This book addresses issues of environmental management that arise when national or state governments try to persuade local governments to be good stewards of the environment. Examining environmental management programs in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the authors explore the merits of cooperative and coercive intergovernmental regimes and how they influence choices made by local governments about land use and development. The offers a new understanding of the management of natural hazards and of the appropriate policy mix for advancing environmental sustainability.