My thesis aims to answer the question: "how is the use of protected lands determined?" I will be looking mainly at how non-governmental organizations and private conservation associations non-profit private sector organizations determine allowable use of protected land. Management decisions may be in response to current impacts on the ecosystem instead of consciously taking into account the interaction between humans and nature and the competing values of ecosystem management. Said another way, how often are decisions a reactive managerial response to the discovery of ecological damage instead of a pro-active specific management strategy? The issue of public/private partnerships and joint stewardship is involved in most managed lands in RI. I plan on interviewing representatives of organizations like the Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society of Rhode Island concerning their management policies, public outreach approaches, and decision making strategies. I will look at controversies over several areas of protected land in RI that represent differing types of management challenges.