Estuary ecosystem restoration: implementing and institutionalizing adaptive management
Open accessAbstract
We implemented and institutionalized an adaptive management (AM) process for the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program, which is a large‐scale restoration program focused on improving ecosystem conditions in the 234‐km lower Columbia River and estuary. For our purpose, “institutionalized” means the AM process and restoration programs are embedded in the work flow of the implementing agencies and affected parties. While plans outlining frameworks, processes, or approaches to AM of ecosystem restoration programs are commonplace, their establishment for the long‐term is not. This article presents the basic AM process and explains how AM was implemented and institutionalized. Starting with a common goal, we pursued a well‐understood governance and decision‐making structure, routine coordination and communication activities, data and information sharing, commitment from partners and upper agency management to the AM process, and meaningful cooperation among program managers and partners. The overall approach and steps to implement and institutionalize AM for ecosystem restoration explained here are applicable to situations in which it has been incomplete or, as in our case, the restoration program is just getting started.
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Time lags may impose limits on management control of the system, which need to be addressed by long-term monitoring within adaptive management or structured decision-making frameworks.
“Time lags may impose limits on management control of the system, which need to be addressed by long-term monitoring within adaptive management or structured decision-making frameworks (WebTable 3; Neckles et al. 2015; Ebberts et al. 2017).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Ebberts et al. 2017
The Components section describes monitoring over multiple years and using the results to adjust decisions within an adaptive-management process; the Results section says comprehensive evaluation occurs every 4–5 years to allow enough new data to accumulate. The copy does not say that time lags limit management control, or discuss structured decision-making as an alternative framework. Page numbers were not available in the indexed passages. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAs changes occur, continuing ecosystem management may be more or less active and adaptive according to the decision framework and depending on the results of monitoring.
“As changes occur, continuing ecosystem management may be more or less active and adaptive according to the decision framework and depending on the results of monitoring (WebTable 3; Neckles et al. 2015; Ebberts et al. 2017).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Ebberts et al. 2017
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- Authors
- Ebberts, B. D., Zelinsky, B. D., Karnezis, J. P., Studebaker, C. A., Lopez‐Johnston, S., Creason, A. M., Krasnow, L., Johnson, G. E., & Thom, R. M.
- Affiliations
- United States Army Corps of Engineers (US)
- Bonneville Power Administration (US)
- Fish and Wildlife Division, Bonneville Power Administration, 905 NE 11th Avenue Portland OR 97208 U.S.A.
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Johnson, Gary E.
- ORCID
- Thom, Ronald M.
- Venue
- Restoration Ecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-08-25
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 360-369
- ISSN
- 1061-2971 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-100X
- OpenAlex
- W2750513690
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 5.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Restoration Ecology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Bonneville Power Administration
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Coastal and Marine Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Keywords
- adaptive management, Columbia River estuary, institutionalization, decision-making structures, inter-agency coordination, stakeholder collaboration, large-scale restoration
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