SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: OPTIONS FOR INVOLVING FEDERAL AGENCIES AND PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

Draft---Glenn Eugster, EPA Region III, Chesapeake Bay Program Office
November 28, 1995

Background

A workgroup of offices from EPA Headquarters met on November 21 to discuss the proposed Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program. A portion of the discussion focused on ways to involve federal government agencies, and others, in sustainable development projects and programs at the local and regional level. The group agreed to examine a variety of options for encouraging other federal agencies, and private sector organizations, to work with EPA in carrying out the provisions of the Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program and fostering community-based sustainability.

This paper briefly outlines options for involving federal government agencies, and other state and private sector service providers, in local sustainable development projects. The ideas which follow reflect a series of Region III project and program efforts which have attempted to improve the delivery of services to community-based projects.

Service Delivery Assumptions

This "Service Delivery Concept" is based on the following assumptions:

* The traditional approach to delivering services to communities interested in sustainable development frequently is duplicative and fails to match community needs with outside services.

* Federal and state governments, and private sector organizations, are modifying their approach to environmental protection to be more customer-service oriented and empowering. As a result, agencies and groups are frequently looking for "good" local projects which are environmentally sound, have specific identified needs or objectives, and have broad-based community support.

* The concept of sustainability requires agencies and groups to accomplish their objectives within a multi-objective framework. Multi-objective approaches to local projects require partnerships and assume that no one organization, agency or level of government will assume all of the responsibilities for implementation.

* Federal agencies and private non-profit organizations are more effective in delivering community-based services if the local organizations have articulated, and agreed upon, a vision for their future. Although visions should be tailored to reflect community interests, typical local efforts include: some type of ecological characterization; goals, objectives and indicators ; public attitudes; issues or concerns; alternatives available for implementation/ action; an analysis of current community capability ; priority actions/ needs; process for evaluation/ monitoring the effort.

* The success of community sustainability projects and programs relies heavily on the short and long-term capability of local leadership.

* Community leadership and the provision of local services from outside organizations and agencies are separate functions.


Service Delivery Options

1. Community-Place-Based Approaches

A variety of communities have designed sustainability efforts to increase the involvement of federal government agencies and private non-profit organizations. These types of efforts can include single units of government, communities, small watersheds, or a cluster of localities. Common approaches use the following techniques:

--Technical assistance and "enabling leadership" by one federal or private organization to facilitate a community-based process.
--Project Memorandums of Agreement between local, state, federal and private cooperators to describe and agree on process steps, roles and responsibilities, tasks, products, etc.
--Federal and private sector technical teams to provide financial, technical and information assistance to local leadership groups.
--Community visioning processes with federal and private sector input.
--Creative community presentations of needs and recommendations to federal and private sector service organizations.
-- Federal and private sector sponsored workshops and training sessions to increase local capability.

Examples:
* Port of Cape Charles, VA Sustainable Technologies Industrial Park
* City of Crisfield, MD Heritage Tourism Action Plan
* Havre de Grace -Susquehanna River Corridor , MD Greenway and Ecology Center
* Lower Eastern Shore, VA Heritage Plan
* Potomac River Watershed Visions Project, MD, VA, PA, WV, and DC
* Pocomoke River Alliance, MD, VA and DE
* Elizabeth River Watershed Project, VA



2. Watershed and Sate Approaches (Thematic)

A number of efforts have focused on bringing federal agencies and private sector organizations to focus their activities and services on a large scale watershed or geographic sub-region. Partnerships agreements have been reached with federal and state governments and private non-profit organizations, such as U. S. Forest Service, Trust for Public Land, National Audubon Society, The Countryside Institute, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, U.S. NOAA Coastal Zone Management Office, State Departments of Community Affairs and Local Assistance Departments. Theses approaches have resulted in:

* Commitments of staff, information and funds to contribute to agreed upon goals.
* Geographic targeting of existing programs to meet specific community needs.
* Increased cooperation and coordination to reduce duplication, reinforce mutually supportive efforts, save money, and increase services.
* Improved integration of programs, policies and services.
* Shared training for service providers and communities.
* Consolidated information targeted at specific audiences.
* Broader based community involvement and ownership of ideas.

Lead by a EPA facilitator the approaches which have been used include:

--An agreement between 25 agencies and departments of the federal government, 3 states, and the District of Columbia to commit to sustainable development approaches, related to Ecosystem Management in the Chesapeake Bay, and working together and with other parties to help EPA achieve specific goals. Participants have agreed to nine major categories of commitments.

--Watershed, state or eco-region, steering committees/ work groups to assist EPA implement sustainable development local assistance programs, such as the International Countryside Stewardship Exchange, the Potomac River Watershed Visions Project, and the Pennsylvania Countryside Stewardship Exchange.

--Formation of a 65 member consortium of federal and state government agencies, local governments, private non-profit groups, businesses and civic organizations to design and implement the "Atlantic Flyway Byway" Project. The Flyway Byway, a 15 county- 3 state community-based effort on the Delmarva Peninsula, examines local alternatives for sustainable development related to ecotourism of bird migratory routes and habitat protection.

--Collaboration between more than 25 federal and state governments and private groups to develop information guides and training workshops related to voluntary approaches to private landowner stewardship within Maryland and Oregon.



3. Regional Approaches (Multiobjective)

A variety of additional approaches which have been used to facilitate improved coordination and cooperation between numerous federal government agencies and non-federal public agencies and private groups across a variety of objectives. Efforts such as the Chesapeake Bay Program Federal Agencies Committee can be used to advise and assist EPA in sustainable development programs. Established by EPA, the Federal Agencies Committee has 15 federal agencies and departments actively working within the Chesapeake Bay Program. Federal agencies and Departments work with non-federal interests to implement agreed upon policies on:

* Ecosystem Management
* Habitat Restoration
* Data and Geographical Information Systems
* Nutrient reduction
* Stream Restoration
* Public Access


For More Information

Contact the U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, Annapolis, MD for additional information. Call 410-267-5722. Fax 410-267-5777.