Managing resources in a dynamic landscape: analysis of institutions, society and the environment of elk management in northern Colorado

Abstract

When developing strategies to manage natural resources, it is important that actions are taken at the appropriate scale, particularly those that are mobile or cover and extensive area. This is complicated when there is a patchwork of institutions managing the resources. A complete understanding of the ecological and social systems and processes that drive change in the systems facilitates development of optimal management strategies. My goal is to understand how natural resources are managed at a landscape scale when there are multiple land management institutions and stakeholders. To answer this question, my research utilizes a qualitative case study approach to analyze elk management in Northern Colorado. In this case study, I assessed the capacity of formal institutions to perform inter-jurisdictional elk management in Northern Colorado. Drawing from climate vulnerability literature, I determined that this capacity to manage elk across the landscape, "Institutional Capacity", is measured as: the ability of multiple land management institutions to conceptualize or formulate policies, implement them, engage and build consensus among stakeholders, mobilize information, and monitor and evaluate. Through analysis of the missions, objectives, and priorities of each institution; the extent to which their jurisdiction is actually impacted by elk and their abilities to adapt management plans; and access to quality scientific information needed to develop elk management plans, I determine that the effectiveness of elk management is not a result of capacity of each individual institution, but is a result of collective management across many jurisdictions. Two features emerge as key elements that significantly contribute to successful elk management: diversity in the elk management structure and extensive coordination between institutions to manage elk and their habitat. This case study provides useful insights that extend to broader landscape scale management. Resources that are mobile or extend across multiple management jurisdictions cannot be effectively managed by a single institution but are best managed by multiple agencies at different scales because this creates diversity the types of management actions undertaken. However, the coordination required for this type of complex governance involves collaboration of many agencies that is facilitated by organizations that connect others.