Collaboration and the Ecology of Democracy

This Kettering Foundation report explores the features and implications of citizen-driven, multi-party collaboration. Kettering has called the spaces and opportunities where this type of collaboration takes place the "political wetlands." Kemmis and McKinney embrace this ecological metaphor, seeing the emergence of democracy as similar to the self-organizing phenomena that arise in the natural realm. As democracy has evolved and matured over the millennia, it has become more bureaucratic and structured. Toward the end of the 20th century, citizens' desire for a more authentically engaged and constructive kind of involvement has produced new, less structured forms of deliberative and collaborative democracy.Several case studies of collaboration revolving around natural resources and governing public land are provided. In Idaho, for example, the Henry's Fork Watershed Council brings together competing interests -- farmers, ranchers, anglers, outfitters, guides, and environmentalists -- and provides a forum where they can address challenges that arise along the watershed. For nearly two decades, this group of people, who often stand on opposite sides of the political divide, has resolved problems by tapping into the collective intelligence of its members.The authors suggest that such place-based, collaborative initiatives may evolve into new forms of democratic governance

Searching for Sustainable Use of Montana’s Water: A Series of Vignettes

24 pages. Contains references

Nesting Biology of Osmia cornifrons: Implications for Population Management

The Japanese hornfaced bee, Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a palearctic mason bee managed for the pollination of early season fruit crops such as apple and blueberry. Since its adoption as a managed pollinator in Japan during the 1940s, a large body of literature has amassed with the goal of enhancing O. cornifrons management practices. This research makes important contributions to that literature in two ways. First, the research describes the in-nest relationship of O. cornifrons and the cleptoparasitic mite pest Chaetodactylus krombeini. Distribution of male and female O. cornifrons and of C. krombeini was determined using linear and non-linear regression analysis. Results indicated that C. krombeini is more frequently found in the cells of female O. cornifrons and that female O. cornifrons suffer greater mortality than male O. cornifrons due to C. krombeini. Second, the research describes trends in O. cornifrons activity resulting from abiotic factors by utilizing videography techniques. Osmia cornifrons daily activity was measured as the number of trips initiated from the nest every hour. The effects of time of day, temperature, and precipitation on O. cornifrons activity were determined using non-linear regression analysis and correlation analysis. Results of this study showed that O. cornifrons activity is limited days above 13.9 °C without rain, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm. In addition, the videography techniques described in this research provide a new methodology for the study of solitary nesting bees

Bee Natural History, Diversity, and Management in West Virginia

The value of bees as providers of pollination, an incredibly important ecosystem service, is well understood. Since the detection of colony collapse disorder, the concern over the health of both managed and naturally occurring bee populations has been in the limelight, sometimes being discussed nearly as much in popular media as it is in scientific research. While an ideal situation may be the complete recovery of Apis mellifera populations, the causes of colony losses are not fully understood. Therefore, we must also consider our alternative options such as managing areas to better support natural bees and utilizing alternative managed species, such as Osmia cornifrons, in the most effective way possible. The goals of this research were (1) to determine the faunal diversity of bees in West Virginia and to enhance monitoring programs for future survey efforts, and (2) to elucidate some problems that may arise when utilizing those species of bees which are commonly managed as alternative pollinators in West Virginia. The results of this study showed that there are 301 currently recognized bee species within the boundaries of West Virginia, and there are likely many more not yet discovered due to lack of collecting effort in some areas of the state. To achieve independent samples when utilizing pan traps for survey work, a distance of 18 m between traps is necessary. Osmia cornifrons was found to be more sensitive to temperature than many other insects, including other bees, and male bees were found to be at greater risk of parasitism by Monodontomerus spp. then females. This study provides fundamental and useful information for the conservation and management of native and managed bee species in West Virginia

Keynote Address—Rethinking Public Participation: The Case of Public Land Management

I would like to build on many of the previous and ongoing conversations by suggesting that it’s time to rethink our concepts and approaches to public participation—particularly those related to natural resources policy—and more specifically federal public land management

Microhabitat Use by Translocated Wild Turkeys in the Mississippi Delta

Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo silvestris) were extirpated from most of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) by 1980 by overharvest and habitat loss. Federal programs have restored areas of the MAV to hardwood forest, potentially warranting restoring wild turkeys to the MAV. As part of a pilot restoration study, I gathered data on resource use and nest sites from July 2010–August 2011. I observed intraspecific niche specialization and spatial niche separation between genders. Spatiotemporal variation in resource availability and intraspecific competition appear to be factors influencing intraspecific niche specialization. Mature hardwood forest was primary habitat selected by translocated wild turkeys. Hardwood regeneration areas were primary habitat selected by hens for nesting. Visual obstruction from 0.0 m–0.5 m was important in selecting fine-scale nest sites. Hardwood regeneration areas have dual value for restoring wild turkeys to the MAV: future mature hardwood areas; and potential nest sites

Negotiated Rulemaking: Involving Citizens in Public Decisions

Negotiated Rulemaking: Involving Citizens in Public Decision