Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive ...

<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Third</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Invasive SpartinaChapter 4: Spartina Control and Managementequipment breaks down, and tempers fray. In Willapa Bay,<strong>the</strong> social and political dynamics among agency staff andstakeholders were as challenging as <strong>the</strong> physical tests.Natural resource pr<strong>of</strong>essionals should remember to keepperspective and understand why <strong>the</strong> affected stakeholdersget very angry at times. In <strong>the</strong> Willapa Bay area, manypeople rely on <strong>the</strong> resources <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bay for <strong>the</strong>ir livelihood.Their jobs and lifestyle are in jeopardy. Even if noteconomically tied to <strong>the</strong> Bay, many o<strong>the</strong>rs feel very deepaffection for <strong>the</strong>ir surroundings. Large amounts <strong>of</strong> publicmoney were being expended, yet, year after year, Spartinaspread and no progress was evident. It is no wonder thatmeetings <strong>of</strong>ten became contentious. In my view, agencystaff <strong>of</strong>ten reacted as if <strong>the</strong> criticisms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> program werepersonal affronts. Ra<strong>the</strong>r than acknowledging <strong>the</strong> reasons forfrustration and <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> re-evaluation in light <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>slow progress, <strong>the</strong>y decided to reduce <strong>the</strong>ir exposure to localstakeholders. The heightened sensitivity to criticismdisplayed by state agency staff involved in <strong>the</strong> WillapaSpartina program became an obstacle that prevented seriousevaluation and program improvement. If <strong>the</strong> agencies hadtaken an attitude that welcomed criticism as a means to seekprogram improvements, <strong>the</strong> agencies would have gone along way to enlist public support and confidence. Becausemany <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> agency staff asked to manage this complicatedprogram were relatively young and inexperienced, it isunderstandable that <strong>the</strong>ir public relations skills wereinadequate. Less understandable was <strong>the</strong> disinterestdisplayed by <strong>the</strong>ir supervisors in requiring conduct thatwould improve relations with local constituents. It appearedthat <strong>the</strong> distrust <strong>of</strong> government decision-making commonamong citizens was met by its mirror image within agencies:a distaste felt by agency employees for public involvementin decision-making.For better or worse, natural resource issues do belong toeveryone. Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who choose this line <strong>of</strong> work shouldaccept that <strong>the</strong> people most affected by <strong>the</strong> success or failure<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir work will want to have a voice in decision-making.An attitude <strong>of</strong> intolerance towards criticism will only invitemore criticism. When <strong>the</strong> results visible on <strong>the</strong> ground areextremely unsatisfactory, little else counts for much. Soulsearching and healthy criticism are helpful after all. Themission to succeed should outweigh all petty resentments. In<strong>the</strong> end, <strong>the</strong>re is no choice but to work toge<strong>the</strong>r.- 233 -