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Natural Resources

Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide in Collaborative Conservation Alan Barton*, Alan Barton,

For over three decades, collaboration has been promoted as a way to address conflicts that emerge over the use and management of natural resources. Collaborative groups bring together parties representing organizations and interests with the goal of finding common ground and win-win solutions that improve resource management and community stability. The natural resources at issue almost always are found in rural areas, yet interest in these areas often extends beyond local rural residents, and attracts parties from urban areas who want to participate in decisions about how rural resources are managed. And if resources of interest are located near an urban area, where city dwellers recreate or conduct business, urban residents feel a connection and responsibility to ensure that their nearby natural areas are managed carefully, representing their vested interests. As is the case with many issues affected by population density, collaborative groups in rural areas distant from cities face a number of organizational and operational barriers, while urban collaborative groups enjoy more resources and capacity to influence management decisions. Drawing on experiences in the Southwestern U.S., I examine a variety of inequities that characterize urban versus rural conservation collaboratives. Based on the practical experience of collaborative facilitators, I suggest approaches to bridge the rural-urban divide with a concern for social and environmental justice and equity.