2001 NRLI Fellows

Name	Organization	Position	Location
Paul Crissman	Division of Waste Management	Environmental Supervisor	Raleigh, NC
FORMALIZE CITIZEN INPUT INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA SOLID WASTE LANDFILL SITING PROCESS Traditionally, the opportunity for the public to participate in governmental decision-making processes has been limited. Citizens and citizen groups around North Carolina have frequently expressed frustration at the lack of mechanisms for involving the public in state government decisions that affected them. Though public hearings requirements are changing to ensure the public input is considered, the perception that the public can participate in governmental decision-making has changed very little. In North Carolina, municipal solid waste landfills are very contentious public issues. The siting of new facilities and the continued operations of several existing facilities are quite controversial with few formal mechanisms for involving the public in the making of decisions regarding landfills. As a result of this project, the Solid Waste Section has implemented a public participation component early in the permitting process for solid waste facilities. This new program consists of providing those who live near proposed solid waste landfills with information and an opportunity to meet with State staff to express concerns, interests and questions regarding the proposed facility.
John Crutchfield	Progress Energy	Project Scientist	Raleigh, NC
FORMATION OF THE ROBUST REDHORSE YADKIN-PEE DEE RIVER TECHNICAL WORK GROUP The robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum) is a rare species of sucker fish native to Atlantic Slope Rivers in Georgia and the Carolinas (Jenkins and Freeman 1997; Deen 2001). The recent re-discovery of the robust redhorse in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River presented several opportunities for collaborative natural resource problem-solving among various stakeholders related to the proactive restoration of the species in this river system. As a result, the Robust Redhorse Yadkin-Pee Dee River TWG was formed, a group that could problem solve and evaluate the various environmental factors that may be influencing the species. One of the influences may be river instream flow regime, managed by CP&L and Alcoa Power Generating, Inc.-Yadkin Division whose hydroelectric power plants scheduled for relicensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, begins in 2003. The short-term immediate outcome of the project was the formation of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Technical Working Group (TWG) to provide a focal point to address short-term and long-term conservation and restoration issues regarding robust redhorse in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. It is anticipated that this will be a long-term effort to develop a conservation framework and to carry out the identified research and conservation actions. Most likely, the TWG will work on robust redhorse conservation issues in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River for the next 5-10 years. The desired long-term outcome of this project is to develop a conservation/restoration framework for robust redhorse in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system, which will have identified short-term and long-term goals, research priorities, and action plans. The anticipated impacts to the target natural resources are that a comprehensive conservation/restoration framework with a defined action plan should help restore the robust redhorse in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
Felicia Snipes Dixon	Division of Public Health & Tobacco Prevention	Deputy Branch Head	Durham, NC
DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE TO RESPOND TO TOBACCO-RELATED HEALTH DISPARITIES In January 2000, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch (TPCB) initiated a statewide coalition to develop the Vision 2010 Plan, a comprehensive tobacco use prevention and control plan for the state. From that initiative, the Diversity Workgroup was organized to provide input on diverse communities and tobacco-related disparities. As a result of the practicum, the following outcomes occurred: 1) Increased knowledge in tobacco use prevention and control and increased cultural competency and cooperation among diverse and disparate populations; 2) This process has produced linkages between member organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities working with other minority group organizations for tobacco prevention and control programming. It has also helped form numerous allegiances for the Branch such as partnerships with the NC Commission on Indian Affairs and El Pueblo, a Latino grassroots organization; 3) The focus of the grant is to change the social norm of tobacco use across all population segments. The long-term impact may be changes in policy level decisions that impact the tobacco use by disparate populations; and 4) Collaboration between workgroup members outside of the strategic planning project has occurred. The Diversity Workgroup is currently being seen as a critical workgroup to also advise the NC Tobacco Health Trust Commission in allocating the $750,000 of funding for Diverse Communities. The participation of the workgroup in the TPCB strategic planning process and its work on the Vision 2010 Plan has placed the workgroup in this position. This new responsibility will be a separate process from this practicum project.
Kim Douglass	Wake County Parks & Recreation	Planner III	Raleigh, NC
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO DEVELOP A GOVERNING CHARTER FOR THE FOREST LEGACY APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE Currently the Forest Legacy Application Review Committee (FLARC) has been meeting for nearly 3 years without a standardized procedure, charter nor mutually defined mission statement. As a result, considerable confusion and disagreement over the role and the responsibilities of the committee existed. A charter, clarification of committee roles and level of responsibility and authority would lead to a more productive group. FLARC members serve voluntarily at the request of the State Forest Stewardship Committee (SFSC) and are selected in accordance with the Federal Guidelines on Forest Legacy. Because of the project, the FLARC will function under self-imposed procedural rules to facilitate a timelier and consistent review process of application for federal funding. The recommendations made to the State Forest Stewardship Committee (SFSC) make it possible that project funding will be based on more complete application, consistent criteria, and based on a more informed committee review process. It is anticipated that as a result of this collaborative, the project will be a better use of federal funds as they relate to the NC Forest Legacy Program, and ultimately a process that will become a more effective mechanism for protecting forest resources in perpetuity. Efforts learned from establishment of the NC Forest Legacy Committee will be shared with our Forest Legacy Programs including the Alabama Forest Legacy subcommittee.
Bonnie Duncan	Wetlands Restoration Program	Watershed Planner	Raleigh,NC
STAKEHOLDER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PASQUOTANK RIVER LOCAL WATERSHED PLAN Due to existing resource limitations and increasing development trends, many communities statewide, including Pasquotank, Camden and Gates Counties, are faced with the challenge of protecting and improving water quality, habitat, flood storage capacities and recreational functions and values. While the broader limitations and water quality / resource threats and issues may be similar across multiple community boundaries, each community has its own unique watershed characteristics and prescribed methods of conducting business, addressing resource issues and implementing local solutions. For this reason, it is important that communities within watersheds develop a plan to address their own customized goals, objectives, and restoration strategies concerning local water quality and resource protection issues. To develop such plans, and aid in the identification of solutions to local resource needs, the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program has embarked on a new planning initiative to develop and implement proactive Local Watershed Plans with the assistance of other agencies and programs. The Pasquotank River Local Watershed Planning Team was established. The consensus building training and charter framework developed for the Pasquotank River Local Watershed Planning Team provided the team with a purpose, mission, mode of operation and gave them some perspective on how to work together toward the common goal of watershed restoration.
Robert Fisher	Division of Air Quality	Environmental Specialist II	Fayetteville, NC
DESIGN A COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT REDUCES GARBAGE BURNING IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY Open Burning Garbage has been illegal in NC since December 1, 1976. The State Administrative Code prohibits open burning except under certain circumstances and burning specific materials. The rule of thumb is "If it doesn't grow there, you can't burn it." Regardless, people all across the state continue to illegally burn waste in the open as a means of disposal. The NC Division of Air Quality has among its responsibilities, the enforcement of this environmental law. Cumberland County, NC is projected soon to be designated a "non-attainment" area (according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards) for the air pollutants ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). With this in mind, the Division of Air Quality needs to look at what can be done in Cumberland County regarding one of the sources of PM2.5 and ozone forming air pollutants, that being open burning. Because of this project, an educational forum is expected to occur in the near future with the partners to develop recommendations on what to do to reduce illegal open burning. For now the awareness of illegal open burning has been heightened amongst those who have agree to assist with the project.
George Galleher	Duke Power	Manager, Lake Management	Charlotte, NC
DEVELOP A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AND DIALOGUE FOR EFFECTIVELY WORKING WITH THE LAKE NORMAN COVEKEEPERS Duke Power, as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensee for the Catawba - Wateree Hydroelectric Project, is responsible for the management of the project relative to all uses within the project boundary. Duke Power has a history of partnering with many different organizations that have an interest in the Catawba River and lake management. The Lake Norman Covekeepers, (as supported by the Catawba River Foundation's Riverkeeper (CRF)) is one of Duke's partners. Because of the competing uses and interests on the river, Duke Power initiated a pilot program to partner with the Lake Norman Covekeepers to assist in managing the resource. One outcome of the project was the creation of a "calling tree" to direct questions regarding specific lake actions to the appropriate agency and interested parties to help protect the resource. Other outcomes included shared learning opportunities between Lake Norman Covekeepers and Duke to help build a common ground on which to launch additional learning. Use of the calling tree has led to a faster identification of problems and solution and allowed an increase in overall understanding and knowledge of issues between the partners.
Richard Greene	Western Piedmont Community College	Vice-President	Greensboro, NC
DEVELOP A WESTERN PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE "MASTER CAMPUS PLAN" TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY CONCERNS INPUT Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) acquired 197 acres without use restrictions except an oral commitment to assure the natural environment would be maintained while permitting WPCC to utilize the property for its college related activities. From the beginning, a large number of potential land uses were presented, offered, and in some cases demanded by many different and diverse groups of people and organizations. Concerns surfaced as it became obvious that some suggested potential uses would not be compatible with other suggestions. All individuals and groups felt their suggestions should have top consideration. A positive conclusion would result in a workable "Master Campus Plan" whereby all stakeholder's concerns and proposed land usages would be accommodated and be compatible. After several meetings with various stakeholders, the development of the "Master Campus Plan" is on schedule and will have a major impact on WPCC and the citizens of our service area. Immediate short-term benefits are already being reaped and the long-term overall significance of this project will be tremendous.
Rob Gelblum	Department of Justice	Assistant Attorney General	Raleigh, NC
FORMALIZE CITIZEN INPUT INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA SOLID WASTE LANDFILL SITING PROCESS Traditionally, the opportunity for the public to participate in governmental decision-making processes has been limited. Citizens and citizen groups around North Carolina have frequently expressed frustration at the lack of mechanisms for involving the public in state government decisions that affected them. Though public hearings requirements are changing to ensure the public input is considered, the perception that the public can participate in governmental decision-making has changed very little. In North Carolina, municipal solid waste landfills are very contentious public issues. The siting of new facilities and the continued operations of several existing facilities are quite controversial with few formal mechanisms for involving the public in the making of decisions regarding landfills. As a result of this project, the Solid Waste Section has implemented a public participation component early in the permitting process for solid waste facilities. This new program consists of providing those who live near proposed solid waste landfills with information and an opportunity to meet with State staff to express concerns, interests and questions regarding the proposed facility.
Blanche Haning	NC State University	Associate Professor	Raleigh, NC
FARMLAND PROTECTION IN THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT: PROPOSING GREATER COLLABORATION There are five public land trusts located in the piedmont of North Carolina: the Triangle Land Conservancy, the Piedmont Land Conservancy, the Catawba Land Conservancy, the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Inc., and The Land Trust for Central North Carolina. Each trust functions under the direction of a board of directors and has various levels of commitment to protecting farmland, often due to geographic and/other priorities such as urbanization or water protection. All favor increased farmland protection. All identify insufficient monies as the primary impediment to the redemption of more farmland including education, staff time, and the purchase of conservation easements or other redemption practices. The land trust directors met to discuss how the land trusts might collaborate more purposefully for farmland protection in the NC piedmont. The stakeholder meetings were productive. The primary stakeholders agreed to collaborate more resolutely to enhance farmland protection in the N.C. piedmont. This resolution incurs commitment to defining short and long-term goals, formulating collaborative plans and assuming new individual and collective responsibilities in addition to routine efforts seeking to protect farmland. Partnerships will be formed with agricultural agencies and businesses, thereby further legitimizing the merits of farmland protection, including the need for funds. Beyond the protection of more farmland, these include increased wildlife habitat and improved water quality as well as the preservation of natural, green scenery.
Ray Harris	Cooperative Extension Service	County Extension Director	Morehead, NC
CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHARRETTE BETWEEN PARTNERING EDUCATIONAL CAMPUSES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BOGUE SOUND The Carteret Community College (CCC), the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), and North Carolina State University's Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST) campuses share 2,650 linear feet of Intra Coastal Waterway shoreline on the North side of Bogue Sound, Morehead City, NC. All of these institutions are dedicated to improving the knowledge base concerning water quality, marine systems and sustainable habitats, but their combined campus reflects few of the practices they promote. As a result they have teamed together, and have been awarded a planning grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Two organizational meetings have been conducted. The mapping session allowed stakeholders and other participants to generate real life solutions to the stormwater, shoreline, landscape and planning issues on the campus. Once the natural consensus of the group around certain projects is realized, the stakeholders will collaborate in the granting process for construction of the sites.
Bunny Johns	Partnership for the Future of Swain County	Coordinator	Almond,NC
SITUATION ASSESSMENT OF ASPHALT PLANT SITING IN JACKSON COUNTY A Swain County businessperson purchased land and proposed to build an asphalt production plant in Whittier, North Carolina. He believed this would provide a business opportunity and decrease air pollution from diesel trucks hauling asphalt from long distances into this area. The issue of whether to allow building a asphalt plant on the property became very contentious in the county. As a result, a situation assessment was conducted to determine whether stakeholder would be willing to and could engage in a collaborative process engaged around the issue. During the time of the assessment, the Jackson County Commissioners enacted a one-year moratorium on licenses for "polluting industries" which was stimulated by the possibility of the building of the asphalt plant. In addition, countywide "polluting industries" ordinances were being sought. As a result, the situation assessment determined the conflict could not be resolve through a collaborative process since the parties involved felt they had a better chance of accomplishing their goals through other means: the permitting process, moratoriums, or ordinances. Several elements learned from the process included (but are not limited to): 1) Collaboratives take time and may not be suitable for some controversies; 2) Positions were hardened early on making it difficult to obtain enough interest and support for a collaborative; 3) It might have been difficult to obtain enough interest in the format of problem solving since the positions in this situation appeared to have hardened early in the process.
Sarah Ketchem	Division of Pollution Prevention	Waste Management Analyst	Raleigh, NC
DEVELOPMENT OF A WASTE REDUCTION MASTER PLAN AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY There is a need for the creation of a master plan for solid waste management and waste reduction on NC State University's campus. The University spent nearly $700,00 on the collection and disposal of solid waste and disposed of more than 5500 tons of material in the local landfill in fiscal year 2000-2001. Collection of recyclable materials has been at a minimum and educational components of the program were/are non-existent. This results in a belief across the campus community that the University is not committed to waste reduction and recycling. Students, faculty and staff alike have made the comment that they are unhappy with the status of the recycling options on campus as well as the communication about the opportunities that do exist. Much of what could be reduced, reused or recycled is ending up in the landfill and costing not only the university but the environment as well. Networking, coordination and cooperation are goals of interactions with the university community. Because of ideas collected from faculty, staff and students new materials are being collected and new services are being developed. An educational and planning forum will result in increased knowledge of the needs of the campus community resulting in a decrease of waste sent to the landfill and an increased public awareness of solid waste alternatives and waste reduction activities. A realistic goal of 25 -30% reduction in waste sent to the landfill is expected. NC State should also consider issues such as life cycle costing and future energy efficiency when making purchasing decisions. NC State as a research institution is expected to lead the state in alternative waste systems. This forum and future development of a master plan is expected to guide these goals and more.
David Lane	Division of Forest Resources	District Forester	Elizabeth City, NC
STAKEHOLDER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PASQUOTANK RIVER LOCAL WATERSHED PLAN Due to existing resource limitations and increasing development trends, many communities statewide, including Pasquotank, Camden and Gates Counties, are faced with the challenge of protecting and improving water quality, habitat, flood storage capacities and recreational functions and values. While the broader limitations and water quality / resource threats and issues may be similar across multiple community boundaries, each community has its own unique watershed characteristics and prescribed methods of conducting business, addressing resource issues and implementing local solutions. For this reason, it is important that communities within watersheds develop a plan to address their own customized goals, objectives, and restoration strategies concerning local water quality and resource protection issues. To develop such plans, and aid in the identification of solutions to local resource needs, the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program has embarked on a new planning initiative to develop and implement proactive Local Watershed Plans with the assistance of other agencies and programs. The Pasquotank River Local Watershed Planning Team was established. The consensus building training and charter framework developed for the Pasquotank River Local Watershed Planning Team provided the team with a purpose, mission, mode of operation and gave them some perspective on how to work together toward the common goal of watershed restoration.
David Mayes	City of Wilmington	Storm Water Services Manager	Wilmington, NC
GREENFIELD LAKE PUBLIC AWARENESS INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY Greenfield Lake is a 100+ acre lake located at the intersection of South 3rd Street and Carolina Beach Road within the City limits of Wilmington, North Carolina. The City of Wilmington owns the entire lake along with all of the land and facilities up to Lake Shore Drive. Some of the facilities include canoe rental, a multi-use path, skateboard park, tennis courts and an amphitheater. Runners, bikers, boaters, fishermen and park patrons use the lake for recreation on a daily basis. The lake is classified 'C' by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality meaning its main use is aquatic life propagation, general use, fishing and non body contact recreation like canoeing. It also has a classification as a 'swamp water' which is indicative of have naturally low dissolved oxygen and pH. Years of aquatic plant management using chemicals, winter drawdowns and dredging have not yielded results that would keep the lake from being listed as impaired. Sediment is slowly filling in parts of the lake making it shallower. This situation makes it easier for certain aquatic plants to flourish, as the bottom of the lake now receives more sunlight. Different herbicides have been used with mixed results and there is much concern about long-term effects. The main purpose of this initiative was to generate recommendations for public awareness efforts within the Greenfield Lake Watershed. The stakeholders were not expected to make any decisions, but rather learn about the issues and participate in discussions about how to affect positive change within the watershed. The true value of this effort is that by bringing people together to discuss these issues, trust was developed, common understanding and links to the community. These elements will be invaluable when implementing the group recommendations.
Mark Megalos	NC Division of Forest Resources	Forest Stewardship Coordinator	Raleigh, NC
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO DEVELOP A GOVERNING CHARTER FOR THE FOREST LEGACY APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE Currently the Forest Legacy Application Review Committee (FLARC) has been meeting for nearly 3 years without a standardized procedure, charter nor mutually defined mission statement. As a result, considerable confusion and disagreement over the role and the responsibilities of the committee existed. A charter, clarification of committee roles and level of responsibility and authority would lead to a more productive group. FLARC members serve voluntarily at the request of the State Forest Stewardship Committee (SFSC) and are selected in accordance with the Federal Guidelines on Forest Legacy. Because of the project, the FLARC will function under self-imposed procedural rules to facilitate a timelier and consistent review process of application for federal funding. The recommendations made to the State Forest Stewardship Committee (SFSC) make it possible that project funding will be based on more complete application, consistent criteria, and based on a more informed committee review process. It is anticipated that as a result of this collaborative, the project will be a better use of federal funds as they relate to the NC Forest Legacy Program, and ultimately a process that will become a more effective mechanism for protecting forest resources in perpetuity. Efforts learned from establishment of the NC Forest Legacy Committee will be shared with our Forest Legacy Programs including the Alabama Forest Legacy subcommittee.
Laurie Mettam	Division of Public Health & Tobacco Prevention	Field Director	Carrboro, NC
DEVELOP A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE TO RESPOND TO TOBACCO-RELATED HEALTH DISPARITIES In January 2000, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch (TPCB) initiated a statewide coalition to develop the Vision 2010 Plan, a comprehensive tobacco use prevention and control plan for the state. From that initiative, the Diversity Workgroup was organized to provide input on diverse communities and tobacco-related disparities. As a result of the practicum, the following outcomes occurred: 1) Increased knowledge in tobacco use prevention and control and increased cultural competency and cooperation among diverse and disparate populations; 2) This process has produced linkages between member organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities working with other minority group organizations for tobacco prevention and control programming. It has also helped form numerous allegiances for the Branch such as partnerships with the NC Commission on Indian Affairs and El Pueblo, a Latino grassroots organization; 3) The focus of the grant is to change the social norm of tobacco use across all population segments. The long-term impact may be changes in policy level decisions that impact the tobacco use by disparate populations; and 4) Collaboration between workgroup members outside of the strategic planning project has occurred. The Diversity Workgroup is currently being seen as a critical workgroup to also advise the NC Tobacco Health Trust Commission in allocating the $750,000 of funding for Diverse Communities. The participation of the workgroup in the TPCB strategic planning process and its work on the Vision 2010 Plan has placed the workgroup in this position. This new responsibility will be a separate process from this practicum project.
Kate Moore	Division of Water Quality	Environmental Specialist	Raleigh, NC
REDUCING BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS INCIDENTAL TAKES THROUGH STAKEHOLDER NEGOTIATIONS The western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock is considered strategic and depleted as defined by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, and later amended in 1994. Commercial fishery interactions are one of many human-related factors affecting the status of the species' population. Several fisheries cause frequent or occasional incidental mortality and serious injury to the bottlenose dolphins. Without additional fisheries management actions to protect the bottlenose dolphin stock, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has indicated that the stock will continue to remain compromised. The project focused on the take reduction process-- a facilitated, consensus-based multi-party stakeholder negotiated rulemaking process called the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Process (BDTRP). The Take Reduction Team (TRT) members developed commercial fishery management recommendations to reduce the incidental mortality and serious injuries of coastal western North Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. Preliminary feedback from NMFS indicates that the recommendations are a good-faith effort and that the measures will likely reduce takes below PBR within six months of implementation of the take reduction plan.
Morgan Mundell	University of Missouri	Public Affairs Coordinator	Columbia, Mo
INCLUDE STAKEHOLDER INPUT INTO AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ON EFFECTS OF LAND USE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FISCAL CONDITIONS RESULTING FROM PROPERTY TAXATION (COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND AGRICULTURAL) As the classification of land use changes in Missouri, the respective tax base of each local jurisdiction will also be affected. Currently, land is assessed for the purpose of property taxation at one of several different rates, depending on the type of land and its use. Agricultural land is assessed at 12% of its production value, while residential and commercial property is assessed at 19% and 32% of their market value. In reviewing these rates one might conclude that residential and commercial land would generate more revenue for government services. This notion tempts local officials to encourage growth among the residential and commercial sectors of their jurisdiction, thus many times eliminating agricultural land and open space. The immediate outcome for this process was to help bring together various stakeholders and educate them on how changing land uses can affect local government fiscal conditions. This resulted in learning and realizing what the true interests were, as opposed to the positions that were taken by various members. One result of this study was the beginning of working relationships across different state departments. Different members realized that various missions associated with their organization require different needs and uses of resources. An inter-agency task force that is examining the different impacts associated with growing communities will review the final report that is produced by this process. Future plans for this process is to continue educating local elected officials, concerned citizens, and state policy people on the results of this study.
Sherry Oenbrink	US Army Corps of Engineers	Lead Realty Specialist	Moncure, NC
Establish a Collaborative Plan of Action in the Multiple Jurisdiction Area of South Boston, Virginia to Resolve Encroachments and Improve Local Communications. The John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir (also known as Buggs Island Lake) and hereinafter referred to as the Project, was authorized primarily for flood control and hydroelectric power purposes in 1944. Under this authorization, the government acquired lands in fee and flowage easement up to the 326' contour level in the vicinity of South Boston, Virginia, primarily for the right to flood permanently or intermittently, the right to go upon the easement area to conduct activities related to Project operations, and the right to remove any natural or artificial structures or obstructions that could be detrimental to Project operations. Many controversial issues related to flooding, conflicting governmental (Federal, State and local) policies, and the rights acquired under the flowage easements, have been ongoing since the Project was constructed. Most of the Riverdale area of South Boston consists of commercial businesses that are subject to flooding. Many of these business owners (underlying fee owners) have placed fill material within Government's flowage easements for construction purposes mainly parking facilities, resulting in a diminished flood storage capability. The government considers the placement of this fill an encroachment compromising flood storage capacity required for the project operation. Corps personnel have met with local authorities and the encroaching parties to discuss the fill encroachments. As a result of this project, zoning and planning officials in South Boston and Halifax County are cognizant of the Corps flowage easement rights and have offered support through their regulations to monitor these rights. The collaboration effort between local officials and the Corps has resulted in a partnership to better manage flooding/flood plain issues, has proved to be educational to all parties and has clarified the Corps jurisdictional roles.
Kat Oury	Cooperative Extension Service	Community Design Specialist	Raleigh, NC
CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHARRETTE BETWEEN PARTNERING EDUCATIONAL CAMPUSES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BOGUE SOUND The Carteret Community College (CCC), the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), and North Carolina State University's Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST) campuses share 2,650 linear feet of Intra Coastal Waterway shoreline on the North side of Bogue Sound, Morehead City, NC. All of these institutions are dedicated to improving the knowledge base concerning water quality, marine systems and sustainable habitats, but their combined campus reflects few of the practices they promote. As a result they have teamed together, and have been awarded a planning grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Two organizational meetings have been conducted. The mapping session allowed stakeholders and other participants to generate real life solutions to the stormwater, shoreline, landscape and planning issues on the campus. Once the natural consensus of the group around certain projects is realized, the stakeholders will collaborate in the granting process for construction of the sites.
Eric Poncelet	University of NC- Chapel Hill	Visiting Scholar	Chapel Hill, NC
COLLABORATING TO CERTIFY URBAN WATER CONSERVATION IN CALIFORNIA The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a cooperative, interagency effort involving 23 state and federal agencies with management and regulatory responsibilities in the San Francisco and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta). Its mission is to develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan that will improve water management for beneficial uses of the Bay-Delta System. While many of the state's water suppliers have signed the CUWCC's MOU, no mechanism exists to assure that the BMPs already agreed to by urban water suppliers are actually being implemented. CALFED, in its 2000 Record of Decision (ROD), required that an urban water conservation certification process based upon the MOU be developed. Several multi-stakeholder processes have been initiated. The immediate outcome of the processes is that the Urban Certification Work Group is on schedule to achieve its primary goal of assisting the WUE program manager to produce a Draft Urban MOU Certification Framework that seems capable of being broadly supported. The long-term goal of implementing an urban MOU certification process remains to be completed. The Work Group has established a proposed process and schedule by which public outreach, consideration by higher level CALFED public advisory groups, legislative drafting, and regulation promulgation will occur.
BJ Tipton	University of NC-Chapel Hill	Recycling Coordinator	Chapel Hill, NC
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO COORDINATE BULKY WASTER COLLECTION, RECYCLING CLEAN-UP, AND SITE IMPROVEMENTS AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL. An immediate need existed for better management of scrap metal, white goods, construction demolition debris and bulky wastes at the Surplus Property storage yard. Poor market prices for scrap metal, increased transportation costs, an increase in materials coming to Surplus, a lack of funds and knowledge to deal effectively and broadly with the issue, and other factors led to the scrap yard being filled to capacity with scrap metal, white goods, and bulky waste. Because of collaborating with other university and local partners - key decision-makers are now aware of the need for a centralized collection facility for bulky waste. However, it is still unclear as to how this will happen. Land, money, and staff are all at short supply. It is expected that within the next 2-3 years a centralized collection location will materialize. Persistence and key supporters, as well as regulatory and landfill issues will help keep the need visible in planning sessions. Having a facility that can be used by University workers and even contractors, if appropriate, will be one of the primary criteria for the selection of a location. Negotiations with the County about white goods issues will continue as well as working on pilot projects with Surplus. In addition, the Recycling Center will continue to pursue funding for the physical improvements to the existing Surplus yard or a new collection area.
Susan White	Division of Water Quality	Environmental Engineer	Winston-Salem, NC
SITUATION ASSESSMENT OF ASPHALT PLANT SITING IN JACKSON COUNTY A Swain County businessperson purchased land and proposed to build an asphalt production plant in Whittier, North Carolina. He believed this would provide a business opportunity and decrease air pollution from diesel trucks hauling asphalt from long distances into this area. The issue of whether to allow building a asphalt plant on the property became very contentious in the county. As a result, a situation assessment was conducted to determine whether stakeholder would be willing to and could engage in a collaborative process engaged around the issue. During the time of the assessment, the Jackson County Commissioners enacted a one-year moratorium on licenses for "polluting industries" which was stimulated by the possibility of the building of the asphalt plant. In addition, countywide "polluting industries" ordinances were being sought. As a result, the situation assessment determined the conflict could not be resolve through a collaborative process since the parties involved felt they had a better chance of accomplishing their goals through other means: the permitting process, moratoriums, or ordinances. Several elements learned from the process included (but are not limited to): 1) Collaboratives take time and may not be suitable for some controversies; 2) Positions were hardened early on making it difficult to obtain enough interest and support for a collaborative; 3) It might have been difficult to obtain enough interest in the format of problem solving since the positions in this situation appeared to have hardened early in the process.