Cognitive and Institutional Barriers to New Forms of Cooperation on Environmental Protection: Insights from Project XL and Habitat Conservation Plans

Many perceive the predominantly command-and-control structure of regulatory policy to be overly restrictive and inefficient in achieving America's emerging environmental goals. In response, the U.S. government has introduced several voluntary programs to develop innovative, beyond-compliance environmental management solutions through the collaboration between government agencies and regulated entities. Yet, these programs have not gained widespread acceptance. This article analyzes the cognitive and institutional barriers to that acceptance by looking specifically at two programs—Project XL and Habitat Conservation Plans. These barriers act out of force of habit, creating a resistance to change and a rejection of new forms of regulatory policy. The authors argue that policy change requires a shift in how individuals think and how institutions guide that thinking.