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School of Marine Affairs > Research > Program on Ocean Governance (POG) > Seminar on US Ocean Governance > Principles of Ecosystem Management and Marine Area Governance

Principles of Ecosystem Management and Marine Area Governance

Thomas M. Leschine
Associate Professor, School of Marine Affairs, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Fisheries
University of Washington

The Problem

• Bringing a more ecosystem-oriented approach to marine area governance remains an elusive goal.
• The diminished presence of the U.S. coastal management program has left a legacy of local and regional management institutions that rely on permitting and enforcement as principal management tools.
• A result is management that--
  • is reactive rather than proactive;
  • places little emphasis on environmental monitoring and other means to improve understanding of human impacts on marine systems;
  • has little sense of the overall environmental worth of individual actions;
  • is seen by the public as burdensome rather than an opportunity to promote sustainability or other community values through marine resource policies.

Findings from Recent Studies

• Studies of marine area and watershed management governance reveal instances where quasi-governmental, public-private partnership, or volunteer organizations at local or regional levels appear capable of avoiding many of the above problems.
• Successful institutions show characteristics identified in "government reinvention" studies, notably entrepreneurial rather than bureaucratic approaches to problem solving.
• The ability of these institutions to avoid the difficulties of their more traditional cousins varies, but the availability of competitive grants (e.g., for salmon recovery) seems to catalyze activity.
• Examples of note include river basin and watershed management councils (e.g., Cedar River Council, Skagit Watershed Council, Chehalis Basin Partnership) and marine resources committees (Island County Marine Resources Committee).

Recommendation

• The Congress could act to extend the Murray-Metcalf model to other marine regions, and also create a companion competitive funding mechanism that similarly operates at regional scales, but extends coverage across the nation.

Additional Background

Bipartisan legislation jointly sponsored by U.S. Senator Patty Murray and U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf led in 1998 to the creation of the Murray-Metcalf Northwest Straits Citizen Advisory Commission. Seven companion citizen advisory groups were also created, the marine resources committees. While the coverage of this system is limited to Northern Puget Sound, the overall approach emphasizes both citizen-initiated action and an integrative ecosystem view of this important marine region over its traditional jurisdictional boundaries. The marine resources committees are more local in their orientations than the Northwest Straits Commission.

The Washington State Legislature created the Salmon Recovery Funding (SRF) Board in 1999 to assist in dealing with the impacts of salmonid listings under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Non-profit organizations, cities, counties, tribal governments, private landowners, conservation districts, state agencies (if partnering with an eligible entity) and special purpose districts (such as water, sewer, and flood control districts) all are eligible for funding from the Board. Because the SRF Board only considers projects recommended by citizen-based watershed committees established in accordance with state law (RCW 70.46), that is, on a single, prioritized habitat project list, a strong spirit of competitiveness has emerged among those vying for funding.

One result of the active engagement of citizens through the Northern Puget Sound marine resources committees has been that the basis for funding projects through the SRF has been broadened to include estuarine/nearshore marine systems as well as salmon-bearing streams. In Washington State these mechanisms emerged independently, one a federal initiative, the other state-driven. The interrelations between the two evolved independently as well.

Sources

http://www.islandcountymrc.org/About.htm (accessed 11/7/01)
http://www.salmoninfo.org/funding/fundfaq.htm (accessed 11/7/01)

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