Collaboration: A Catalyst for Restoration

Abstract

The Joseph Creek watershed, in remote and rural Wallowa County, Oregon, begins in the rolling hill country north of the county’s main agricultural valley before dropping through deeply dissected canyon terrain on its way to the Grande Ronde River. Once an important fishing site for the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce, and later the setting for extensive homesteading, agricultural development, livestock grazing, and commercial logging operations by Euro-American settlers and their descendants, Joseph Creek today is the site of innovation in community-based ecological restoration. This chapter describes how rural community members responded to sudden changes in their ability to access and benefit from local lands by taking a lead role ingathering information about, and setting priorities for, ecological restoration needs. Doing so required extensive collaboration across traditional jurisdictional boundaries as well as across traditionally adversarial interests. The case of the Upper Joseph Creek Watershed Assessment demonstrates that national interests in ecological restoration can be constructively met through the active engagement of people at the local level. Aligning restoration goals with local benefits helped to foster community engagement, creative problem solving, and sustained interest and dedication in achieving restoration outcomes.