Abstract:
Reliance on community-based natural resource management in the western US has been growing since the
1990s. Collaboration is increasingly essential, and community-based organizations are often relied upon to
facilitate this collaboration. This is particularly true in the face of decreasing resources within federal land
management agencies and the growing complexity of natural resource issues. The proposed Forest Service Planning
Rule, the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, and other programs rely heavily on collaboration
to achieve their goals. Community-based organizations, including nonprofits and informal collaborative groups,
work to build public agreement around the management of federal lands; develop local business and workforce
capacity for forest and watershed restoration; and ensure that the benefits of restoration activity flow to rural communities.
The resources, structure, relationships, and other characteristics of these organizations are less well
understood than their strategies, approaches, and activities. This paper seeks to provide insight into the organizational
capacity of community-based organizations in the American West and to give recommendations to
enhance and grow their impact.
