Motivations for ecostewardship partnerships: Examples from the Adirondack Park

Ecostewardship partnerships are initiatives to manage natural resources where no single entity has the jurisdiction and the capacity to do so on its own. The ways in which place-based considerations and different motivations for participation shape the prospects for forming productive partnerships is demonstrated using examples from New York State’s Adirondack Park. Two basic motivations, each with different implications for the formulation and implementation of ecostewardship partnerships, are identified. Capacity-driven participants use partnerships to compensate for deficient internal resources. Commitment-driven participants use partnerships for activities feasible only through collaboration.