Policy Consensus E-News — January 2006

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In this issue:

PCI Looks Into The Future
Utah Legislator Featured in Salt Lake Tribune for Bipartisan Work
Virginia Solutions Completes Two Pilots
Case Study: Oklahoma Legislators Convene Process to Deal With Big Birds

PCI Looks Ahead

In the year ahead we plan to focus on leadership, highlighting the important roles that sponsors, conveners, and universities and other neutral forums are playing in specific collaborative efforts.

Here is a preview of some of what to expect to read about:

A report on how legislators are doing their jobs differently, focusing on how they convene people to get them working together to solve problems. This report will be based on interviews with legislators around the country and will be published in partnership with the Kettering Foundation.
New opportunities for universities and other centers to exchange information and resources about how they can act as hosts and conveners, as well as facilitators, for collaborative processes.
How to’s for employing the Public Solutions System in community problem solving, as described in the Hewlett publication.
Research into best practices for using collaboration to address large-scale issues.
How sponsors from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors are supporting and employing collaboration and the Public Solutions System.
Ways that Public Solutions can be used to develop intergovernmental collaboration and coordination among federal, tribal, state, and local governments.

Utah Representative Becker Works to Span Party Lines

Last month the Salt Lake Tribune profiled PCI Board member, Representative Ralph Becker. Ralph Becker was elected to the Utah House in 1996. Four years ago his Democratic colleagues elected him their majority leader.

In an article by Frances Johnson, here is what the Tribune said, “After a decade in state government, Ralph Becker has learned a few things. One of the most important lessons learned, he said, is that the job of a leader isn't always to lead. At least not from the front.“

Virginia Solutions

Virginia Solutions, a project of the University of Virginia's Institute for Environmental Negotiation (IEN) in partnership with community mediation centers around the state, recently completed two pilot projects. One pilot dealt with wastewater treatment on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The other developed a Riparian Easement Program in Fauquier County. Frank Dukes, IEN Director said, “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in getting Virginia Solutions off the ground.”

Case Study:
Oklahoma Legislators Convene Process to Deal With Big Birds

Over the past several months, PCI has been highlighting the role state legislators can play in taking the lead by convening public and private parties to tackle problems. Here is one more example.

In April of 2000, several hundred or so of the numerous cattle egrets that roost in Oklahoma chose a four-acre platted neighborhood in Corum, Oklahoma, for their new nesting home. The next year, 5,000 birds came. By 2004 an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 were roosting in a small area, adjacent to the local water supply. Most were cattle egrets, but the population also included some endangered snowy egrets and blue herons.