Finding Common Ground
Washington state is where collaborative governance on natural resources began in the early 1970s, with a groundbreaking agreement to resolve conflicts over flood control on the Snoqualmie River. As the new field grew, it helped to resolve a key civil rights struggle over tribal fishing rights in Washington known as the “Fish Wars,” which came to a head in a landmark legal case referred to as the Boldt Decision. After the US Supreme Court upheld the Boldt Decision’s recognition of tribal treaty rights, the parties eventually turned to collaborative governance to resolve their conflict, and the resulting state/tribal co-management of salmon and steelhead persists to this day. Since then, collaborative approaches in Washington have led to many groundbreaking outcomes, greatly influencing the rest of the nation over a 50-year history.
The Curriculum:
While conflicts over who controls Washington State’s natural resources dominate the media coverage, the collaborative approach that comes after these conflicts is just as interesting to follow. In the early 1970s, collaborative governance on natural resources began in Washington State. The “fish wars” of the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in the Boldt Decision, reaffirmed tribal treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. Since this time, the parties have turned to collaborative management and governance for natural resources management.
In this lesson, students will examine different ways that tribal nations, the Washington State government, environmentalists, and farmers and ranchers have come together to navigate conflict, understand interdependencies, and build relationships.
Essential Questions
- How does collaborative management lead to positive outcomes?
- What are some of the challenges of collaborative leadership?
- What are the benefits of engaging in conflict resolution?
