Toward a model for local stakeholder participation in landscape-level wildlife conservation

Abstract

The conservation community is increasingly taking a landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation. This approach faces obstacles, including how to ensure transboundary wildlife conservation goals that can be realized through local management actions, and how and when to engage local stakeholders in landscape conservation planning processes. Currently, local stakeholder participation is not institutionalized within these processes. This paper examines the potential role of local stakeholders in landscape conservation. In this paper, we present a preliminary model of cross-level coordination that could facilitate development and implementation of conservation across social–ecological landscapes, highlighting the possible contributions of local stakeholders. The feasibility of this model is contingent on addressing a range of challenges associated with local stakeholder participation in extra-local conservation decisions. Ultimately, we present suggestions for future research examining the potential for a locally inclusive, participatory approach to wildlife conservation across complex landscapes.