Local Policy Networks and Agricultural Watershed Management

This article emphasizes the critical role of local policy networks for the implementation of agricultural watershed management and the adoption of environmental best management practices. Local networks facilitate diffusion of innovations, the development of social capital, and cultural change. All of these elements are essential for the ability of watershed management programs to successfully solve the water quality collective action problems caused by agricultural nonpoint source pollution. Analyses of survey data from 408 orchard growers in California’s Sacramento River watershed demonstrate that exposure to policy networks substantially increases the probability of adopting environmental practices. These findings have important implications for public administration and policies where implementation depends on widespread cooperation and the development of networks with public agencies. The main goal of this article is to analyze the role of local policy networks for the implementation of agricultural watershed management. Policy networks consist of interconnected actors in a policy subsystem who communicate information about policy through some social connection (Mintrom and Vergari 1998; Rogers 2003). Agricultural watershed management is designed to reduce water quality problems associated with agricultural production, and successful implementation requires widespread cooperation. We are specifically interested in testing the hypothesis that policy networks between agricultural producers and local agencies/organizations increase the rate at which producers adopt environmental ‘‘best management practices’’ (BMP) for improving water quality. Within the literature on agro-environmental policy, BMP commonly refers to agricultural practices designed to alleviate problems associated with nonpoint source pollution from agricultural runoff. For example, this article analyzes orchard growers’ use of vegetative filter strips to control irrigation and stormwater runoff into waterways. BMP adoption, which is usually one of the main implementation goals of watershed management, entails a challenging problem in cooperation. Because individual producers cannot make a large difference in overall water quality and nonpoint source pollution is Address correspondence to the author at [email protected]. doi:10.1093/jopart/mum031 a The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected] Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Advance Access published November 4, 2007