Michael Gaffney

Kay Haaland

This presentation will draw on a study conducted by Washington State University's Division of Governmental Studies and Services. The study was an evaluation of two projects conducted jointly by the National Marine Fisheries Services and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. These projects, undertaken in the Methow and Walla Walla watersheds of Washington, involved collaborative approaches to the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (salmon recovery).

A rigorous, data-triangulating research design yielded extremely interesting observations with implications for future collaborative efforts. Analysis identified two essentially similar jurisdictions which displayed remarkably different results in terms of support for the ESA, perceptions of the process, and views of the principal agency actors. The focus of discussion will be on two related factors which appear to distinguish the two projects: the social capital levels of the communities, and the approaches taken by the agencies to conduct their enforcement activities. Exploring these differences provides meaningful insights which can inform future collaborative activities involving the ESA, and other resource regulatory statutes as well as the involvement of Extension professionals who wish to convene and/or support collaborative efforts in their communities to manage complex natural resource issues.