Scientists, researchers, land managers, environmental and citizen groups, and policy makers from across the political spectrum have in recent years embraced the concept of "ecosystem management." And while the dialogue often becomes mired in questions of definition -- just what is ecosystem management, and what are its goals -- people throughout the country have actively begun to take an ecosystem approach to resource management. It is becoming increasingly apparent that only by learning through experience will the theoretical and conceptual issues of the debate be resolved.Ecosystem Management in the United States is the first practical and comprehensive guide to ecosystem management efforts nationwide that meets the needs of practitioners and decisionmakers alike. The book provides: conclusions about the aggregate experience at 105 representative ecosystem management sites two-page descriptions of each of the 105 sites: the projects and project areas, the stresses that are evident on site, and the strategies employed to deal with them an assessment of the status of each effort, including factors that are facilitating and constraining progress contact information for follow-up summary information including maps and lists of projects by state and region, date of origin, land ownership patterns, and size matrixes arraying projects by features such as outcomes, stresses, and organizations involved The book is a unique and timely resource that significantly advances our understanding of the realities of ecosystem management by moving the debate from vague discussions of theory to an examination of real issues faced by people who are actually working with ecosystem-based approaches. It is an invaluable reference for everyone involved with land management or protection.
Steven L. Yaffee is Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Michigan. He has worked for more than forty years on federal endangered species, public lands and ecosystem management policy and is the author or coauthor of four books: Prohibitive Policy: Implementing the Federal Endangered Species Act (MIT Press 1982); The Wisdom of the Spotted Owl: Policy Lessons for a New Century (Island Press 1994); Ecosystem Management in the United States: An Assessment of Current Experience (Island Press 1996); and Making Collaboration Work: Lessons from Innovation in Natural Resources Management (Island Press 2000). A native of Washington, DC, he spent his youth hearing stories about public policy and politics while experiencing firsthand the loss of native habitat associated with urban sprawl; ultimately, that led to an interest in improving the process of decision making so that more environmentally sound decisions can be made. He has facilitated numerous collaborative processes across North America, and assisted a set of philanthropic foundations with ways to develop evaluation metrics for their conservation programs. He is currently working on a new book detailing the history and lessons of the California marine protected areas designation process. Dr. Yaffee received his PhD in environmental policy and planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His undergraduate and master’s degrees are
