KEYNOTE---RTCA TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN
J. Glenn Eugster
IN 1984 BILL REILY, FORMER EPA ADMINISTRATOR AND HEAD OF THE WWF TESTIFIED IN SUPPORT OF YOUR BUDGET----SAID THIS WORK WAS PART OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. FROM THE SIZE OF THE GROUP TONIGHT IT LOOKS AS IF THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION PRATITIONERS HAS ARRIVED.
CONGRATUALTIONS ON YOUR GOOD WORK. YOU’VE TAKEN AN IDEA DEVELOPED IN 1968 AND INSTITUTIONALIZED WITHIN ONE OF THE LEADING PARKS AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD.
RIVERS, TRAILS AND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE---PROBABLY THE BEST WORK THERE IS IN CONSERVATION. PLACES, PEOPLE AND PROCESS. NEXT TO TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND WATCHING BASEBALL, THERE IS NOTHING I ENJOY MORE THAN A LOCALLY-DRIVEN PROJECT.
THE LAST TIME I VISITED TRAVERSE CITY WAS 1988 AND I WAS WORKING ON THE HOMESTEAD WETLANDS DISPUTE. IT’S IRONIC BECAUSE RTCA AND THE HOMESTEAD CASE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON. HOMESTEAD IS A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED FOR THE CRYSTAL RIVER WATERSHED WEST OF HERE. THE PROJECT PROPOSAL SPARKED CONCERN BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE WATER QUALITY AND WETLANDS IMPACTS AND THE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN GOING THRU A LEGAL BATTLE FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS.
THE DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN BLOCKED BECAUSE OF WETLAND AND WATER QUALITY LAWS. BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT LAWS CAN PREVENT SOMETHING ADVERSE FROM OCCURING BUT THEY DON’T PROTECT A RIVER CORRIDOR. IN ORDER TO TURN SOMETHING INTO A POSITIVE ASSET YOU NEED THE COOPERATION OF THE COMMUNITY. DESPITE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE SIERRA CLUB, EPA AND OTHERS THE CRYSTAL RIVER NEVER HAS HAD THE STRONG SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY---SO IT ONLY HAS THE LAWS.
IN MANY WAYS THAT IS THE CHANGE THAT RTCA BROUGHT ABOUT. YOUR ORIGINS ARE A RESULT OF THE LESSONS WE LEARNED TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THE LEGISLATION OF THE 1960’S. WE, AND OTHERS, WERE TOLD TO PROTECT RIVERS AND TRAIL CORRIDORS BY LAW. AND IN MANY CASES THE LAWS SUPPORTED LOCAL INITIATIVE. UNFORTUNATELY IN MANY CASES THE LAWS CAME BEFORE COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT ARRIVED.
WE TOOK OUR MANADATES AND FLIPPED THEM AROUND. INSTEAD OF USING THE LAWS WHICH EMPOWERED OUR WORK AS MANADATES TO CONSERVE PLACES, WE STARTED USING OUR AUTHORITIES TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS—TO HELP PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES PROTECT, MANAGE AND ENJOY THE PLACES WHICH WE AND CONGRESS CARED ABOUT.
IN 1999 THIS BOTTOMS-UP APPROACH IS MORE THE NORM THAN THE EXCEPTION YOU SAY. IN 1979, WHEN RTCA FIRST TOOK SHAPE, IT WAS A DIRECTION THAT MANY OF OUR STRONGEST SUPPORTERS RESISTED.
AS YOU CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENT PUBLIC SERVICE CONSERVATION WORK TAKE SATISFACTION IN WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND USE THE LESSONS THE PROGRAM HAS LEARNED TO CHART A YOUR COURSE (RIVER NAVIGATOR TALK) FOR THE FUTURE.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE ARE YOU NOW? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE? THOSE ARE THREE QUESTIONS I USE WHEN I HELP PEOPLE DESIGN CONSERVATION STRATEGIES. AND THEY WORK FOR A PROGRAM THAT IS ABOUT PEOPLE AND LANDSCAPES!
TOM’S INITIAL REQUEST WAS TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF RTCA IN THE LARGER CONTEXT; WHAT ROLE CAN RTCA PLAY IN SMART GROWTH; WHAT IS GOING ON IN AHR’S; AND HOW DOES YOUR WORK TIE INTO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES? ALL GOOD BUT TOUGH QUESTIONS.
MY SENSE IS THAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF YOUR WORK FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES:
FIRST, HOW DO YOU, THINK, AS A GROUP, THAT CONSERVATION DECISIONS GET MADE? WHAT IS THE EQUATION THAT INFLUENCES OR LEADS TO COMMUNITY-DECISIONS? EACH OF YOU HAS A MODEL AND ITS IMPORTANT THAT YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR MODEL RELATES TO OTHERS. YOU CAN EMBRACE SOMEONE ELSE’S MODEL/ APPROACH TO WORK OR BUILD YOUR OWN.
A MODEL OF THIS TYPE---EVEN A GENERAL ONE ALLOWS YOU TO LOOK AT NEW ISSUES AND NEW OPTIONS AND SEE HOW THEY RELATE TO YOUR OWN VALUES AND SENSE OF DIRECTION. WHETHER IT BE SMART GROWTH, HERITAGE, CLEAN AIR COMMUNITIES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, OR GATEWAYS AND WATER TRAILS, YOU CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND CONTEXT IF YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU PRACTICE.
SECOND, WHAT DO YOU DO BEST? WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE WORK? WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN FOR?---FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR CLIENTS!!!!
THINK ABOUT IT----TNC—BIODIVERSITY; NLT—LANDOWNER MASTER PLANS; NATIONAL TRUST-—MAIN STREET; TCF—GREENWAYS; NPS-RTCA WHAT WOULD YOU SAY????
PART OF THIS REQUIRES A SELF-EVALUATION OF YOUR MODEL. WHAT DO YOU THINK SUCCESS IS AND ARE YOU ACHIEVING IT? IF NOT, MAYBE A CHANGE IN COURSE IS DUE?
PART OF THIS ALSO INVOLVES CUSTOMER FEED-BACK.
AND FINALLY IT REQUIRES A REVIEW OF YOUR COMPETITION AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE.
WHAT IS YOUR NICHE AND HOW DO PEOPLE DIFFERENTIATE YOU FROM OTHER SIMILAR SERVICE PROVIDERS?
LET ME MOVE ON TO SOME IDEAS FOR YOU TO ADD TO YOUR DISCUSSIONS.
IT IS TIME TO CHECK YOUR COURSE BECAUSE THE CONSERVATION BUSINESS IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. CONVERGENCE OF THINKING AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. ONCE YOUR WERE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, NOW YOUR ARE ONE OF MANY WHO DO THIS WORK.
YOUR CONCEPT OR EQUATION FOR YOUR WORK MUST FACTOR IN SUSTAINABILITY IF YOU ARE TO STAY CUTTING EDGE. SIMPLE CONCEPT THAT PLAYS TO YOUR STRENGTH. COMMUNITY-BASED, MULTI-OBJECTIVE AND IT INVOLVES ENVIRONMENT, PEOPLE, AND THE ECONOMY.
PERHAPS THE THREE-LEGGED STOOL THAT YOU WOULD DESCRIBE LOOKS WOULD INCLUDE:
--LANDSCAPE TO DESCRIBE THE ENVIRONMENT
--HERITAGE TO SPEAK TO COMMUNITY IN A HUMAN ECOLOGY CONTEXT, AND
--SMART GROWTH TO DESCRIBE THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ESSENTIAL THAT YOU TIE INTO THE GLOBAL
SUSTAINABILITY MOVEMENT AND NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO THE USA EXPERIENCE---WE AREN’T LEADERS
INCREASINGLY ALL OF US ARE BEING CHALLENGED TO RESPOND TO MORE INITIATIVES. THERE ARE THREE ISSUES TO LOOK AT: RESOURCE/ LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS; BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT.
FOR RESOURCES---THINK SYSTEMS---WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT ARE KEY TO THIS IDEA OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES. IF SMART GROWTH IS THE ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE WHAT IS THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN NEW DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.
BUDGET---YOU’VE DONE WELL BECAUSE YOUR SMALL AND HAVE BROAD SUPPORT. TO GO FURTHER THE STRATEGY HAS TO OFFER SOMETHING MORE. MORE EMPHAIS ON MUST DO; SHOULD DO WORK. TOO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS IN THE NICE TO DO IF WE HAVE MONEY CATEGORY. WE NEED TO SHOW THE BUDGET PEOPLE A VISION---SYSTEMS APPROACH THAT MAKES SENSE AND HAS A TANGIBLE GOAL.
GOVERNOR GLENDENING QUOTE-----GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
MANAGEMENT---FLATTENING AND MULTI-OBJECTIVE EFFORTS HAVE CAUSED HAVOC ON THE PRACTITIONER. THE MANAGEMENT PYRAMID HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE WIDE END AT THE TOP. THIS TYPE OF WORK REQUIRES MORE PEOPLE AT THE FIELD LEVEL AND NEW WORKING ARRANGEMENTS.
AHR RIVER NAVIGATORS AND HUD’S COMMUNITY BUILDERS ARE TWO NEW MODELS WORTH LOOKING AT.
PERHAPS YOU SHOULD THINK OF WAYS TO TAKE THE LESSONS OF THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF RTCA AND HELP COMMUNITIES INSTITUTIONALIZE THEM AT THE COMMUNITY/ REGIONAL LEVEL. THE PROJECTS GIVE YOU A WEALTH OF CASE STUDIES TO DRAW EXPERIENCE AND CONCLUSIONS FROM. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES FOR RIVERS, TRAILS, HERITAGE, WATERSHEDS THAT COMMUNITIES COULD, AND PERHAPS SHOULD, EMBRACE INTO THEIR BASIC LAWS AND OPERATING PLANS?
HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? TAKE A LOOK AT TOM SCHUELER'S WORK WITH THE CENTER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION. MODEL DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES TO PROTECT, STREAMS, LAKES AND WETLANDS---CAME OUT OF THE NATIONAL SITE PLANNING ROUNDTABLE. WHY NOT WORK IN THAT DIRECTION FOR TRAILS, RECREATION AND HERITAGE WITHIN A WATERSHED OR LANDSCAPE CONTEXT?
5. FINALLY, REMEMBER, AS YOU START TO SPEND TIME STRUGGLING AND GETTING AGGRAVATED WITH THE HILL, WASHINGTON, YOUR BUDGET, AND INDIFFERENCE FROM YOUR BOSS---ALL OF IT PALES IF YOU STILL LOVE THE WORK---HELPING COMMUNITIES CLAIM PLACES AND CARE FOR THEM. ALSO BE REMINDED THAT THE WORK BELONGS TO YOU AND YOU DECIDE HOW IT GETS DONE. ULTIMATELY, YOUR WORK AND THE QUALITY OF SERVICE YOU PROVIDE TO THE RESOURCE AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT IT, IS WHAT MATTERS.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN YOU TONIGHT. MAY YOU HAVE CONTINUED SUCCESS IN YOUR WORK.
IF THERE IS TIME I’LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS?
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