ABSTRACT
Conservation experiences worldwide show that bioregional management approaches can encourage local communities and institutions to improve the sustainability of natural resource management practices. However, numerous obstacles frequently limit the effective participation of local interests in bioregional management. Most of these obstacles fall into one of three categories: a lack of institutional co-operation and political will from centralized institutions and a lack of authority, tenure, or incentives for local communities and institutions. It also include a lack of financial, human, and institutional capacity, especially at a local level. Local communities and decision makers everywhere, however, face obstacles that limit their ability to act as responsible stewards of ecosystems and their biological wealth. Implementing more sustainable natural resource management practices frequently means local people must incur short-term costs in the hope of generating longer-term benefits. Local participation in an effective bioregional approach to conservation cannot be forced or bought.
