Collaboration, Legitimacy, and Awareness in Puget Sound MPAs

Abstract

Previous studies suggest that collaboration between management agencies and the public has the potential to increase public approval of marine protected areas (MPAs). A social survey was conducted in seven communities near Puget Sound MPAs to (1) measure the degree of perceived collaboration between government agencies and the public at each site, (2) identify factors related to agency–public collaboration, and (3) test whether government agency–public collaboration is related to increased process legitimacy. Results show that two independent variables: (a) whether resource users perceived that adequate information was used and (b) whether all views were taken into consideration are key factors explaining variance in perceived collaboration across MPA sites. Both were significantly correlated with perceived collaboration with Spearman rho rank-order correlations of 0.56 and 0.64, respectively (p < .05). Perceptions of collaboration are also significantly correlated with a measure of process legitimacy. Perceived collaboration is shown to account for 33.1% of the variance in process legitimacy, and process legitimacy is shown to mediate the relationship between perceived collaboration and public support.

Keywords:

• collaboration
• legitimacy
• MPAs
• Puget Sound

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a grant from Washington Sea Grant, University of Washington, pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA070AR4170007, Project E/ES-12. A Ragan Fellowship from the UW Friday Harbor Labs also funded fieldwork in the San Juan Island. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA, any of its sub-agencies, or the Friday Harbor Labs. Hard and Hoelting share first authorship based on equal contributions to this research.

Notes

1. Except geoduck, which is co-managed between the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the local treaty tribes.