Santa
Barbara County and Los Padres National Forest:
Facilitating
Community Collaboration in Recreation Management
Project
Objective and Approach
This
project sought to assist the Forest Service and community stakeholders in the
transition from traditional public involvement methods, to a more
collaborative-based approach for recreation management in Los Padres National
Forest.
To accomplish this, a handbook ("Collaborator's Handbook") was developed to provide both forest
managers and community members with the necessary tools, process steps, and
reference information necessary to allow issues to be successfully addressed
in a collaborative manner.
Additionally, key community organizations and Forest Service personnel
were brought together in a workshop setting to develop an action plan for further integrating the
community in the decision-making process.
Collaborator's
Handbook
Microsoft
Word version
PDF
version
Project
Summary
Project
Brief
Clients
Group's Presentations
Information
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Project
Summary
Los
Padres National Forest is the third largest national forest in California and
occupies the coastal mountain ranges from the Ventura/Los Angeles County border
through the Big Sur coast in Monterrey County.
The forest provides essential watersheds, unique flora and fauna, and a
wide variety of recreational opportunities.
Due to many years of budget cuts, it has become increasingly difficult
for the Forest Service to meet recreational demands while maintaining forest
resources. The Forest Service
recognizes that involving the community more in recreation management may
alleviate the lack of funds and personnel.
A collaborative approach, in which local stakeholders and forest managers
work together to address forest issues, helps build trust between participants,
generates a larger base for forest stewardship by allowing community members
more say in forest decisions, and improves the quality of decisions made by
pooling knowledge, ideas, and viewpoints in the process.
This project
sought to help the Forest Service increase the Santa Barbara County
community’s involvement and interest in recreation management by developing a
handbook that contains the tools, process steps, and reference information
necessary to guide a successful collaborative process.
To assess the public’s willingness for involvement in forest
management, the project team conducted a survey of three target groups: a random
sampling of residents of Santa Barbara County, forest users, and community
members previously involved with Los Padres National Forest.
Additionally, collaborative efforts addressing natural resource issues
throughout the United States were researched, contacted, and compiled into 22
case studies designed to provide concrete examples from which local
collaborators may learn. The survey
results and case summaries were combined with a guideline of process steps and a
collection of useful tools into a handbook specifically designed to ease
transition to a more community-managed national forest.
To initiate the collaborative efforts, the team facilitated a workshop
between Forest Service personnel and board members of a key community
organization (Los Padres Forest Association) to discuss each party’s goals for
collaboration, assess available resources, and develop a plan of action for
further integration of the public into the management of Los Padres.
As the most appropriate convener of collaborative efforts concerning the
forest, Los Padres Forest Association will take ownership of the handbook and
begin introducing it to various community organizations with an interest in
forest management issues.
