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COMMENTARY: Matching the Forum to the Fuss: Using Coorientation Contexts to Address the Paradox of Public Participation in Natural Resource Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2007

Kirsten M. Leong ,
Katherine A. McComas  and
Daniel J. Decker
Kirsten M. Leong
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Katherine A. McComas
Affiliation:
Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Daniel J. Decker
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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Abstract

Public participation in natural resource management has been described as paradoxical: citizens want the best science to guide natural resource management decisions, but not to the exclusion of their input; agencies want meaningful citizen involvement in their management decisions, but they also want citizens to trust their scientific expertise. As a result, many studies have focused on developing criteria for designing successful participatory processes. Rather than definitive guidelines, however, studies to date typically indicate broad rules of thumb, which may differ in situation-specific application depending on political and historical context. These observations suggest the need to identify contextual elements that influence the varying success of participatory process designs. One such element is the degree of understanding, or coorientation, between stakeholders and managers. This article expands the concept of coorientation to “coorientation contexts” to describe the real and/or incorrectly perceived barriers and opportunities for communication between natural resource managers and stakeholders. Examining participation philosophies and corresponding techniques reveals that certain types of communication are better suited to certain coorientation contexts. Tailoring participation strategies to the appropriate coorientation context throughout the evolution of public issues, i.e., “matching the forum to the fuss,” may ultimately result in more informed, equitable, and sustainable management decisions. Future empirical testing of this approach may improve natural resource managers' abilities to navigate successfully the paradox of public involvement in natural resource management.

Environmental Practice 9:195–205 (2007)

Type
FEATURES & REVIEWS
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , September 2007 , pp. 195 - 205
Copyright
© 2007 National Association of Environmental Professionals

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