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. 0:00 - 2:29 Introduction 2:30 - 9:38 The History 9:39 - 14:36 Birth of Co-management in the state 14:37 - 16:17 Alternative Dispute Resolution 16:18 - 20:10 Growth of Dispute Resolution 20:11 - 24:21 Northwest Renewable Resource Center 24:22 - 31:43 Nisqually Watershed and the Centennial Accord 31:44 - 36:26 Puyallup Accord Settlement 36:27 - 40:59 Salmon Recovery 41:00 - 46:29 Water in Eastern Washington and Walla Walla 2050 46:30 - 50:40 Getting a successful partnership in Yakima 50:41 - 53:40 Reflecting on a success 53:46 - 55:00 Credits

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.

0:00 - 2:29 Introduction
2:30 - 9:38 The History
9:39 - 14:36 Birth of Co-management in the state
14:37 - 16:17 Alternative Dispute Resolution
16:18 - 20:10 Growth of Dispute Resolution
20:11 - 24:21 Northwest Renewable Resource Center
24:22 - 31:43 Nisqually Watershed and the Centennial Accord
31:44 - 36:26 Puyallup Accord Settlement
36:27 - 40:59 Salmon Recovery
41:00 - 46:29 Water in Eastern Washington and Walla Walla 2050
46:30 - 50:40 Getting a successful partnership in Yakima
50:41 - 53:40 Reflecting on a success
53:46 - 55:00 Credits

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YouTube Video jneNO-gCWi0
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Overview:

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.

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?

Objectives

  1. Understand the viewpoints of different stakeholders
  2. Understand how collaborative governance benefits all parties
  3. Explain how collaboration can be applied to challenges
Education Standards
  1. Middle School
    1. C2.6-8. 4 Use knowledge of the function of government to analyze and address a political issue.
    2. C4.6-8.3 Employ strategies for civic involvement that address a state or local issue.
  2. High School
    1. C2.11-12.1 Analyze citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national and/or international level.
    2. C4.11-12.2 Analyze and evaluate ways of influencing local, state, and national governments and international organizations to establish or preserve individual rights and/or promote the common good.
Lesson Plan Notes

In two to three class periods, students will first identify an issue that they are concerned with, then they will discover which legislators are working on that issue, what those legislators are doing about this issue, and how students can have their voice heard. This lesson can be teacher led as a whole class, or assigned as an independent supplementary project. 

Teacher Resources