The Collaborative Dimension of EM

Ecosystems defy geopolitical boundaries and land ownerships. They ignore state, tribal, and municipal boundaries, private property lines, and agency jurisdictions. Collaboration is an approach to bridging the boundaries that subdivide ecosystems so that ecosystem management decisions can be informed and effective. Collaboration enables the solving of problems that one agency, landowner, scientist or group cannot solve alone, and has proven to be a critical element of ecosystem management. This collaborative dimension of ecosystem management is a core area of research, teaching and outreach of EMI.

How We Think About Collaboration

• What is Collaboration and Why Collaborate?
• Quick Tips on Collaboration

How Do EMI Faculty, Staff, and Affiliates Advance Knowledge and Practice in Collaboration

Faculty, staff, and affiliates at EMI have spent over a decade examining what enables people to work together to address resource issues, resolve conflicts, and build partnerships that promote constructive problem-solving in agencies and communities. Below are some examples of our work in collaboration:

• Case studies and lessons learned: we highlight numerous case studies and lessons learned from collaborative natural resource partnerships across the United States .
• Training: we offer short training courses for mid-career natural resource professionals in collaboration and negotiation. EMI affiliated faculty also offer a sequence of three inter-related courses to graduate students in collaboration, negotiation, and mediation.
• Research: we spearhead short and long-term research studies in collaborative natural resource management.
• Publications: we write about collaboration in a variety of sources including books , reports , working papers , and articles .
• Additional resources: we highlight additional resources and associated web-links that relate to collaboration and partnership-building.

This site was developed by the Ecosystem Management Initiative through a partnership with the US Forest Service and the US Department of Interior. Read more.