Trends in changing socio-demographics and wildlife-related recreation participation have implications for the sustainability of wildlife conservation in the United States. State Wildlife Agencies (SWAs) seek to broaden support, both politically and financially, for wildlife management. Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) deliver wildlife conservation on a local scale and provide opportunities to build support and foster stewards. This dissertation sought to understand stakeholder support for and stewardship of Michigan’s coastal WMAs that are intensively managed for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting using quantitative surveys of four key WMA stakeholder groups—waterfowl hunters, birdwatchers, anglers, and community members. I assessed stakeholder attitudes about and preferences for WMA wildlife and recreation management and found differences among WMA stakeholders, especially waterfowl hunters and birdwatchers. However, similarities detected between waterfowl hunters and birdwatchers may provide opportunities for agencies to leverage this common ground. Attitudinal similarities and differences have implications for agencies to understand how management actions may or may not be supported by stakeholders, identify potential points of conflict or points of complementariness for recreational activities, consider trade-offs for management actions, and make improved decisions that serve a broader set of stakeholders. An investigation of stakeholder perceptions of ecosystem services (ES) revealed that stakeholders largely valued ES and thought that WMA management actions were providing key ES. I recommended that agencies leverage this information and connect management actions to the ES benefits that are most important to their stakeholders. I explored variables that influence frequency of conservation behaviors and found that recreation participation variables (centrality of activity and membership in an environmental/conservation organization) and identity salience variables (waterfowl hunter, outdoor enthusiast, and conservationist) had positive associations. I provided recommendations for agencies to prioritize communications and engagement with members of existing organizations to strengthen group norms for conservation behaviors and potentially WMA stewardship. I also recommended strategies that appeal to conservationist identities and facilitate positive relationships between hunting and non-hunting stakeholders to socially connect and build and foster group identity and norms. An investigation of support for a diversity of funding options among WMA stakeholders determined that there is support for a broader suite of funding policies for WMAs, although groups differed in their support. Results suggest that birdwatchers hold potential for increased support of WMAs and appear to be interested in contributing financially to WMAs, however not necessarily in current or traditional ways. Variables that influenced support for funding options included frequency of conservation behavior; identity salience as a birdwatcher, waterfowl hunter, and conservationist; and membership in an environmental/conservation organization. I proposed a typology of stakeholders useful for making predictions about how funding options might appeal to certain groups and informing targeted communication and marketing strategies. I recommended that agencies seek to develop a diversified portfolio of traditional and new funding mechanisms that could be supported by a wide range of stakeholders and that facilitates broader support for WMAs.
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