Oregon Consensus/BLM - Cooperating Agency Advisory Group

Operating Principles Adopted by consensus 8-23-12

Operating Principles for the Cooperating Agencies Advisory Group

in the BLM’s Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon

Overview

Cooperating Agencies – federal, state, local and tribal partners - comprise a special relationship that allows BLM to extend beyond consultation and engage critical partners in plan development. The goals of this relationship are to develop and implement better land management plans. “The Cooperating Agencies share skills and resources to help shape BLM land use plans and environmental analyses that better reflect the policies, needs and conditions of the jurisdictions and the citizens they represent.” (from A Desk Guide to Cooperating Agency Relationships and Coordination with Intergovernmental Partners)

Each Cooperating Agency has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with BLM that specifies the special nature of the cooperating agency relationship. These Operating Principles spell out the understanding and agreements about how cooperating agencies and BLM will conduct their work together.

The BLM has developed a national website for that contains reference materials and links to facilitate the cooperating agency relationship. The site can be found at:

BLM Oregon/Washington has developed a website for the Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon with meeting schedules, planning timelines, and reference material at:

Purpose

The Cooperating Agencies’Advisory Group (CAAG)can achieve several objectives related to the BLM planning process:

1)Engage partners to provide local information and agency expertise in BLM’s planning.

2)Provide information and resources that will help enable programmatic or landscape wide actionsthat reflect the outlook and legal framework of both BLM and the Cooperating Agency.

3)Provide information and resources as well as place based considerations in the planning process.

4)Leverage resources so that BLM’s public engagement process can bring benefit to local communities while helping inform other legislative decisions.

5)Build trust between BLM and its critical partners.

Desired Outcomes

The following are the outcomes that representatives of the Cooperating Agencies agree they will be working to achieve and will be used to measure their success:

  • Legitimate Process
  • Cooperating agency relationships are strengthened and there is a high level of trust
  • Time and resource expectations are realistic, clear and acceptable to all cooperating agencies
  • The public is informed and engaged in the process
  • Robust Plan that Meets Collective Needs
  • Ecologically sustainable
  • Economically resilient
  • Culturally responsive
  • Legally principled and defensible
  • Commitment to Implementation
  • Cooperating Agenciesagree towork towards a plan they can help carry forward

Guiding Principles

Representatives recognize the urgency in finding implementable solutions to issues pertaining to our public lands and appreciate the challenge posed by the range of interest about and overlapping authority within the public lands. While the planning decisions that pertain to the management of public lands are the statutory responsibility of BLM, all Cooperating Agency representatives recognize that these decisions are best when informed by the perspective, data, and information of key stakeholders who will be impacted by these planning decisions.

Roles and Responsibilities

Cooperating Agency Advisory Group Representatives and their staffwill work together to achieve the desired outcomes as noted above.The goal, to the greatest degree possible, is to reflect the interests of all participants. All members agree to:

  • Make a good faith effort to attend approximately one 4-5 hour meeting each month; come to meetings prepared having reviewed materials prior to the meeting, and participate as fully as possible;
  • In the event of absence, members will contact the OC facilitator, Jerry Hubbard, or Mark Brown who can notify the Cooperating Agency representatives;
  • Follow through on promises and commitments that are part of the Cooperating Agency’s MOU;
  • Bring concerns from their constituency groups or organization up for discussion at the earliest point in the process;
  • Share all relevant information, data, models and assumptions that will assist the group in achieving its goals;
  • Keep their organizations informed of potential decisions and actions;
  • Assist in overseeing the implementation of the operating principles.

Bureau of Land Management will serve as the primary sponsor for the Cooperating Agency process and as part of that role will provide staffing resources to support the on-going work of the group.Mark Brown is the project manager for Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon and will serve as the main contact at BLM for the Cooperating Agencies.

The Cooperating Agency Subgroups will provide guiding support for the work of the CAAG. To ensure that the cooperative approach agreed to by the CAAG is maintained throughout the process, the CAAG Operating Principles will be used by the subgroups/teams. In addition, it is expected that the subgroups’ work will:

  • Reflect the purpose and scope of the CAAG;
  • Meet the interests and needs expressed by CAAG participants;
  • Align with BLM planning process timelines and requirements; and
  • Provide for engaging, fun and meaningful meetings!

Oregon Consensus(Oregon Consensus is based at Portland State University and helps Oregonians reach agreement on public issues through conflict assessment, process design and mediation.)will provide the impartial facilitation and management of the process at Cooperating Agencies’ meetings. OC facilitators Donna Silverberg and Robin Gumpert, of DS Consulting will:

  • Work with the Cooperating Agency Agenda Team in setting the agendas for each meeting
  • Facilitate Cooperating Agency Advisory Group meetings
  • Create and distribute meeting materials at least one week prior to each meeting
  • Create and distribute draft meeting summarieswithin one week after meeting
  • Coordinate with members as needed in between meetings
  • Coordinate with the BLM Westside Steering Committee in overall direction for RMPs for Western Oregon as well as meeting, timing and other logistics for Cooperating Agency meetings.
  • Arrange and manage all logistics for meetings and phone conferences
  • Support the public engagement process

The facilitators will have no decision making authority. The facilitation team will work for the entire membership to assure transparency in the process and create the conditions for constructive dialogue in which all members feel free to participate.

The facilitators will be available to consult confidentially with participants during or in between meetings. Facilitators will hold confidences unless otherwise authorized.

To the extent concerns arise with the process, group members are encouraged to approach the facilitators or BLM staff.In aid in assessing the satisfaction with the process, the facilitation team will conduct a mid-point, confidential survey of members to assess process.

Decision Making Process

  1. The Group agrees that consensus has a high value and that the group should strive to achieve it. As such, decisions on Cooperating Agency Advisory Group recommendations will be made by consensus of all participating Members in their representative capacity. Members will make every effort to participate fully by attending meetings. They shall be empowered to represent their group, after agreed upon consultation.
  2. Tentative agreements may be made at meetings pending the opportunity for members to consult with their necessary constituencies. This will be done on a timely basis.
  3. Consensus means the willingness to go along with the recommendation either in active support of it or in not opposing it.
  4. The commitment to work for consensus means that members will participate in the give and take of the process in a way that seeks to understand the interests of all and will work together to find solutions workable for all.
  5. If no consensus is reached on an issue, the various views on the issue will be included in a report to BLM. A “Cooperating Agency recommendation” will be made only on those items on which there is consensus.
  6. The facilitators will draft a “Report” that outlines the issues discussed, the areas in which there is consensus, and any remaining issues on which consensus was not reached. Included in that report will be the Summary Notes from each Cooperating Agency Group meeting. Members will have the opportunity to review, make corrections and then sign-off on the report prior to submission. They may supply any alternative views or comments directly to BLM.
  7. Collaboration mandates methods, not outcomes. It brings diverse parties together to seek broadly acceptable solutions to (what are usually) complex problems. It does not guarantee the parties will achieve consensus. The BLM and the Cooperating Agencies remain the final decisionmaker on matters within their jurisdictions.

Meeting Guidelines

The Advisory Group agrees to use the following discussion protocols:

Approach the discussion with a willingness to hear others’ views so you may solve problems together: Speak as though you are right, and listen as though you might be wrong.

Let the facilitator know when you would like to speak or ask a question

Separate the people from the problem: be hard on the problem and easy on the people

Use “I” statements

Focus on what is important to you and what you need rather than on an argument for the sake of arguing

Treat each other with respect by listening to each other’s thoughts without interjecting words—or body language

Speak again only after others who want to have done so

If your question or comment has already been said, don’t say it again

unless you need further clarification OR unless you feel it is important for the group to know more than one person shares a particular point of view

Give others a chance to finish their statements before asking or interjecting something new

Side conversations will be held at the break

Put cell phones into silent or vibrate mode—and answer ONLY if there is an emergency

Meeting Logistics and Focus

The following is a schedule and work planfor Cooperating Agency meetings:

Cooperating Agency Meeting Schedule

Meeting Date / Time / Location / Outcomes
July 24 / 1 pm – 4 pm / Eugene District Office
August 23 / 10 am – 2:30 pm / Eugene District Office / Consensus on Operating Principles; NEPA & BLM Planning Process Reviewed; Subgroups formed.
September 27 / 8:30 am -2:30 pm / Eugene District Office
October 25 / TBD / TBD
November-April meetings / TBD / TBD

Cooperating Agency Contacts
(insert latest MOU signatories and insert BLM RMP for WO contact list)

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