Civil Society, international Regimes, and the Protection of transboundary ecosystems: Defining the international Sonoran desert alliance and the Yellowstone to Yukon conservation initiative

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Abstract
The International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA) and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) are transboundary conservation efforts rooted in civil society. While similar efforts have appeared on other border areas in North America, they have yet to be defined as a specific “type”; of international initiative. Identification would allow for a greater understanding of what these initiatives are trying to accomplish. After case studies of ISDA and Y2Y, this article reviews the applicability of the terms NGO, coalition, and network to these international initiatives. Arguing that these three terms inaccurately or incompletely describe ISDA and Y2Y, this article proposes that they can be better understood as private international regimes. Although traditionally applied to international relations between states, international regime theory provides a comprehensive framework for the diverse and numerous actors and activities within ISDA and Y2Y, and illuminates how these civil society phenomena are working to conserve biodiversity in the Sonoran Desert and Northern Rockies.