In addition to our project work and customized training program, CONCUR Principals and Associates are often invited to give lectures and participate in briefings on the firm's work and the field of Environmental and Public Policy Dispute Resolution to university graduate courses and professional associations. Over the 18 months, we have made presentations in several top departments in law, public policy, environmental planning and environmental science throughout the US. We view these as a core part of our theory of practice as serious reflexive practitioners. Our approach in these presentations to is blend a rigorous knowledge of theory, a strong analytic foundation in environmental policy with the practical experience provided by our 18 years of practice in the Western US, throughout North America, and internationally. We see these as important opportunities to reflect on our work, to advance best practices in our field, inspire potential colleagues, and to stimulate thinking on new directions in the field and for public policy and environmental decision making more broadly. Our recent presentations are summarized below.

USIECR 2008 Conference

At the May, 2008 National Conference convened by the US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, in Tucson, Arizona, Scott McCreary teamed with colleagues Mike Harty, Meg Caldwell, and John Kirlin on panel titled "Blue Ribbon" Decision Making in California: Using Authority, Science and Stakeholder Facilitation.

The session explored the use of a "Blue Ribbon Task Force-Stakeholder" model to address highly polarized, complex public disputes where the potential for achieving consensus among stakeholders is unclear, and where public decisions must be made in a timely manner.

The US Institute for established by Congress to assist parties to resolve environmental, natural resource, and public lands conflicts.

Guest Lecture at UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy

In November 2006, Scott McCreary presented a guest lecture “Environmental Mediation: Perspectives from a Reflexive Practitioner” to graduate students in the Negotiation course at UC Berkeley's Master in Public Policy Program. Among the top-ranked programs in the country, the Goldman School of Public Policy embraces the realms of both domestic and international policy and prepares students for careers including policy analysis, program evaluation, and management and planning. Teamwork is encouraged informally and through group projects; the faculty believes that this approach develops skills in negotiation, cooperation, and consensus building, all essential to effective public leadership. Scott's guest lecture was one of several “frequent visits by local and nationally known policy professionals”. He addressed the impetus for environmental negotiation, distinguishing features of environmental disputes, explored two case studies, and identified some opportunities for classroom-centered research on current topics in environment and public policy dispute resolution.

Guest Lecture at Cal State University Monterey Bay, Graduate Seminar in Coastal Watershed Science and Policy

In October, 2006, CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary presented a guest lecture on his facilitation of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Central Coast Project at a graduate seminar at California State University Monterey Bay. His talk examined key process choices made and their relationships to outcomes achieved in the Central Coast study area, which culminated in Fish and Game Commission support for a package of 29 Marine Protected areas. The seminar is the inaugural course in the newly-created Masters of Science in Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy. The program's aim is to train professionals who can employ sound technology, science, and economics to produce, evaluate, or implement environmental policies affecting the natural or managed systems of the coastal zone extending from watersheds to the continental slope.

Presenter at the California and the World Ocean Conference 2006

In September 2006, CONCUR Associate Eric Poncelet spoke at the California and the World Ocean 2006 organized by the California Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Coastal Conservancy. Eric's presentation focused on his experience as co-facilitator the California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative's (Initiative) Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. The aim of the Central Coast Project was to develop candidate packages of Marine Protected Areas to be part of an ultimate statewide network. Eric drew from the Facilitator's Report co-authored with CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary to describe key elements of the MLPA Initiative process, challenges faced, key process decisions made and results achieved. He also reviewed CONCUR's recommendations for guiding MPA development in future study regions along the California coast. Convened in Long Beach, the conference was attended by over 1,000 participants representing resource and regulatory agencies, scientific and research institutions, environmental organizations, fishing interests, and other user groups.

Guest Instructor at Vermont Law School

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary co-taught the course "Mediating Land Use, Water, and Marine Resource Disputes" with co-instructor Cindy Cook at Vermont Law School in July and August, 2006. Students in the course include candidates for the JD, Master's Studies in Environmental Law, and LL.M degree. Vermont Law School's Environmental Law Center is regarded as one of the top environmental law and policy programs in the country. The course addressed the impetus for environmental mediation, current issues in Vermont wetlands management, an historical look at efforts to remediate PCB contamination in the Hudson River, and a series of simulation exercises created for the course. While at VLS, McCreary also gave a "Hot Topics" lecture on the evolving California Marine Life Protection Act initiative.

2006 Northern California ADR Faculty Conference at Stanford Law School On March 25, 2006

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary gave a presentation on Teaching Environmental Policy Mediation to The 2006 Northern California ADR Faculty Conference at Stanford Law School. Scott outlined a set of organizing questions for teachers of public policy mediation to consider, and shared his first-hand experience in mediating two complex environmental policy cases and potential implications for teaching. Participants included instructors from Stanford, Hastings Law School, Santa Clara Law School, and other law and graduate schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

UC Berkeley graduate course in The Process of Environmental Planning, Fall 2005

CBI/MIT graduate students, Fall, 2005

USIECR conference, Spring 2005. Moderator of panel discussion on long lived dispute resolution processes.