Year of Award

2011

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Environmental Studies

Department or School/College

Environmental Studies Program

Committee Chair

Len Broberg

Commitee Members

Laurie Yung, Peter Landres

Keywords

partnership, public lands partnership, stewardship, successful partnership, wilderness

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

Partnerships between federal land management agencies and non-profit organizations have existed in various forms for decades, benefiting public lands in myriad ways. However, the consistent decline in agency budgets and available staffing dedicated to Wilderness stewardship have created a need for and subsequent boom of Wilderness stewardship -focused nonprofit organizations across the country. Previous literature addresses the elements of a successful partnership in a more generalized fashion, leaving a need for more empirical examination of the key components of a successful Wilderness stewardship partnership. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Wilderness stewardship nonprofit staff and staff from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service. This paper examines a subset of the results, focusing on three dominant keys to success: clear and common goals, nurturing relationships, and understanding process. The findings and conclusions highlight specific recommendations for individuals and organizations in the Wilderness stewardship field who are interested in partnership development.

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© Copyright 2011 Heather Day