Meaningful community involvement in protected area issues: a dialogue session

Abstract

The current effort to rethink public involvement in decision-making processes for federal lands is gaining momentum. Advocates of alternative decision-making processes seek to involve communities in more meaningful ways than traditional NEPA-style public participation. These new processes take the form of citizen monitoring, partnerships, and most often, collaboration, and focus on dialogue, mutual understanding, and common ground. The following dialogue session explores the potential benefits of more participatory approaches, the challenges of conducting such processes, and their possible drawbacks and shortcomings. The trend toward collaboration has important implications for wilderness management, and wilderness science should be carefully documenting the outcomes of these new decision-making processes.

Parent Publication

• Wilderness science in a time of change conference-Volume 2: Wilderness within the context of larger systems; 1999 May 23-27; Missoula, MT

Citation

Yung, Laurie. 2000. Meaningful community involvement in protected area issues: a dialogue session. In: McCool, Stephen F.; Cole, David N.; Borrie, William T.; O’Loughlin, Jennifer, comps. 2000. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 2: Wilderness within the context of larger systems; 1999 May 23–27; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 301-307