowners, Project Partners and Decision Makers
Conference Track
Shorelines
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 8:30 AM
End Date
2-5-2014 10:00 AM
Location
Room 6E
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)
Natural resources--Co-management--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Restoration monitoring (Ecology)--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Chinook salmon--Conservation--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (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
Included in
Building the Platform for Collaborative Natural Resource Management: A Case Study of Human Dimensions in Puget Sound Salmon Recovery
Room 6E
When Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, were listed as threatened, in 1998, under the Endangered Species Act, citizens, tribes, and local governments in Washington State began developing and implementing the first bottom-up species recovery plan in U.S. history. This coordinated effort created the opportunity to study a place-based, collaborative approach to natural resource management. Utilizing interviews and primary documents, this case study explores the organizational structures and collaborative processes of watershed level organizations, Lead Entities, that are tasked with bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders to develop local salmon habitat recovery strategies. The robust data reveals a myriad of inter-related factors that influence collaborative processes within Lead Entities. These factors include the variation in physical and social landscapes Lead Entities exist within. Factors common among Lead Entities were also revealed in the data analysis, such as collaborative relationships, trust, communication, conflict, and conflict resolution. This study’s findings and recommendations contribute to the field of collaborative natural resource management, which focuses on creating management approaches that pool knowledge and resources from diverse groups to create management plans that are more applicable and resilient because they are formed through inclusive, collaborative processes. Furthermore, this case study contributes data for use in the current transformation of the field of natural resource management. This transformation is characterized by a paradigm shift that moves away from identifying and addressing natural resource issues from a purely natural and physical science lens and towards the recognition that effective resource management outcomes are dependent on our ability to work together collaboratively.
