Kansas Water Authority Spurs
State Agency DR Trainings
The mediation training in Kansas’ natural resource agencies builds on an initiative by the Kansas Water Office in 2003 to reach across political boundaries to address its coordination and planning responsibilities. The foundation for this effort was Gov. Sebelius’ creation of the Natural Resources Sub-Cabinet, which was directed to meet regularly to coordinate state agencies’ initiatives on water.
Following creation of the Sub-Cabinet, the Water Office began working in all twelve river basins in Kansas to identify each basin’s priority issues. Agencies represented on the Sub-Cabinet developed plans collaboratively to address those priorities.
Grotewiel said agency participants have so far responded positively to the training. “There is support in the governor’s office, and now it’s growing among the agencies working in the natural resources area, as a better way to handle conflicts,” he said.
Expanding of the use of DR from its traditional court setting into the public policy arena, beginning with the natural resources agencies, is a welcome change for Kansas, Thompson said. “Twenty years ago it didn’t seem as though dispute resolution would ever catch on in our courts, but now all our judicial districts use mediation and dispute resolution in a wide variety of areas. I expect the same will happen across state government.”