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Citizen Science And Natural Resource Governance: Applying A Resilience Framework To Vernal Pool Policy Innovation, Bridie Mcgreavy, Aram J K Calhoun, Jessica Spelke Jansujwicz, Vanessa Levesque

Publications

Effective natural resource policy depends on knowing what is needed to sustain a resource and building the capacity to identify, develop, and implement flexible policies. This retrospective case study applies resilience concepts to a 16-year citizen science program and vernal pool regulatory development process in Maine, USA. We describe how citizen science improved adaptive capacities for innovative and effective policies to regulate vernal pools. We identified two core program elements that allowed people to act within narrow windows of opportunity for policy transformation, including (1) the simultaneous generation of useful, credible scientific knowledge and construction of networks among diverse institutions, …