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    Special Issue ~ Stewart L. Udall, 1920-2010
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U.S. INSTITUTE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FORUMS

Mechanisms to pursue collaborative decision-making at the regional level throughout the U.S. are not well-defined, resulting in missed opportunities to resolve conflicts and address emerging environmental challenges. Regional Environmental Forums (REFs) are a mechanism to advance cooperative efforts to identify problems and devise solutions to environmental and natural resources issues. The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute) has launched an REFs initiative to link various levels of government both vertically and horizontally in collaborative problem solving processes. The forums will engage representatives from federal, tribal, state, and local government in collaborative problem-solving. The forums will also reach out to nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia as necessary to understand and resolve issues.

The forums will enhance efficient and effective collaborative decision making and conflict resolution by making the integration of the best available science and new technologies core to their operations. This will include the use of geographic information systems, visualizations, decision support systems, and other tools to aid in the synthesis and dissemination of key information.

The U.S. Institute is working with the Policy Consensus Initiative (PCI), headquartered in Portland, Oregon, to establish an REF in the Pacific Northwest (including the states of Washington and Oregon) to foster communication at multiple levels of government. Over time, forums may be established in other regions of the country. The forums will work cooperatively with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution at the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other similar offices within federal and state agencies.

The work of the forum will be directed by an intergovernmental Steering Committee consisting of federal agency regional directors, state agency directors and representatives of Governors' offices. The committee, co-chaired by federal, state, and local government leaders, will guide the work of the forums, particularly the identification of opportunities to pursue collaborative solutions.

For more information on the REFs initiative contact Mark Schaefer at schaefer@ecr.gov.