ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the findings from the fields of institutional analysis, policy development, collaborative governance, and policy transplantation to identify the similarities and differences between the national forest and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that are most likely to affect policy transfer and lesson-learning between these two public spaces. A range of different, but related, policy approaches are available to draw from as potential prototypes: a common situation within the quasi-laboratory of federalism. There have been a wide variation in forest policies over time and between regions, thus offering a number of prospective models for ocean managers to consider. The chapter looks ahead to determine whether and how these forest policies might be translated to the ocean setting, relying on the policy frameworks. Everyone needs to accept that managing the vast expanse of the U.S. EEZ in a way that benefits current and future generations is as important and complex as any human endeavor.
