Browsing by Subject "Public participation"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    An analysis of public participation under 2005 national forest planning regulations
    (2007-12-06T14:22:08Z) Slayton Beres, Audrey
    Public participation has long played an important role in national forest planning. Under 1982 regulations, this participation has largely taken place through traditional notice and comment procedures mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In 2005, the Forest Service issued a new planning rule that excluded forest planning from NEPA procedures, but required a collaborative process in addition to traditional notice and comment periods. Some interest groups argued this approach degraded public participation, while the Forest Service argued it would provide for better public participation. The objective of this analysis is to determine how public participation in national forest planning might be impacted under the 2005 rule. I interviewed participants in plan revision processes for three national forests - one taking place under the 1982 rule (Mark Twain), one taking place under the 2005 rule (Uwharrie), and one that switched from the 1982 to the 2005 rule (Western Montana Planning Zone). I analyzed the interview results using an evaluative framework that defined good public participation. The framework included the following elements: (1) a fair outcome, (2) equal access/representation, (3) equal voice/participation, (4) adequate influence, (5) logic/use of technical information, (6) resolving conflict, (7) building trust in institutions, and (8) educating and informing the public. The Uwharrie, using a collaborative process, provided for good public participation, while the Mark Twain, using notice and comment processes, did not provide for good public participation. The results from the Western Montana Planning Zone were mixed, with the poor public participation due to a perceived lack of influence after switching to the 2005 planning rule. The results suggest that the 1982 rule can engender poor public participation, even when NEPA procedures are followed. The 2005 rule can provide for good public participation, but this is likely to occur only with collaborative-type activities. The biggest impediments to the public’s perceptions of good participation under the 2005 rule appear to be: (1) the new structure of the plans and the fact that they do not make specific management decisions, and (2) balancing both local and national interests, and both lay and professional input.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of Public Participation and Outreach Methods for the North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan
    (2004) Kelly, Leah F.
    Public participation has become an important component to many decision-making processes. It has many benefits, both for the participant as well as the decision-maker. It provides education and raises public awareness on important issues. It can reduce conflict between competing interest groups. It increases the willingness to accept programs to which participation is contributed. As part of the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is developing an integrated approach to coastal management. The North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) will be the first attempt at regulatory co-management of commercially important coastal fish habitats. Within the scope of this project, DMF has included a public participation aspect to the writing and researching process. To increase the level of cooperation and support to this new management approach, DMF and the North Carolina Coastal Federation began an outreach campaign that started with the distribution of educational materials and resulted in the execution of 10 public meetings. I conducted a survey of participants who attended the ten public meetings. I assessed the representation of participating interest groups, the distribution tactics of the publications, and the effectiveness of the educational portion of the meetings. I also evaluated the respondents’ satisfaction with the level of knowledge gained from the outreach materials and the meetings. Anticipated future involvement in the process was an indicator of the success of the campaign. The results of this project indicate that the meetings and public outreach campaign succeeded in many ways. They provided education for the participating citizens, and they increased interest for future involvement in environmental issues. However, representation of target populations, such as fishermen and developers, did not meet the expressed goals of NCCF and DMF. Distribution tactics and outreach procedures should be reanalyzed to further increase the interest of the CHPP process for broader involvement of interest groups. As this is an ongoing process, it is important to see how public participation benefits citizens so that the decision-makers can work to maintain, or increase citizens’ level of interest in the CHPP process.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    MEASURING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT: POLICY OPTIONS FOR CALIFORNIA AND NORTH CAROLINA
    (2003) Fullenkamp, Lindsay A
    NOAA manages the coastal zone in the United States under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). One of the goals of the act is to provide opportunities for the public to participate in the coastal zone management (CZM) process. I have developed a set of indicators of public participation by reviewing how government agencies solicit and implement public views in the states of California and North Carolina. Indicators – measures of success – are used by government agencies to show their progress towards policy goals, to simplify information, and to improve communication between government officials and the public. A public participation indicator will help states determine how well they are implementing the CZMA, enable states to compare participation levels over time, and allow comparisons between states. Indicators of public participation, however, should include a measure of the effectiveness of the participation, of how representative the views of those who participate are of the entire public, and of the influence that the public has on final policy outcomes. If NOAA develops a national system of indicators and performance measures, they should include an indicator of public participation in coastal zone management decisions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Public Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project
    (2010-04-28T12:25:22Z) Gray, Brooke C.
    Public participation has become an increasingly important component of effective watershed management over the last twenty years. Conducted by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project is a collaborative stakeholder process that includes interested parties in drafting a federally mandated Nutrient Management Strategy. The Falls Lake Stakeholder Project worked to improve the stakeholder process by responding to issues recognized in a prior North Carolina Division of Water Quality project, the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project. This master’s project evaluated the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project based on a set of predetermined factors – substantive, procedural, and outcome – to allow for cross-case comparison. Data analyzed was gathered through archival research, stakeholder meeting observation, stakeholder surveys, and convener interviews. The stakeholder survey and convener interview contained questions about five procedural evaluative criteria, including process design, process fairness, process execution, technical support, and predicted outcomes. Results were based on fourteen returned stakeholder surveys and four convener interviews. Analysis of results indicated that technical support in the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project was the criterion with which stakeholders were least satisfied. Lessons learned from the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project were applied in the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project and improved overall stakeholder experiences. Many of these aspects introduced in the process, including a technical advisory committee, subcommittees, and a wiki, may continue to be improved and applied to future North Carolina Division of Water Quality stakeholder processes.