About Collaborative Ecosystem Management

Ecosystems do not conform to political boundaries. Just because a map delineates the end to one state doesn't mean the environmental health of a region ends there, as well. Collaborative management is important for preserving environmental health and ecosystem stability across political divides.

Need for Collaboration

• Watersheds, wind patterns, species migration ... none of these factors would be easily stopped at a border crossing. Even within a political boundary like a state or province, disconnects between city and county governments or between two economic interests can spell disaster for environmental health. Whoever the stake holders are, managing natural resources and ecosystem function will usually require participation and coloration by all parties involved.

Challenges

• Even though all parties ultimately benefit from strong collaboration, it is difficult to convince parties that their interests are not of sole importance. In the case of a natural resource like fish stocks, there is often an "every man for himself" approach. But if all fishers could get an incredible bounty one year, fish stocks could be terminally depleted and cause a collapse in the industry.

What's in a Name?

• Sometimes the very act of sharing a common term for an ecosystem can help different countries or political units share responsibility. The Puget Sound is a partially enclosed bay area in northwest Washington state, but the same waters are shared by the southern region of British Columbia. In Canada, the upper portion is called the Georgia Straight. So where does Pudget Sound end, and where does the Georgia Strait begin? Technically the U.S.-Canadian border and water rights divide the two, but that doesn't stop contaminants from mixing across the sea border. In 2009, the Association of American Geographers and Canadian Geographers agreed to rename the entire area the Salish Sea. The very act of sharing a common name now means that both parties are likely to recognize the whole ecosystem of the Salish Sea and not just their political halves.

Soft Systems Analysis

• One approach to collaborative management is soft systems analysis, or SSA. The idea behind SSA is to look at all parties involved, what their needs and requirements are, and then simplify factors down to only those relevant to effect changes. Methodical and concise evaluation of involved parties is a key element to SSA, without which the basic needs and requirements could not be identified accurately. Starting with SSA benefits, the process of collaborative management by making the variables necessary for finding solutions simple and easily identifiable.

Participation

• For any collaborative method to work, the parties at stake must also be involved in the process. Any one group will likely have specific skills, expertise and interests that can be applied to the greater good of the whole group. If everyone is allowed to share their unique perspective, problems that would not have otherwise been identified can surface and be dealt with before further aggravating an issue. Participation also breeds understanding for the other stakeholders needs, and puts a face on an otherwise abstract problem. This sense of community can help maintain the cohesiveness of a management group when unforeseen obstacles threaten progress.