ABSTRACT
Planners and public decision makers need to better engage resource-based industries in local environmental planning processes by articulating the benefits of participation for the corporations themselves. First, participation in collaborative ecosystem management offers an attractive alternative to command-and-control style government regulation and could reduce the need for strict regulatory controls in the long run. Second, participation in collaborative ecosystem management and other sustainability projects can result in a positive public image and indirect financial gain over the long term. Third, involvement in collaborative ecosystem management projects may provide a strategic opportunity to develop partnerships with other stakeholders. Finally, the formation of partnerships creates the possibility of information sharing, data collection, and technical assistance. Collaborating with outside parties often entails an exchange of information and data relevant to managing natural resources. Local comprehensive planning is intended to serve as a proactive policy-making process where communities lay out their vision of development patterns and conservation initiatives well into the future.
