Foundations of Cross-Boundary Cooperation: Resource Management at the Public–Private Interface

Abstract

Cooperation across ownership boundaries is critical to most conservation efforts in mixed-ownership landscapes. Where owner objectives vary widely, as at public–private land ownership boundaries, cooperation can be especially challenging. This research explores the opportunities and challenges for cooperative fire management among public and private forest managers in the John Day Valley of eastern Oregon, an arid and fire-dependent region dominated by large federal ownerships and private ranches. Data were derived from indepth interviews with public and private land managers, ranchers, forest industry representatives, environmental activists, community leaders, and others. Through a process of theoretical coding, five themes affecting cross-boundary cooperation were identified: land tenure, power, ideology, uncertainty, and trust. These themes illuminate the complexity involved in cross-boundary cooperation.