CASE STUDIES: Collaborative Solutions
Four Corners Air Quality Task Force
This project was jointly convened by Colorado and New Mexico with the support of other federal, state and tribal partners. The Four Corners Air Quality Task Force was conceived as a broadly representative stakeholder forum to address pressing air quality issues in the Four Corners area.
RRC was hired to design a process that could maintain momentum and productivity over time, with an open-invitation public meeting format, while accomplishing the primary objective: a written report of options for mitigating air pollution, developed by a diverse Task Force membership.
The highly successful collaborative process involved more than 250 volunteers representing local residents, public interest groups, industry, and local, tribal, state, and federal government representatives. This diverse group wrote a 550-page report describing 125 mitigation options, as well as findings on air quality monitoring and a major inventorying and modeling effort. Key to this landmark report was RRC's development of a template that provided a consistent and equitable way for all participants to contribute. The Mitigation Option Report continues to support the agencies in managing air quality and is the basis for cooperative planning efforts in the area.
RRC developed and implemented an equitable, efficient, and participatory process that maintained momentum over two and a half years. Additionally, RRC was responsible for all aspects of Task Force communication including onsite meeting management, website management, supporting materials development, meeting records, working sub-groups progress, and the development of the Report format and drafts. In addition, RRC designed an on-going comment process whereby all Task Force members and other interested parties could provide input as the Report was developed; this culminated in a web-based review process for the final draft.
Visit the website for the Four Corners Air Quality Task Force, or download the report here.
This project was jointly convened by Colorado and New Mexico with the support of other federal, state and tribal partners. The Four Corners Air Quality Task Force was conceived as a broadly representative stakeholder forum to address pressing air quality issues in the Four Corners area.
RRC was hired to design a process that could maintain momentum and productivity over time, with an open-invitation public meeting format, while accomplishing the primary objective: a written report of options for mitigating air pollution, developed by a diverse Task Force membership.
The highly successful collaborative process involved more than 250 volunteers representing local residents, public interest groups, industry, and local, tribal, state, and federal government representatives. This diverse group wrote a 550-page report describing 125 mitigation options, as well as findings on air quality monitoring and a major inventorying and modeling effort. Key to this landmark report was RRC's development of a template that provided a consistent and equitable way for all participants to contribute. The Mitigation Option Report continues to support the agencies in managing air quality and is the basis for cooperative planning efforts in the area.
RRC developed and implemented an equitable, efficient, and participatory process that maintained momentum over two and a half years. Additionally, RRC was responsible for all aspects of Task Force communication including onsite meeting management, website management, supporting materials development, meeting records, working sub-groups progress, and the development of the Report format and drafts. In addition, RRC designed an on-going comment process whereby all Task Force members and other interested parties could provide input as the Report was developed; this culminated in a web-based review process for the final draft.
Visit the website for the Four Corners Air Quality Task Force, or download the report here.
New Mexico and Wyoming Smoke Management Programs
The states of New Mexico and Wyoming needed to develop first-ever Smoke Management Programs as part of their State Implementation Plans and compliance with the Regional Haze Rule. Both states have significant prescribed fire, agricultural burning and other sources of smoke that had been unregulated to that time. Both states anticipated the possibility of resistance to the development of their Smoke Management Programs.
RRC was hired first by New Mexico to design, manage and facilitate the collaborative process with the many stakeholders with vested interests in their Smoke Management Program. RRC's success in New Mexico led to a similar assignment in Wyoming. In both cases, RRC provided neutral agency and the ability to convene processes that were inclusive, productive and in the end, highly effective. Both states developed Smoke Management Programs with the support of stakeholders and passed new regulations to enforce them, thus ensuring the improvement of air quality for future generations. RRC worked hand-in-hand with staff in the drafting of the Program Guidance and developing the processes, procedures and forms to make the Programs efficient.
Visit the website for New Mexico’s Smoke Management Program, or download the document here.
Visit the website for Wyoming’s Smoke Management Program, or download the Guidance Document.
The states of New Mexico and Wyoming needed to develop first-ever Smoke Management Programs as part of their State Implementation Plans and compliance with the Regional Haze Rule. Both states have significant prescribed fire, agricultural burning and other sources of smoke that had been unregulated to that time. Both states anticipated the possibility of resistance to the development of their Smoke Management Programs.
RRC was hired first by New Mexico to design, manage and facilitate the collaborative process with the many stakeholders with vested interests in their Smoke Management Program. RRC's success in New Mexico led to a similar assignment in Wyoming. In both cases, RRC provided neutral agency and the ability to convene processes that were inclusive, productive and in the end, highly effective. Both states developed Smoke Management Programs with the support of stakeholders and passed new regulations to enforce them, thus ensuring the improvement of air quality for future generations. RRC worked hand-in-hand with staff in the drafting of the Program Guidance and developing the processes, procedures and forms to make the Programs efficient.
Visit the website for New Mexico’s Smoke Management Program, or download the document here.
Visit the website for Wyoming’s Smoke Management Program, or download the Guidance Document.
Western Regional Air Partnership – Fire Emissions Joint Forum
WRAP is a collaborative effort of tribal and state government and federal agencies to develop the technical and policy tools needed by western states and tribes to comply with the U.S. EPA's Regional Haze regulations. The Fire Emissions Joint Forum (FEJF) is both a policy and a technical body that addresses issues specific to fire and smoke effects. For several major issues related to Regional Haze Rule implementation, the FEJF convened sub-committees to develop guidance documents to be used by States and Tribes in their implementation plans.
RRC was hired to manage and facilitate three of these sub-groups over a two-year period. Each group’s membership included not only government representatives, but also environmental groups, public health groups, industry, academia and others. In addition, RRC was responsible for public outreach, and designed and facilitated two major workshops at which broader stakeholder input was gathered. The first was a two-day technical workshop for 100+ attendees and the second, a day-long Policy Session for members of the executive leadership. These were followed by a directed outreach process via email to hundreds of individual reviewers. In addition to designing these processes, Rebecca facilitated both workshops, developed the records of the workshop products and the written comments, and then assisted in their review and incorporation into the final products, the result of which was consensus approval on all four policy documents.
As a result of RRC management, the sub-groups were able to come to a much greater level of agreement than anticipated, and the guidance documents became policy documents. RRC oversaw the development of the first-ever WRAP-approved Policy Documents: the Fire Emissions Categorization Policy, the Enhanced Smoke Management Program Policy, and the Annual Emission Goal Policy, and then produced complete compendia of proceedings to serve as a record of their development. These Policies are used by states and tribes in developing their implementation plans and in managing smoke impacts affecting public health and visibility.
Visit the WRAP website, or download the Reports below:
• Enhanced Smoke Management Policy
• Compendium of Supporting Material for the Policy Development Process
• Fire Categorization Policy
• Compendium of Supporting Material for the Policy Development Process
WRAP is a collaborative effort of tribal and state government and federal agencies to develop the technical and policy tools needed by western states and tribes to comply with the U.S. EPA's Regional Haze regulations. The Fire Emissions Joint Forum (FEJF) is both a policy and a technical body that addresses issues specific to fire and smoke effects. For several major issues related to Regional Haze Rule implementation, the FEJF convened sub-committees to develop guidance documents to be used by States and Tribes in their implementation plans.
RRC was hired to manage and facilitate three of these sub-groups over a two-year period. Each group’s membership included not only government representatives, but also environmental groups, public health groups, industry, academia and others. In addition, RRC was responsible for public outreach, and designed and facilitated two major workshops at which broader stakeholder input was gathered. The first was a two-day technical workshop for 100+ attendees and the second, a day-long Policy Session for members of the executive leadership. These were followed by a directed outreach process via email to hundreds of individual reviewers. In addition to designing these processes, Rebecca facilitated both workshops, developed the records of the workshop products and the written comments, and then assisted in their review and incorporation into the final products, the result of which was consensus approval on all four policy documents.
As a result of RRC management, the sub-groups were able to come to a much greater level of agreement than anticipated, and the guidance documents became policy documents. RRC oversaw the development of the first-ever WRAP-approved Policy Documents: the Fire Emissions Categorization Policy, the Enhanced Smoke Management Program Policy, and the Annual Emission Goal Policy, and then produced complete compendia of proceedings to serve as a record of their development. These Policies are used by states and tribes in developing their implementation plans and in managing smoke impacts affecting public health and visibility.
Visit the WRAP website, or download the Reports below:
• Enhanced Smoke Management Policy
• Compendium of Supporting Material for the Policy Development Process
• Fire Categorization Policy
• Compendium of Supporting Material for the Policy Development Process
