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Last updated: 04/12/2010
Natural resource agencies make decisions involving public resources in which the public, by definition, have a stake. These resources are often finite. Thus, different viewpoints, interests, or beliefs may conflict when parties are perceived to be interdependent or one party is perceived to block or oppose other parties? use of a scarce resource. These conflicts may occur regardless of whether there are any real differences between the parties or whether one party?s actions actually affect the other (Thomas 1992; Robbins 1994; Appelbaum et al. 1999). Conflicts are defined here as ?a process of social interaction involving a struggle over claims to resources, power and status, beliefs, and other preferences and desires (Appelbaum et al. 1999 ,63). Such conflicts can occur at multiple stages or levels of decision making and can be embedded within other conflicts.
This paper is available in full text and PDF format through the USGS Fort Collins Science Center website.
Burkardt, N., E. Ruell, and D.R. Clark. 2010. Resolving Disputes over Science in Natural Resource Agency Decisionmaking. Denver, CO: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Services Center Technical Memorandum 86-68211-10-01. 58 p.