Citizen science and natural resource governance: Program design for vernal pool policy innovation
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Publication Title
Ecology and Society
Abstract
Effective natural resource policy depends on knowing what is needed to sustain a resource and building the capacity to identify, develop, and implement flexible policies. This retrospective case study applies resilience concepts to a 16-year citizen science program and vernal pool regulatory development process in Maine, USA. We describe how citizen science improved adaptive capacities for innovative and effective policies to regulate vernal pools. We identified two core program elements that allowed people to act within narrow windows of opportunity for policy transformation, including (1) the simultaneous generation of useful, credible scientific knowledge and construction of networks among diverse institutions, and (2) the formation of diverse leadership that promoted individual and collective abilities to identify problems and propose policy solutions. If citizen science program leaders want to promote social-ecological systems resilience and natural resource policies as outcomes, we recommend they create a system for internal project evaluation, publish scientific studies using citizen science data, pursue resources for program sustainability, and plan for leadership diversity and informal networks to foster adaptive governance.
Recommended Citation
Mcgreavy, B., Calhoun, A. J., Jansujwicz, J., & Levesque, V. (2016). Citizen science and natural resource governance: Program design for vernal pool policy innovation. Ecology and Society, 21(2). doi:10.5751/es-08437-210248
Comments
Copyright © 2016 by the author(s).