Constraints to Watershed Planning: Group Structure and Process1 |
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| Authors: | Kristin Floress Jean C Mangun Mae A Davenport Karl WJ Williard |
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| Institution: | 1. Respectively, Assistant Professor (Floress), College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin;2. Professor and Chair (Mangun), Department of Environmental Studies, Siena College, Loudonville, New York;3. Assistant Professor (Davenport), Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota;4. Associate Professor (Williard), Department of Forestry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois. |
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| Abstract: | Floress, Kristin, Jean C. Mangun, Mae A. Davenport, and Karl W.J. Williard, 2009. Constraints to Watershed Planning: Group Structure and Process. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1352‐1360. Abstract: The roles that agencies and other partners play in collaborative watershed management are not always clearly identified. Key factors contributing to group‐level outcomes in watershed groups include both structural and procedural elements. Structural elements include membership systems, project partners, and funding, while procedural elements include leadership, shared vision, and mission development. The current research reports on a case study conducted with a Midwestern watershed group that received Clean Water Act Section 319 funds to undertake a watershed planning process. Data come from focus groups, interviews, public comments, and meeting observation, and were analyzed using grounded theory. Findings of this study indicate that homogenous skill set, discord over group and partner roles, and failed problem identification contributed to the organizational inertia experienced by the watershed group. Implications of this research for groups receiving 319 funds are provided. |
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| Keywords: | public participation planning watershed management Clean Water Act Section 319 collaboration |
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