http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine.cfm?story=626

http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine.cfm?story=627

http://www.sharetrails.org/

http://www.delalbright.com

JPFreek - Index

JPFreek - magazine - Index

out-grew the bikes, grew up, and went on to join the working
world. Like I said earlier, you may have to engage this process
with the understanding that it might take a while and solve
only the easy stuff.
On the other hand, there are some things we can do (or
shoot for) to make collaboration work. Try to get the formula
in place. Have ground rules and open meeting agreements
where folks put their cards on the table. Use a facilitator to
help orchestrate a better and more productive meeting.
Ensure that everyone affected by the outcomes are at the
table. Keep the meeting real – authentic – and transparent.
Hide nothing; talk about everything. Agree to disagree; and
commit to the process. Then follow through! Abide by the
group’s collaboration.
BRC has a tool called “Collaboration Checkboxes.”
Brian Hawthorne, BRC Public Lands Director, contends: “A
well-conceived collaborative process should include a “check”
for each of these key points below. If any are missing, we still
advise considering participating, but with caution.”
Here are the BRC Collaboration Checkboxes:
1.
2.
3.
All stakeholders at the table in proper representation.
Every stakeholder group who has an interest in the
planning process should be participating.
Professional facilitator.
A formal process should hire the services of a professional
facilitator, such as those selected from the roster of the
National Environmental Conflict Resolution Advisory
Committee, not “forced” upon the participants.
The “product” of the process should be clearly
identified at the beginning.
Whatever it is the process is going to produce should be
clearly identified at the very beginning of the process (e.g.
an alternative to be considered by the land management
agency during their public NEPA analysis).
4.
5.
The “decision process” must be identified at the
beginning.
Whatever process that will be used for formal decisionmaking,
i.e. majority vote, consensus, majority/minority
report, etc should be agreed to at the very beginning of
the process and adhered to throughout.
Agency must clearly state how it will utilize the
“product.”
The federal land management agency must clearly state
how it intends to use the “product” of any formal
Collaborative Planning Process at the very beginning.
BlueRibbon also published some good resources for more
on collaboration. Here are links:
COLLABORATIVE PLANNING . . . WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW:
http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine.cfm?story=626
And:
COLLABORATIVE PLANNING IN CYBERSPACE
http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine.cfm?story=627
Much like the 20-year-old process the Japanese invented
called Quality Circles – where the factory workers develop the
best delivery solution for the factory -- we, the users of the
land can develop the best solution for managing the land, if
only we can work together with something like a collaborative
process with all sides of the issues working together in the
spirit of true cooperation. Get it right from the start and it’s
worth your time.
The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group
that champions responsible use of public and private lands,
and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It
represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200
organization and business members, for a combined total of
over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. Call 1-800-258-3742
and visit BRC online at www.sharetrails.org. This article
copyrighted ©2008 by Del Albright, www.delalbright.com,
available for use by permission only.
Land Use & Access
SUMMER 2008 65