Collaborating for Healthy Forests and Communities: A Guide for Building Partnerships Among Diverse Interests

Abstract

There are many reasons for building an alliance among agencies and citizens in forest and rangeland communities. In the big picture, the purpose is primarily to reach decisions that are objectively better. Essentially, the quality of decisions is improved by a multi-agency effort that includes a role for citizens and an environment in which all can interact. From a practical standpoint, a collaborative approach provides the best strategy for restoring and maintaining healthy landscapes. Partnerships offer opportunities to experiment with management approaches, capitalize on local knowledge, and build support for decisions. Examples of working partnerships can be found in a wide-range of management settings. There is no single formula for building a partnership and partnerships per se are not a panacea; however, through extensive research, we have found a set of characteristics that are common to most partnership success stories. They are described in this guide to be used as a practical reference for agency personnel and citizens who seek to improve collaborative efforts in local communities.