Achieving Integrative, Collaborative Ecosystem Management HEATHER L. KEOUGH ∗ AND DALE J. BLAHNA† ∗ Department of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Science, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322–5215, U.S.A., email heatherkeough@hotmail.com †Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322–5215, U.S.A. Abstract: Although numerous principles have been identified as being important for successfully integrating social and ecological factors in collaborative management, few authors have illustrated how these principles are used and why they are effective. On the basis of a review of the ecosystem management and collaboration liter- ature, we identified eight factors important for integrative, collaborative ecosystem management—integrated and balanced goals, inclusive public involvement, stakeholder influence, consensus group approach, collabora- tive stewardship, monitoring and adaptive management, multidisciplinary data, and economic incentives.We examined four cases of successful ecosystem management to illustrate how the factors were incorporated and discuss the role they played in each case’s success. The cases illustrate that balancing social and ecosystem sustainability goals is possible. Collaborative efforts resulted in part from factors aimed at making plans eco- nomically feasible and from meaningful stakeholder participation in ongoing management. It also required participation in monitoring programs to ensure stakeholder interests were protected and management efforts were focused on agreed-upon goals. Data collection efforts were not all-inclusive and systematic; rather, they addressed the ecological, economic, and social aspects of key issues as they emerged over time. Economic considerations appear to be broader than simply providing economic incentives; stakeholders seem willing to trade some economic value for recreational or environmental benefits. The cases demonstrate that it is not idealistic to believe integrative, collaborative ecosystem management is possible in field applications. Keywords: social and ecological benefits, collaborative decision making, public involvement, stewardship Logrando la Gesti´ on Integradora y Cooperativa de Ecosistemas Resumen: Aunque numerosos principios han sido identificados como importantes para la integraci´ on exi- tosa de factores sociales y ecol´ ogicos en la gesti´ on cooperativa, pocos autores han ilustrado como son utilizados estos principios y porque son efectivos. Con base en una revisi´ on de la literatura sobre gesti´ on de ecosistemas y colaboraci´ on, identificamos cinco factores—metas integradas y balanceadas, inclusive participaci´ on p´ ublica, influencia de grupos de inter´ es, estrategia de consenso en el grupo, gesti´ on cooperativa, gesti´ on adaptativa y monitoreo, datos multidisciplinarios e incentivos econ´ omicos—que son importantes para la gesti´ on in- tegradora y cooperativa de ecosistemas. Examinamos cuatro casos de gesti´ on exitosa de ecosistemas para ilustrar como fueron incorporados los factores y discutimos el papel que jugaron en el ´ exito de cada caso. Los casos ilustran que el balance de metas de sustentabilidad social y ecol´ ogica es posible. En parte, los esfuerzos cooperativos resultaron de factores orientados a hacer que los planes fueran econ´ omicamente viables y de la participaci´ on significativa de grupos de inter´ es en la gesti´ on en curso. Tambi´ en se requiri´ o la participaci´ on en programas de monitoreo para asegurar que los intereses de los grupos fueran protegidos y los esfuerzos de gesti´ on se enfocaran en las metas acordadas. No todos los esfuerzos de recolecta de datos fueron incluyentes y sistem´ aticos, m´ as bien, eran dirigidos a los aspectos ecol´ ogicos, econ´ omicos y sociales de temas clave a medida que emerg´ ıan. Las consideraciones econ´ omicas parecen ser m´ as amplias que simplemente proporcionar incen- tivos econ´ omicos, los grupos de inter´ es parecen dispuestos a cambiar algo de valor econ´ omico por beneficios Paper submitted July 21, 2005; revised manuscript accepted November 30, 2005. 1373 Conservation Biology Volume 20, No. 5, 1373–1382 C 2006 Society for Conservation Biology DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00445.x