public participation and the advisory committee process a collaborative partnership for water...
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Public Participation and the Advisory Committee Process
A Collaborative Partnership For
Water Resources
Toni M. Johnson, Chief
Water Information Coordination Program
Dialog on Public Participation● To achieve consensus or concurrence
among individuals or organizations with differing interests --
Particularly if affecting public policy --● Important to use sound principles ! ● Principles of Public Participation are being
used in many countries to develop national and global policies
Dialog on Public Participation● In dealing with environmental issues
Benefit to combining citizens’ views
which provide economic & social issues
with Scientific and technical expertise
● Danish Model uses Citizens’ Panels or Consensus Conference
Reflects a better Balance of Powers
among governments, industry, and
the public
Dialog on Public Participation● Use the combined input of
Science, Technology, and Policy
With a cross-section of representatives
● Results in more Realistic Outcomes
Where technical expertise alone may
result in an over-simplified solution
not address community resource needs
Benefits of an Open Participatory Process
● Produce Policy Decisions that promote public interests – the needs of many customers
● Decentralize decision power closer to user community – at the watershed or aquifer level
● Recommend collaborative solutions – to problems of access and comparability
Benefits of an Open Participatory Process
● Assist data users to access and understand data & information
collected by multiple sources -- governments as well as citizens – including:
members of non-profit water associations who educate their membership
private industries that use or impact waters
volunteers who monitor local waters
Federal Advisory Committee Act
● In 1972, the United States Congress enacted a Public Law --
● The Federal Advisory Committee Act
● To ensure that advice given to Federal agencies by committees
be objective – balanced membership
be accessible to the public
Advisory Committee on Water Information - ACWI
● Water information users
advise Federal Government on the effectiveness of
Federal water programs to meet the nation’s
water information needs
● Member organizations
foster communication with state & local govt. with private sector
Advisory Goals & ObjectivesImprove access, sharing, and understanding of water data and information across the U.S.
● Improve Coordination among Federal
water agencies● Share Information with non-Federal entities:
Tribal, State and Interstate Regional and LocalUniversities and Educational
● Increase Collaboration with non-government organizations & the private sector
● Develop public-private partnerships
National Water Quality
MonitoringCouncil
National Liaison Committee
for Water Quality
Subcommitteeon Hydrology
Subcommitteeon Spatial Water
Data
Advisory Committee Sub-Groups
Methods and DataComparability Board
Subcommittee on
Sedimentation
Work Groups
Sustainable WaterResources Roundtable
Work Groups
Work Groups
Work Groups
NewSubcommittee
on Ground Water
Work Groups
Work Groups
National Water Quality Monitoring Council
● Provides a national forum
for coordination of consistent & defensible methods & strategies
● To improve water quality monitoring, assessment., reporting
● Using a Framework for Monitoring Framework
Cooperative Research & Development Agreements
● Creates a formal partnership -- for the use &/or marketing of new
technologies & knowledge transfer optimizes scarce resources improves Federal relationships with public
and private sectors transfer occurs in both directions
Creates Products
● National Environmental Methods Index Select and compare methods www.nemi.gov
● Water Quality Data Elements Metadata needed for data comparability Both Surface and Ground Water Quality Published Guidelines for States
● International Participation
Hosted 8 countries in 2006
Short course on Assessing Ground Water Vulnerability http://acwi.gov/monitoring/conference/2006/
● Join us on the East Coast
May 18-22, 2008 !
Sustainable WaterResources Roundtable
● A forum to share information and perspectives
● To promote better decision making
● On more sustainable development
● Of our Nation's water resources
Sustainable WaterResources Roundtable
● Open Roundtables held in various regions
● Develop Indicators and Criteria for Sustainability
● Include Private Industry● Address both Quantity
and Quality● Water and Energy
Interface
Subcommittee on Ground Water
● To implement a ground-water Monitoring Frame-work that: is Nationwide & long-term includes quantity & quality
● To aid in planning, management & development of ground-water supplies to: meet current and future water
needs & ecosystem requirements
Subcommittee on Ground Water
Steering Committee Members● Federal: U.S. Geological Survey● State: Texas Dept. Environmental
Quality● Private Sector: Amer. Society of
Civil Engineers● Non-Profits for GW Professionals:
Well Drilling: National Ground Water Assoc.
Underground Injection: Ground Water Protection Council
Waste Water: Water Environment Federation
Subcommittee on Ground Water
Ground WaterWork Groups
Data Standards andData Management
Monitoring Inventory
Field Practices
National Monitoring Design
http://acwi.gov/sogw/index.html
Goals of Public ParticipationImprove access, sharing, understanding of water
data and information
● Use known principles of Public Participation http://iap2.org
● Share Information openly among governments● Use an Advisory Committee process to
bring multiple stakeholders to the table● Increase Collaboration with non-government
organizations Develop public-private partnerships
● Create better policy by combining Science and Technical Knowledge Citizen perspectives on their watersheds
and aquifers
Let’s Make Things Better by…
Water Information Coordination Program
Toni M. Johnson
703-648-6810
http://water.usgs.gov/wicp