Abstract: This article argues for the possibility to have successful collaboration in ecosystem management that integrates social and ecological factors. It identifies eight important contributing factors:

1. Integrated and balanced goals: social, economic, and ecological goals must all be considered and must all receive benefits through the conservation plan.
2. Inclusive public involvement: stakeholders from all sides of the debate must be involved, regardless of their overall power or influence.
3. Stakeholder influence: input from stakeholders must actually be taken into account and utilized in project design and management.
4. Consensus group approach: consensus is an important tool for creating balance in decision-making.
5. Collaborative stewardship: stakeholders from varied parties must have a sense of ownership and long-term commitment to the project.
6. Monitoring and adaptive management: monitoring and remedial actions hold stakeholders accountable.
7. Multidisciplinary data: ecological, social, and economic issues must all be represented in research and data collection.
8. Economic incentives: financial support is key to long-term success, and the equitable distribution of economic incentives is crucial.

The article goes on to examine four case studies that exhibit the role these factors play in successful conservation projects. The case studies include the Malpai Borderlands Group in Southern Arizona and New Mexico, and the Desert Tortoise Wildlife Management Area, Logan Canyon’s efforts to protect Maguire’s Primrose, and the Moab Sand Flats, all in Utah.

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