Foundations of Cross-Boundary Cooperation: Resource Management at the Public-Private Interface

摘要

Cooperation across ownership boundaries is critical to most conservation efforts in mixed-ownership landscapes. Where owner objectives vary widely, as at public-private land ownership boundaries, cooperation can be especially challenging. This researc h explores the opportunities and challenges for cooperative fire management among public and private forest managers in the John Day Valley of eastern Oregon, an arid and fire-dependent region dominated by large federal ownerships and private ranches Dat a were derived from indepth interviews with public and private land managers, ranchers, forest industry representatives, environmental activists, community leaders, and others. Through a process of theoretical coding, five themes affecting cross-boundary cooperation were identified: land tenure, power, ideology, uncertainty, and trust. These themes illuminate the complexity involved in cross-boundary cooperation.