The Fight for the West: A Political Ecology of Land Use Conflicts

Abstract

S ince World War II migration to western states has increased dramatically, in recent years resulting in residential sprawl and creating conflicts between urban and rural populations over land use on millions of acres of public land. The issues are far more complex than public debates and proposed solutions would indicate (see Sheridan 2001). Ultimately, at stake in these conflicts are not just the values and interests of these groups, but how humans can inhabit landscapes and use natural resources sustainably. In this essay we tap political ecology, the science of complexity, and the field of environmental conflict resolution (ECR) to understand the issues around land-use conflicts in Arizona and to frame the problem of sustainability. These approaches may also help us to reintegrate the ecological, economic, and sociopolitical aspects of systems that have

The power problematic: exploring the uncertain terrains of political ecology and the resilience framework

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