This article seeks to restructure some of the ideas supporting the view that adaptive management (AM) is only suitable for a limited set of circumstances. It concludes that much of the pessimism around AM may be unwarranted and a framework is presented for deciding when it is appropriate, feasible, and subsequently successful. A new paradigm for AM is given which argues that there are no categorical limitations to its appropriate use, the boundaries of application being defined by problem conception and the resources available to managers. The authors seek to separate adaptive management as a management tool, from the burden of failures that result from the complex policy, social, and institutional environment within which management occurs.