A wide variety of formal conflict analysis models and their applications to environmental conflicts are examined and put into perspective. In particular, the history of game theoretic models for conflict as well as their use in mitigating or resolving environmental conflicts is studied. The models and problem types are categorized to allow for a better understanding of the contrasting areas of environmental conflict management. Finally, the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) is applied to a generic conflict between developers and environmentalists to illustrate the usefulness of GMCR in environmental applications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.