Co-management in action: The Porcupine Caribou Management Board

Abstract

The Porcupine Caribou Management Board is typical of co-management boards in northern Ca­ nada. It is composed of 8 members representing governments and user groups plus a chairman and secretari­ at who are officers of the Board. The main function of this Board is to permit significant input from user communities to the management of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. To do so, the Board develops recommen­ dations for management of the herd wich are provided primarily to the territorial Ministers of Renewable Resources. The success of the Board's operation over the past 5 years is due to many factors including astute chairmen, enlightened bureaucrats, dedicated user representatives and a dilligent secretariat. Together this group has excelled in communication with the user communities, development of a relevant management plan plus a variety of other projects aimed at increasing user involvement with the system. So far, all this has been accomplished with friendliness and respect among members and their constituents and the full support of government funding parties. Much of this is due to the Board's style of operation which sincerely at­ tempts to blend native and bureaucratic approaches to decision making.