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INTRODUCTION A collaborative approach in (llI ecosystem context i~ lIefded.f(H.IIII~;(Jr H'ntcrshcd tl/rdjloodplain mmulgemellt planning to move agencies awayfrv1II Sillgh'-llgCllCY prob/cI/15olvillg. A more cOll1prcheflsiw' ('vn{lIlTlioll of proh/en!:- alld solutiollS is/ikely i(a collauonltil'e approach iueludes gOl'tTl/melltal parlies at alllel'els as lVell as puhlic al/d private stakeholders. Such partnerships also col1stitute lillIe/inS (~flevenlgjJlg lifllited jimds to implement projects with mllltiple benefits. Coflabomtirt' ~fforts require morc thall conslIltation, coordination, find seeking pllMic inpllt; they require n commitment to lV(Jrkil/~ collctti'vell' to solly c011lplex, interrelated COllcenl5. Sharing the Challel/ge: Floodplain Management into the 21 st Celltury, Report of the InterageHcy Floodplain A1.anagement ReviLw Committee ALTHOUGH SCIE:.lTISTS HAVE LO:"JG UNDERSTOOD the connections ben.veen human activities and natural environments, over the last several years the concept has taken hold of the public consciousness as well. People from all walks of life are beginning to accept the idea that natural and human systems are intricately inter- woven-that no event in nature, nor any human activity, can take place without impacts that reverberate through the same or related systems. This understanding comes at the same time that awareness of the value of natural resources has been heightened, concern with government spending is strong, desire for cost -effective programs and projects of all kinds is demanded, and the nation as a whole seems to be more willing to take individual and collective responsibility for its destiny and that of future generations. The 1993 Midwest floods provided a highly visible example of hmv these trends and attitudes can coalesce in new ways of approaching old problems. The disastrous floods renewed interest on the part of government agen- cies, private groups, and individuals across the nation in finding ways to avoid or reduce the impacts of future similar disasters--pennallently and at the lowest possible IOllg-term public and private cost. This has involved taking a fresh look at both the natural systems (the precipitation cycle, water- shed drainage, sedimentation, vegetation, etc.) and the human systems (water control structures, public subsidies, land-dependent economies like farming, transportation corridors, ete.) and figuring out hmv they may be made more compatible. It has involved letting the initiative, authority, and responsibility for determining the best local scenario for long-term disaster avoidance and related issues rest where it belongs-in the hands of the people who live and work in that particular area. One of the new ways of approaching this old problem (flooding) is "multi-objective planning" for hazard mitiga- tion. Although the various components of this process have been around for some years, the way in which they are brought together to create a locally based, economical plan for mitigating future hazards is an innovative one. The multi-objective planning process is highly adaptable, mak- ing it applicable to a possibly unlimited range of local situ- ations. It is tlexible, enabling numerous issues to be con- sidered and incorporated into the planning process. It makes it easier to see ""hat effects human activities have on the local natural environment, and vice versa. It combines the goal of mitigating future disasters with other local needs and goals so they all can be dealt with in a more effi- cient, comprehensive manner. During the spring and summer of 1994, this ne\.... multi-objective mitigation planning process was tried in the Vermillion River Basin of southeast South Dakota. The Ver- million Ba'iin, a rural, primarily agricultural area, had a cen- tury-long history of flooding, and had been hit hard again by the 1993 Midwest floods. A local organization (the Basin's .