Open AccessThe evolution of the rangeland trusts network as a catalyst for community‐based conservation in the American West
Author(s) -
Bennett Drew E.,
Knapp Corrine N.,
Knight Richard L.,
Glenn Erik
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
conservation science and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2578-4854
DOI - 10.1111/csp2.257
Subject(s) - easement , business , environmental resource management , public good , scale (ratio) , corporate governance , rangeland , environmental planning , political science , economics , geography , agroforestry , finance , cartography , law , microeconomics , biology
Ranching communities in 10 Western states self‐organized to create conservation organizations affiliated with state livestock associations and supporting conservation efforts compatible with agricultural production. These “rangeland trusts” collectively conserve over 2.7 million acres through conservation easements. We identify these efforts as a type of community‐based conservation based on the collective nature of the efforts and the balance between community needs and conservation. They differ from traditional CBC efforts with ties to industry groups and a focus on private lands that provide public goods. A coalition of rangeland trusts formed in 2006, leading to a form of multilevel governance that establishes operating principles and actively advocates for ranch land conservation. We suggest that existing industry structures can assist to scale out conservation, bridging organizations can facilitate novel interactions and policy change, and tensions on the meaning and implementation of conservation must be navigated at each scale of interaction.