Conflicts CONCUR Has Helped Resolve in the United States
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In May 2008 CONCUR completed an assignment for the California Ocean Protection Council when we helped designed and facilitate a two day statewide workshop on Collaborative Fisheries Research (CFR). Our team conducted pre-workshop interviews to help create the workshop agenda, and used our working knowledge of ocean and coastal policy, including the status of California ocean fisheries, to refine approaches to be used during the workshop. This workshop was attended by fisheries managers, fishermen, scientists, community groups and policy makers from throughout California and the nation. The focus was twofold: 1. To hear about lessons learned from existing CFR projects; and 2. To solicit feedback on how to establish a new statewide CFR program that may then be extended to include other west coast states. CONCUR helped organize and facilitate panel discussions, breakout sessions and the plenary, and provided a comprehensive summary memo that highlighted what was discussed, including a framework and major institutional elements of a statewide CFR program.
CONCUR was selected by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Seattle Department of Transportation and King County to design a process that will enable the three parties and affected stakeholders to resolve a longstanding dispute over the replacement of the at-risk Alaskan Way Viaduct, a 60-year-old stacked highway that separates downtown Seattle from the waterfront. CONCUR's role focuses on collaborative process design, strategic planning advice and stakeholder involvement. The project, started in summer 2007, is slated to end in early 2009.
CONCUR is facilitating two different East Coast stakeholder groups focused on reducing incidental bycatch of Harbor Porpoise and Atlantic Large Whale. CONCUR's work focuses on (1) conducting initial stakeholder assessments, (2) convening both in-person and teleconference meetings among fishermen, conservationists, academics, researchers and various government agencies, and (3) summarizing emerging agreement. CONCUR's work with the National Marine Fisheries Service on this effort strives to identify consensus-supported approaches that can reduce bycatch to sustainable levels.
In March 2008, CONCUR Senior Associate Bennett Brooks facilitated the inaugural meeting of the CEO Water Mandate, a United Nations-sponsored initiative that brings together business leaders and the broader international community with a focus on improving strategies and efforts to address the emerging global water crisis. The initiative focuses on six main topic areas: direct operations; supply chain and watershed management; collective action; public policy; community engagement; and transparency. The two-day meeting, held at UN headquarters in New York City, brought together several dozen business leaders, UN agency representatives, environmental organizations and others to refine the focus and strategy for guiding the Mandate's future endeavors. The meeting resulted in a consensus-supported approach to the Mandate's near-term priorities, as well as unanimous endorsement of the initiative's governance and funding structure. CONCUR's role focused on strategic planning and meeting facilitation. In that capacity, CONCUR teamed closely with both the UN Global Compact Office and the Pacific Institute.
In early 2008, CONCUR successfully completed a project for the California Resources Agency to create a Request for Proposal (RFP) to study the major technical issues associated with a range of decommissioning alternatives for the state's 27 offshore oil and gas platforms. Working closely with the office of the Assistant Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy and his staff, the CONCUR team first reviewed existing and ongoing research related to mineral resource development in the offshore areas of the Southern California Bight (i.e., fisheries, water quality, oceanography, socioeconomic issues, etc.) as well as pertinent federal and state coastal management policy and legislation. CONCUR also conducted confidential interviews with a cross-section of key stakeholders and scientists to help prepare for the workshop. CONCUR used the results of this background research and interviews, in turn, to organize and facilitate two workshops: one for ocean and coastal policy stakeholders; and a second for expert scientists, including the members of the Inter-Agency Decommissioning Working Group.
CONCUR prepared a Workshop Summary for the facilitated workshops that highlighted the key information needs raised by stakeholders and scientists. CONCUR used this information to develop a Scope of Work for a study to be commissioned by the Resources Agency. The study will compile all available information needed to inform future policy discussions about the strengths and drawbacks a range of decommissioning alternatives. The economic, environmental and financial stakes of this decision making process are significant. Estimates of the cost to fully remove these platforms range from $1-2 billion. The final work product delivered by CONCUR was a comprehensive RFP to guide the selection of a consultant to address the identified information needs. The aim of the study, in turn, is to support well reasoned deliberation on policy alternatives.
As part of ongoing interagency efforts to implement a Water Use Efficiency (WUE) Program in California, the US Bureau of Reclamation asked CONCUR, Inc. to conduct an assessment of the technical assistance provided in support of local WUE programs. CONCUR gathered information from two main sources: a set of approximately 40 confidential stakeholder interviews, and a more broadly targeted web-based survey. The interviews and survey targeted users and providers of both agricultural and urban WUE technical assistance. Participants included representatives of water agencies, growers, university specialists, commodity groups, water conservation consultants, and other organizations.
The goals of the assessment are: (1) to assess the role and importance of technical assistance to the WUE Program; (2) help document ways that technical assistance has supported sound water use efficiency projects; (3) identify and characterize barriers to the provision and use of WUE technical assistance; and (4) identify needs and ways to improve implementation of WUE technical assistance. The assessment is also intended to inform federal and state agency investment of technical assistance funding as well as ongoing statewide WUE Program strategic planning. CONCUR prepared a summary report in September 2007, synthesizing the assessment results. The report focused on key findings, implications for the WUE Program, and recommended next steps.
California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative
CONCUR Chosen to Facilitate the MLPA North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
CONCUR has been chosen to facilitate the next phase of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. On May 22-23, 2007, CONCUR facilitated the kick-off meeting of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative's North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (NCCRSG). The NCCRSG is scheduled to meet through mid-2008 and will have primary responsibility to develop alternate proposals for marine protected areas (MPAs) along California's north central coast.
In completing their work, the NCCRSG will work closely with two other bodies-a Blue Ribbon Task Force of senior policy advisors, and a Science Advisory Team-to inform the decisions of the California Fish and Game Commission. The project's focus is a 146-mile region of California coastal waters ranging from Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to Alder Creek in Mendocino County. Participants in the process include commercial and recreational fishers, harbormasters, recreational divers, conservation groups, scientists, researchers, educators, and representatives of federal, state, and local agencies. This project is the latest phase in ongoing efforts to implement California's Marine Life Protection Act. CONCUR also facilitated the work of the Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group in 2005-2006.At their May 22-23, 2007 meeting in San Rafael, 21 primary and 9 alternate NCCRSG members received an orientation to the project and an overview of the ecological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic features of the north central coast. NCCRSG members unanimously adopted ground rules to guide their work together and met in breakout groups to share information about their expertise, hopes, and concerns about the project. Future meetings will occur every 6-8 weeks.Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group Facilitated
CONCUR facilitated the Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group, a 32-member group charged with developing alternate packages of Marine Protected Areas for the region between Pigeon Point and Point Conception. Parties included commercial and recreational fishing interests from the Morro Bay and Monterey, the harbormaster of Morro Bay and Monterey, conservation organizations, consumptive and nonconsumptive divers, and coastal business owners. As the first region to establish MPAs under the Act, the Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group was an essential part of the structure of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative and the CCRSG process established the foundation for the later steps in the MLPA process.
The CCRSG worked in tandem with a Science Advisory Team (SAT), a Blue Ribbon Task Force of senior policy advisors, and Department of Fish and Game staff. CONCUR lead the group in adoption of ground rules, a set of regional goals and objectives, and robust deliberation over alternative packages of marine protected areas. The CCRSG met its aggressive deadline to produce alternative packages in seven months. In March 2006, the Blue Ribbon Task deliberated on the packages and established a hybrid package 3R as their preferred alternative. Then, in August 2006, the F&GC considered the recommendations of the CCRSG, the Blue Ribbon Task Force and Fish and Game Staff and established and selected a F&GC preferred alternative. It includes 29 sites, with 8.4% of state waters proposed as State Marine Reserves and 17.7% of state waters proposed as MPAs. The F&G Commission also directed the alternative packages 1 and 2R to be evaluated as part of the California Environmental Quality Act process.
Fish and Game Commission Takes "Landmark" Action on 29 Central Coast Marine Protected Areas
On April 13, 2007, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously adopted a packaged of 29 marine protected areas. The aim of the program is to build a statewide network to protect biological diversity and rebuild depleted fish stocks, and create educational and research opportunities. The Central Coast Region is the first to be addressed.
The MPAs cover about 200 square miles (about 18%) of an 1150 square mile region off Central California ranging from Pont Conception in south to Pillar Point in the north. Of those, 13 are Marine Reserves where no extractive use is allowed; others are less restrictive MPAs where some types of commercial or recreational fishing is allowed, while. The total area in MPAs comprises about 18% of the study area, which begins at the shoreline, and extends to the 3-mile limit of state waters.
Commission action marks the culmination of an extensive two-year public process in which stakeholders developed three alternate draft proposals, they were reviewed by a Science Advisory Team, and then by a senior level Blue Ribbon Task Force, who recommended a preferred alternative. CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary and Associate Eric Poncelet played a key role in facilitating the Regional Stakeholder Group which developed the initial proposals or "packages." The final adopted recommendation is a hybrid of those developed by the stakeholder group, with some minor modifications introduced by the BRTF and the Commission. The CONCUR team also provided strategic planning advice to the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative.
As the MPLA Initiative is far more extensive than similar programs in other states, the Commission action has received media coverage:
New York Times - "California Adopts First Phase of Ocean Preserves", 04/15/07 (NYT account needed to view)
San Jose Mercury News - "Marine Protected Areas Shown on Map", 04/14/07
San Jose Mercury News - "California marine conservation efforts coming together", 04/23/07
San Francisco Chronicle - "State wildlife officials to create marine preserves", 04/13/07. "With our action today, California has embarked upon something historic and extraordinary," said Richard Rogers, president of the Commission. "With this vote, we have taken the first step to return our ocean waters to the place they used to be; an ocean full of sustainable abundance."
A 6-page document containing links and summaries of more media coverage can be dowloaded here: Central_Coast_MPAs_MEDIA.docMLPA Initiative Central Coast Project Facilitator's Report
The Central Coast project was the first study region as part of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative's effort to create a statewide network of marine protected areas. With the aim of learning from experience, the Initiative arranged for a series of “Lessons Learned” analyses reports. CONCUR authored a Facilitator's Report from our vantage point as lead facilitators for the Central Coast project. In it, we review our approach to stakeholder analysis, convening, and facilitation of the Regional Stakeholder Group. We document the key process choices we made in preparing for the set of seven intensive plenary meetings, the challenges we faced, results achieved, and implications for future study regions. We also reflect on our experience and offer a series of recommendations for consideration by the Department of Fish and Game and Initiative staff as the effort to build a statewide network goes forward. The report can be viewed at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/pdfs/agenda_090606f.pdf. Two companion studies--one by Jonathan Raab (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/pdfs/agenda_090606e.pdf), and one by Michael Harty and Dewitt John (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/pdfs/agenda_090606d.pdf)--also examine the Central Coast project.
Design and Facilitation of a Stakeholder Involvement Process: Port of Oakland Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan
CONCUR is designing and facilitating a Stakeholder Involvement Process to support the Port of Oakland's development of a Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (MAQIP). To launch the planning process, CONCUR facilitated a public kickoff meeting on April 10, 2007 that drew approximately 80 attendees.
CONCUR will facilitate regular meetings of the Port of Oakland Maritime Air Quality Task Force, which is currently being formed through a stakeholder nomination process to achieve a balanced representation of stakeholder interests, and will begin meeting in June 2007. CONCUR will also facilitate periodic community workshops over the course of the planning process, which is currently expected to continue through 2007.
The planning process is Co-Chaired by the Port of Oakland, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. CONCUR is working in close coordination with the Port's technical consultants to provide accessible technical information to a wide range of stakeholders and to provide opportunities for stakeholders to engage in discussion with the Port's technical consultants.
CONCUR was chosen unanimously by a broad-based selection committee to design and facilitate the Stakeholder Involvement Process.
Documents relating to the planning process are posted on two websites:
1. CONCUR's meeting documents can be found at http://www.concurinc.com/portofoakland/.
2. The Port of Oakland's planning process documents are at http://www.portofoakland.com/environm/prog_04c.asp.
NMFS Marine Mammal Serious Injury Workshop
CONCUR worked with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to organize, convene, and facilitate a 3-day expert workshop in September 2007. The workshop brought together NMFS staff, leading veterinarians, pathobiologists, and marine mammal scientists to share new data and information on serious injuries of marine mammals. The objectives of the workshop were to evaluate NMFS' existing process and guidelines for determining what constitutes a serious injury of marine mammals, identify data and information needs, and develop updated guidelines and/or policy for serious injury determinations. The Serious Injury Workshop advanced NMFS' ability to accurately evaluate serious injury of marine mammals through sharing new information on types and frequencies of injuries and the fate of seriously injured marine mammals.
CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary facilitated a deliberation of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD) on October 25-26 at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall Law School. Scott worked alongside Bill Hull of CGBD and Steve Whitney of the Bulllitt Foundation, the co- conveners the meeting. The Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD) is a grantmakers forum that seeks to focus attention on issues and program opportunities related to the conservation and restoration of biological resources. Established in 1987, the CGBD is comprised of 53 foundations and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The briefing session brought together 35 grantmakers and national leaders in water resource management innovation to identify current and emerging trends to stimulate thinking on potential future grantmaking, potential opportunities for collaboration, and next steps to build a platform for future discussions of water resource funders.
CONCUR co-facilitated review of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) priorities for core technology and product development research on the topic of solid state lighting (SSL) at a national workshop convened in Phoenix, Arizona (January 31 - February 2, 2007). SSL, built on the rapidly-developing technologies of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDS), holds great promise as a light source and a way to reduce a major component of the US energy budget. Some analysts forecast that by 2027, adoption of LED/OLED technologies could decrease total electricity consumption for lighting by 1/3. LEDs are semiconductor devices that emit light when connected in a circuit.
Frequently used as "pilot" lights in electronic appliances to indicate whether the circuit is closed, they are now becoming viable options for many types of commercial and residential lighting as efficiencies improve. OLEDs are a special type of LED in which the emissive layer is a thin-film of organic compounds. OLEDs have applications in the areas of television, computer, and portable system displays. Participants in the workshop included university and DOE researchers, lighting industry specialists, utility executives, and senior DOE staff. CONCUR teamed with colleagues Doug Brookman and Jonathan Raab to facilitate four intensive breakout sessions, each with 25-50 participants. The results will be used to refine DOE's program of solid state lighting R&D investments in the coming years.
CONCUR served as facilitator of the Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team (PLTRT) in 2006-2007. The aim of the team is reduce incidental bycatch of pilot whale and Risso's dolphins in the longline tuna and swordfish fishery. In this capacity, CONCUR worked with NMFS to convene the Team, conduct an initial assessment, draft groundrules, outline a work program, and manage all logistical arrangements to support the PLTRT. CONCUR facilitated four intensive deliberation and text-drafting sessions over the course of 10 months. CONCUR worked closely with NMFS staff at the Southeast Region and Headquarters to carry out this work in an efficient manner. Team members include representatives of the longline fleet from Maine to Florida, national environmental organizations, scientific experts, and senior NMFS staff. At the final meeting, the full PLTRT reached agreement on a Draft Take Reduction Plan (TRP), which consisted of a package of regulatory and non-regulatory measures designed to reduce bycatch. Regulatory measures included setting a 20 nautical-mile upper limit on mainline length for all pelagic longline sets with the Mid-Atlantic Bight area, and establishing a Cape Hatteras Special Research Area. Non-regulatory measures included increasing observer coverage in all highly migratory species fisheries that interact with pilot whales and Risso's dolphins, and promoting voluntary daily communications among captains regarding interactions with protected species throughout the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. The TRP also outlined a focused research agenda. CONCUR served as the Secretariat for drafting the TRP. CONCUR continues to convene the Team at periodic intervals to move the Plan toward implementation and track bycatch reduction.
CONCUR Senior Associate Bennett Brooks teamed with UC Berkeley Professor Michael Hanemann to assist the Imperial Irrigation District (District) in evaluating and ranking different methods to support the equitable distribution of water within the District. The District provides irrigation water and electric power to the lower southeastern portion of California's desert. The Imperial Valley produces nearly $1 billion in crops annually and provides over 1,000 jobs in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. The process was part of the District's overall planning and preparation effort should future circumstances arise where local water needs are greater than supplies. CONCUR took the lead in structuring an extensive public involvement process. Dr. Hanemann performed the technical analysis. The project focused around a series of meetings and workshops with growers, local businesses and others to identify allocation options capable of garnering widespread support. A package of broadly supported recommendations was submitted to the IID Board for its consideration in August 2006.
Developing a Reliable Plan to Conserve Water in the Imperial Valley
CONCUR is part of a multi-faceted team headed by Davids Engineering of Davis, California, that has been hired by the Imperial Irrigation District to develop a plan for conserving more than 300,000 acre-feet of water for transfer to San Diego and elsewhere. In its role in the project, referred to as the Definite Plan, CONCUR is responsible for designing and executing a public involvement process intended to build support for conservation practices needed to cut the District's overall water use by almost 10 percent. The project involves extensive strategic planning, facilitation of a 12-member grower work group and close coordination with a project team that includes irrigation engineers, resource economists and others. CONCUR is also responsible for overseeing the public outreach effort, which includes a bi-monthly project newsletter, public workshops, field visits to conservation demonstration projects and a project website. Senior Associate Bennett Brooks and Associate Tracylee Clarke jointly staff the project for CONCUR. Fore more information on the project, please visit the Definite Plan website.
In July and August, 2006, CONCUR was retained under a national contract with SRA international to conduct an assessment for USEPA and DOJ to evaluate the prospects for mediation to finalize cost recovery actions at the Baldwin Park Operable Unit (BPOU) Superfund site. CONCUR conducted a series of interviews with key parties including PRPs and their representatives, insurance companies, as well as representatives of USEPA and counterpart state agencies (California's Department of Substance Toxic Control (DTSC), the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board) The assessment confirmed the willingness of parties to enter mediation, established selection criteria for a mediator, framed issues for negotiation, and produced agreement on a mediator with specific expertise in insurance Superfund law, and a commitment to commence a mediation process in the fall of 2006.
CALFED: Bay-Delta Program for Water Supply Reliability, Water Use Efficiency, and Ecosystem Restoration
CONCUR has been working closely with the CALFED Bay-Delta Program since 1996 to provide strategic planning, process design, joint fact-finding services and agreement-focused facilitation. CALFED is a joint effort among more than 20 federal and state agencies working to broker a deal that will create a long-term solution for the Delta that improves water supply reliability, levee system integrity, water quality and ecosystem restoration. The effort is one of the largest environmental planning initiatives ever undertaken in North America.
In its work, CONCUR has:
- Mediated a series of water use efficiency agreements that have helped to resolve longstanding disagreements among environmental, agricultural, urban and agency interests. These broadly supported agreements and approaches include: (1) a conceptual foundation for an agricultural water use efficiency program grounded in an objective-oriented, incentive driven approach; (2) a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agricultural Water Management Council and CALFED to help agricultural water districts plan and implement a set of efficient water management practices; (3) a clearly delineated package of agricultural water use efficiency milestones; (4) a detailed framework for an urban water conservation certification program; and, (5) protocols for a multi-million-dollar grant and loan program to implement water use efficiency.
- Facilitated a series of public bodies that brought together agricultural, environmental, urban and state/federal agency representatives to discuss strategies for structuring and implementing CALFED's far-reach Water Use Efficiency Program.
- Assisted CALFED in organizing, structuring and facilitating high-profile and technically complex independent review processes. These independent review panel initiatives have focused on ecosystem restoration, agricultural water conservation potential, agricultural water use measurement and CALFED-wide program financing. CONCUR also helped design and facilitate CALFED's Water Management Science Board.
- Provided a range of Program-wide assistance, including: advising CALFED staff on the design and execution of meetings of the Bay-Delta Advisory Committee, a body comprised of the major interest groups involved in shaping California water policy; and, designing and facilitating two large (200+ person) workshops to brief major water stakeholders and the public on emerging draft alternatives and elicit their comments on the options strengths and weaknesses.
CONCUR's current work with the program focuses on the following primary areas: (1) conducting an extensive stakeholder analysis to assess the need for revising the CALFED Program's current approach to fostering urban water agencies' implementation of locally cost effective conservation measures; and (2) canvassing urban and agricultural representatives to better understand their water use efficiency-related technical assistance needs.top
Clean Estuary Partnership to Develop TMDLs and Other Water Quality Attainment Strategies for the SF Bay-Delta
CONCUR worked with a team headed by Applied Marine Sciences to coordinate and facilitate the work program for the Clean Estuary Partnership (CEP). CEP is a collaborative effort of the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA), and the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA).
The objective of CEP is to guide the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and other water quality attainment strategies for the San Francisco Bay-Delta and its tributaries. The 5-year program is committed to utilizing sound science and public collaboration to develop and implement technically sound and cost-effective TMDLs and other strategies that contribute to identifiable, sustainable water quality improvements for the San Francisco Bay. CONCUR was responsible for program strategic planning, facilitating planning sessions, and managing the public outrea