Abstract

Due to the severe loss of vegetated tidal wetlands, coastal communities are increasingly interested in estuary restoration. However, projects viewed as less successful by community members have created obstacles for practitioners, creating opposition and mistrust. To better understand differing estuarine restoration values between natural resource managers, coastal managers, and community members in three coastal bays, we created a Q-methdology study that aligned issue statements with concepts from an ecological conservation framework. We found four shared narratives among ten discourse groups: 1) restoration success depends on positive ecological outcomes while federal and state management is important; 2) ecological outcomes are the most important success metrics, but equality and social acceptance are top concerns; 3) economic prosperity and local community use determine success; and 4) equality and community resilience are the highest priority. The results demonstrate the importance of social connectivity in maintaining ecological connectivity. In other words, valuing social communities supports efforts for ecological restoration. Q-methodology can identify viewpoints for monitoring social perceptions of success and engaging multiple perspectives in estuarine restoration.