title: Resolving conflict and building cooperation in the National Estuary program.
abstract: Since its beginning in 1987, researchers and policymakers have touted the US Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary program (NEP) as one of the leading examples of collaborative institutions designed to resolve conflict and build cooperation at the watershed level. Using the NEP as an example, I summarize the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative institutions. Using data gathered from focused surveys of policy elites in 22 estuaries, I estimate statistical models that show the NEP does a better job of resolving conflict and building project-level cooperation than similar estuaries without the NEP. I also describe the activities of the NEP mentioned by respondents as contributing to this outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Aven, Davis, California 95616, USA. mnlubell@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lubell
mesh_terms: D016265:Conflict of Interest; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D011340:Problem Solving; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency; D014881:Water Supply