Shared interests included maintaining the long-term health of the watershed and stability of local economics. The Applegate Partnership now includes community residents, people affiliated with environmental groups, timber, farming, and ranching interests, schools, natural resource agencies, and anyone else interested in the Applegate watershed. Initially, volunteer facilitators assisted in conflict resolution which was particularly important, given the long history of animosity. Though people are aligned with various constituencies, the meeting dynamics encourage them to come together more as caring individuals, respectful of differing values, rather than representatives of interest groups. Jack Shipley is recognized as the charismatic leader of the Applegate Partnership, but his style is such that leadership and responsibility are shared equally among participants.
All people have equal access to power, information, and action.
Decisions are made through consensus. Each person brings genuine and powerful feelings about this common place and for the people who live in the Applegate watershed. Being out on the land through field trips is essential to resolving issues and creating what people want to see. Most of the Applegate Partnership's focus for projects is restoration while also creating opportunities for local employment. Examples include riparian planting on private lands, installation of fish screens, fencing off streams, putting roads to bed, and reducing the risk of wildfire.