Using best available science to protect critical areas in Washington state: challenges and barriers to planners

Mills, April; Francis, Tessa B.; Shandas, Vivek; Whittaker, Kara A.; Graybill, Jessica K.

doi:10.1007/s11252-008-0071-x

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Natural areas with high conservation value or are critically endangered can be proactively identified and protected by zoning and related legal instruments (Mills et al 2009;Freeman and Bell 2011). Habitats with significant indigenous vegetation and wildlife should receive special protection (Breuste 2004).…”

Section: Protecting Nature-in-city Assetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable urban greening strategies for compact cities in developing and developed economies

Jim

2012

Urban Ecosyst

210

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Urban greening contributes notably to quality of life and ecosystem services in cities. Compact cities in developing and developed countries are commonly beset by greenspace deficit. Based on literature review supplemented by field studies in different cities, a sustainable urban greening strategy is proposed. Urban renewal and new developments without a greening vision could miss the opportunities to bring relief. The public and private sectors can join hands to insert plantable spaces into the urban fabric. Urban greenspaces (UGS) with good connectivity forming a green network to permeate the city constitute the hallmarks of a naturalistic design. Preservation and creation of natural areas with rich biodiversity offer a new dimension to UGS design. Greening benefits could be expressed in economic terms to complement conventional ecological-environmental emphasis. Outstanding trees could receive high-order conservation efforts, and trees in construction sites warrant enhanced protection. Tree transplanting demands an overhaul in concepts and skills. Improving roadside tree planting and maintenance offers a cost-effective way to upgrade the townscape. Ameliorating widespread soil limitations could remove a major hindrance to tree growth. Innovative ideas of development right transfer, street pedestrianization, river and canal revitalization, green roofs and green walls could mobilize hitherto underused plantable resources. Lacking appropriate institutional setup and scientific capability pose intractable bottlenecks. Innovative public policies and greening technologies are needed for sustained improvements. Amalgamating natural and social sciences in a multidisciplinary approach and reinforcing the link between science and public policies could overhaul greening.

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Section: Protecting Nature-in-city Assetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable urban greening strategies for compact cities in developing and developed economies

Jim

2012

Urban Ecosyst

210

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“…Given the abundance of literature devoted to understanding and defining policy directives such as the standard of best available science (Bisbal ; Meyer ; Mills et al . ; Ryder et al . ; Sullivan et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The standard of best available science , which seeks to accomplish the objective use of the best‐known scientific and biological information to inform policy and implementation decisions, is ambiguous (Bisbal ; Meyer ; Mills et al . ; Ryder et al . ; Sullivan et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Science‐Natural Resource Policy Relationship: How Aspects of Diffusion Theory Explain Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions

2013

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This study extends a previous project which examined the salience of neo-institutional theory in explaining how data are selected for use in making and implementing biodiversity management decisions. Our prior findings prompted us to examine the selection of data from federal, state or local, and nongovernmental sources using aspects of diffusion theory. We argue that diffusion theory also possesses explanatory value regarding the identification and selection of data within a natural resource agency. We empirically test our theory by analyzing original data collected from a 2007 survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field offices. We find that drivers of diffusion identified by previous research are explanatory of how data are selected. Specifically, perceptions of other field offices' data selection procedures and collaboration with interest or advocacy groups aid in explaining field office data selection. The results enhance our understanding of the science-natural resource policy relationship.

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“…A major contribution of this research to the literature on natural resource policy and administration as well as the standard of best available science is the empirical confirmation of institutional factors heavily informing the dataselection process. There is a tremendous ongoing discussion of best available science in the scholarly literature (Bisbal, 2002;Francis et al, 2005; M. W. Meyer, 1998;Mills et al, 2009;Ryder et al, 2010;Sullivan et al, 2006). However, this study sought an alternative explanation of the identification and selection of best available science.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions

Gerlach

Williams

Forcina

2012

Administration & Society

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Best available science has long been the standard for using science to inform environmental and natural resource policy. This study examines the selection of data from federal, state or local, and nongovernmental sources for use in making ground-level natural resource policy, or biodiversity management decisions. The authors argue that aspects of neo-institutional theory are explanatory of data selection within a natural resource agency. They empirically test their theory by analyzing original data collected from a 2007 survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field offices, which attained a response rate of 36.6% (204 of 557 field offices). The authors find that data selection cannot merely be explained by the discussion of best available science. Rather, neo-institutional theory tenets of normative isomorphism and path dependency are explanatory of how science is selected for use in Article 214Administration & Society 45(2) making biodiversity management decisions. However, coercive isomorphism does not possess the same explanatory ability with regard to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field office data selection.

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Using best available science to protect critical areas in Washington state: challenges and barriers to planners

Cited by 9 publications

References 50 publications

Sustainable urban greening strategies for compact cities in developing and developed economies

Sustainable urban greening strategies for compact cities in developing and developed economies

The Science‐Natural Resource Policy Relationship: How Aspects of Diffusion Theory Explain Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions

Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions

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