| Mutual interests, comprised of disparate values and perceptions, create unique circumstances for stakeholders and management officials regarding the current and future use of public lands in the United States. These differences in values, uses, and attitudes among the American public cause dissention in determining the ‘best-suited’ use of shared landscapes and resources. In the rural west, where the federal government is the majority landholder, management complexities are especially tangible, where perspectives differ between locals, officials, and special-interest groups. This thesis attempts to capture the socio-ecological system between stakeholders and the public land ecosystemprimarily among residents of a rural Idaho county. These perspectives are then compared with an extended geographic and demographic survey population to explore how these trends manifest across spatial areas. As the value of natural resources increases and access to public land evolves, management strategies must adapt to incorporate the diversity of stakeholder perspectives towards responsible and equitable use.Keywords: Cultural Ecology, Environmental Anthropology, Socio-Ecological Systems(SES), US Public Land, rural communities, Idaho, ethnography, participant observation,co-management, place-based management, participatory research, qualitative GIS |