The Tapash Sustainable Forestry Collaborative: A Case Study on the Impact of Organizational Structure and Trust in Adaptive Governance

Collaborative planning is increasingly common in the context of natural resource management in the United States. However, there is no universal way to organize collaborative groups, and, subsequently, collaborative structures vary from collaborative group to collaborative group. In order to contribute to the growing knowledge base about the implications of different collaborative structures, we conducted a case study of the Tapash Sustainable Forestry Collaborative, a group located in Washington State that is focused on forest restoration. By analyzing interviews and archival data, we documented the organizational structure of the collaborative group and explored the outcomes of that structure in terms of trust and relationship. We illustrate how the structure of the Tapash Sustainable Forestry Collaborative led to both positive and negative outcomes and additionally describe the steps the group took to address the negative outcomes. Our findings will be useful for anyone considering how to structure their own collaborative group. It can also serve to as an example for scholars interested in the characteristics that support successful collaborative natural resource planning and management. Additionally, the case study provides readers with a background information about several content areas including public participation in forest plan and management, national-level legislation related to forest planning and management, trust and trust repair, adaptive governance, and adaptive management.