Adaptive Management: Compass and, Gyroscope Need Fine Tuning

One of the central tools for developing actions to conserve and restore Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead habitat and landscapes is adaptive management. Since 1982, adaptive management has been a key feature of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program. The scientific compass shows directions for the public gyroscope to choose. Landscape conservation and restoration is much more complex than projects attempted to date and requires broader socioeconomic and biophysical scientific knowledge. Landscape conservation also needs fine tuning of the gyroscope to meet societal goals through adaptive management experiments. Compass and gyroscope together—science with sovereign and public participation has greater probability for success when attention is paid to strong leadership and a clear vision to test new directions. In addition, physical, biological, and socioeconomic landscape complexity, integrative sovereign and stakeholder partnerships and scientific collaborations, and active education of land users and managers about appropriate actions are needed to address the interacting goals in this multi-user, multi-objective, complex adaptive system.