2004 Fellow Participants

Name	Organization	Position	Location
Amy Armbruster	UNC-Greensboro - Office of Waste Reduction	Environmental Education Coordinator	Greensboro, NC
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO’S BUY RECYCLED CAMPAIGN Amy organized a collaborative decision making approach to improve the results of the Buy Recycled Campaign at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). The campaign was led by a diverse group of stakeholders that included campus purchasing staff, representatives from large and small departments that purchase office supplies on campus, DENR Buy Recycled Coordinator, the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, and a Staples employee. The goals of the project were to: 1) increase awareness of the importance of buying recycled content products and UNCG’s Buy Recycled Policy; 2) to update an out-dated version of the Buy Recycled Policy to reflect changes made by Governor’s Executive Order, and 3) to increase UNCG’s Buy Recycled Rate. As a result of this campaign, in 2005 UNCG purchased 18% more recycled content office supplies than the previous year.
Elisa Barrett	Earth Rescue and Sierra Club	Founder, Earth Rescue and Chair of the Cape Fear Sierra Club	Wilmington, NC
PROVIDING A BROAD PERSPECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY RELATING TO GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE In this project Elisa assembled and maintains a comprehensive annotated bibliography on Global Warming and Climate Change. The bibliography will be accessible through a web site maintained by Earth Rescue, Inc., and easily accessible to the global community this organization seeks to serve.
Stephen Bentley	Wake Co. Park, Recreation and Open Space	Park Manager	Raleigh, NC
WAKE COUNTY LAND STEWARDSHIP BUSINESS PLAN Wake County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, increasing in population by more than 60 people each day. In 2000 and again in 2004 the citizens of Wake County approved open space bond referenda totaling $41 million. Wake County and its 12 municipalities created a Consolidated Open Space Plan to coordinate the initiative and have protected over 2,000 acres since 2001. Currently, no infrastructure or funding source exists to steward these lands. Through his practicum, Stephen convened agencies involved in the open space program in Wake County to develop the multi-agency Land Stewardship Business Plan. The plan identifies current issues and opportunities, a series of potential frameworks to follow, and draft estimates for funding and staffing needs. The collaborative approach to drafting the Business Plan strengthened the support for this initiative and created new networks for agencies to work together on projects related to stewardship.
Alan Clark	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources -Div of Water Quality	Environmental Specialist III	Raleigh, NC
ADDRESSING RUNOFF POLLUTION THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: A DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES INITIATIVE Runoff pollution from agriculture, urban areas, forest clearing, industrial sites, septic tanks, and more, is the leading source of water quality degradation in North Carolina. It is estimated that runoff pollution is the primary pollution source for over 60% of the degraded surface waters in North Carolina and the nation. In response, the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources made it a priority of the department to establish a statewide runoff pollution campaign. Alan spearheaded the development of this campaign. During the period of this practicum, a runoff campaign coordinator position was funded, and filled; a runoff pollution website was created; and the department has contracted a telephone survey to understand the public’s knowledge of runoff pollution and will hire a professional ad firm to develop a comprehensive campaign. Donations from private industry, local governments, and others will be sought to publish and air ads. Depending on the success of this initiative over the next two years, there is potential for this coordinator position to become permanent and continue outreach efforts indefinitely.
Gabrielle Cooper	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div of Water Resources	Hydrogeologist II	Raleigh, NC
COMPREHENSIVE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA In 2002 the City of Raleigh experienced a serious water crisis caused by drought and record high water usage. The city was faced with developing an emergency conservation plan to implement as soon as possible. In doing so many different interest groups felt that the plan was targeting them unfairly. A water conservation task force was appointed by the mayor and the city council to review prior ordinances and policies and formulate new ones that are equitable to all interest groups. In this practicum, Marti and Gabrielle convened and facilitated meetings of the task force. The projected outcome will be a fair, comprehensive water conservation program and a conservation handbook that incorporates certification programs, irrigation specifications with best management practices, and a public education program. To date, the conservation program was approved and the task force is still working on the conservation handbook.
Marti Gibson	City of Raleigh Public Utilities Dept.	Environmental Coordinator	Raleigh, NC
COMPREHENSIVE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA In 2002 the City of Raleigh experienced a serious water crisis caused by drought and record high water usage. The city was faced with developing an emergency conservation plan to implement as soon as possible. In doing so many different interest groups felt that the plan was targeting them unfairly. A water conservation task force was appointed by the mayor and the city council to review prior ordinances and policies and formulate new ones that are equitable to all interest groups. In this practicum, Marti and Gabrielle convened and facilitated meetings of the task force. The projected outcome will be a fair, comprehensive water conservation program and a conservation handbook that incorporates certification programs, irrigation specifications with best management practices, and a public education program. To date, the conservation program was approved and the task force is still working on the conservation handbook.
Nancy Guthrie	Clean Water Management Trust Land	Field Representative	Cary, NC
REVIEW OF THE CLEAN WATER MANAGEMENT TRUST FUND STEWARDSHIP PROCEDURES The purpose of this project was to examine the Clean Water Management Trust Fund’s (CWMTF) stewardship procedure and determine the best policy for funding and managing stewardship of conservation properties. The primary concerns were to insure that funds were used only for stewardship while at the same time being permanently secured and managed responsibly. At about the same time CWMTF began its review, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) began a similar review of its stewardship policy. CWMTF joined a task force convened by DENR to define stewardship, establish fees and recommend strategy for managing stewardship funds. Nancy served as CWMTF liaison to the DENR task force, informing the CWMTF trustees of the task force’s progress and advising the task force of interests and concerns of CWMTF. CWMTF adopted a draft stewardship policy May 16, 2005. The draft policy builds upon the work and recommendations that the DENR Task Force made to the Chief Deputy Secretary of DENR. CWMTF has established a comment period until June 20, 2005 and anticipates adopting a final policy later this year.
Mary Beth Hanson	International Paper	Project Forester	Bolton, NC
ACCESSIBILITY TO THE GREEN SWAMP: PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDING WORKABLE SOLUTIONS International Paper Riegelwood Forest Resources Operations (IP) owns hundreds of miles of roads on over 200,000 acres of land in Brunswick and Columbus counties. The majority of these roads currently have unlimited access to IP’s working forests. However, because of an increase in trespassing and illegal trash dumping, the company installed gates on roads to better protect its lands and assets. Mary Beth convened a group of affected stakeholders to consult with them on IP’s plans to control access and get feedback on solutions that enable access for legitimate purposes. Stakeholders included the NC Forest Service, hunting clubs that lease land, timber contractors, and local law enforcement. An outcome of this practicum will be a locking system that enables access to IP properties by hunt clubs and other users and controls and eventually eliminates illegal dumping and trespassing. An added benefit of this project has been the cooperation of hunt clubs to increase the management of the forest asset.
Rusty Harris-Bishop	Ft. Bragg and the Sustainable Sandhills Initiative	Sustainability Planner	Fuquay-Varina, NC
SUSTAINABLE SANDHILLS PROJECT In 1998, North Carolina's governor convened an historic conference of his Cabinet and 150 public leaders of state agencies, universities, community colleges, and United States military installations in North Carolina to discuss environmental sustainability and smart growth. He issued a challenge to those present to set an example of environmental stewardship in the way they operate and conduct business. Following the Governor’s challenge Fort Bragg embarked on the journey to become a sustainable installation. The long-term vision for a sustainable Fort Bragg included the surrounding communities; their destinies are inextricably linked. A sustainable region – a Sustainable Sandhills – was the next logical and necessary step. In partnership with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and 40 stakeholders from the surrounding communities, this regional initiative kicked-off in February 2003. Rusty coordinated this initiative bringing US Army Staff together with the larger community. As a result of Rusty’s work, Sustainable Sandhills was formally established under a leadership council, former charter, and memorandum of agreement among state and federal agencies.
John Howard	NC Dept. of Envionment and Natural Resources - Div. of Forest Resources	Asst. District Forester	Hillsborough, NC
DEVELOPMENT OF A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF FOREST RESOURCES AND ORANGE COUNTY The NC Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) cooperates with all 100 counties in North Carolina. Each county pays 35-40% of the Division’s local budget and in turn, the Division provides forestry services to county residents. Along with funding a portion of the budget, each county enters into a cooperative agreement with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In Orange County, philosophical differences between county leaders and the NCDFR around the forest management issues has kept the Orange County Board of County Commissioners from signing a cooperative agreement. Failure to obtain a signed agreement could cause the NCDFR to withdraw and no longer provide services to the landowners and citizens of Orange County. For his practicum project John established a dialogue on forestry concerns between NCDFR and Orange County leaders. He brought local NCDFR staff together with two Orange County commissioners, the county manager and assistant manager, the planning director, tax assessor and other county officials to discuss past, present and future forest management practices in the county. The outcome of the project was a signed cooperative agreement between Orange County and DENR. The benefits of a signed agreement are continued forestry services to the public, and groundwork for long-term trust between the organizations.
Todd Kennedy	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div. of Water Quality	Environmental Modeler	Raleigh, NC
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CROSS TRAINING PROGRAM Successful planning, permitting and construction of transportation projects within the NC Department of Transportation involve a complex and interdependent relationship between the Office of Natural Environment (ONE), Office of Human Environment (OHE), Highway Design Units, and external regulatory agencies. It is a significant challenge to design and build a road project that is safe for the public, has fair and evenly distributed impacts to human resources, and is a wise use of taxpayers’ money while simultaneously satisfying regulatory requirements. Successful project implementation requires effective communication, knowledge of the basic functions of each NCDOT Unit, as well as the needs, limitations, and regulatory requirements of those Units. An organized and consistent training program that addresses the working relationships between ONE, OHE and the Highway Design Units is lacking at the present time. In this practicum project, Todd and Elizabeth conducted a needs assessment and eight fact finding meetings to determine the necessary components for a successful cross training program between and within the ONE, OHE, and Highway Design Branch. It is anticipated that the implementation of a cross training program will result in enhanced communication, the sharing of resources and knowledge regarding engineering, environmental, and cost constraints, and a better understanding between units. The goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the transportation planning and design process, facilitating on-time and on-budget roadway designs that minimize or avoid impacts to the natural environment. The implementation of the cross training program will complement the NEPA/404 Merger 01 Process, which resulted from a collaborative between NCDOT, NCDENR, and other government agencies involved in transportation permitting.
Jeff Lineberger	Duke Power	Manager, Hydro Licensing	Charlotte, NC
LAND CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND THE CATAWBA-WATEREE HYDRO RELICENSING PROJECT This project was a collaborative effort designed to better prepare stakeholders to negotiate land conservation-related issues in the relicensing of a large, federally licensed hydro project in North and South Carolina. Over 160 stakeholders representing 80 organizations are involved in the relicensing of Duke Power’s Catawba-Wateree Hydro Project. Although land conservation is only one of several relicensing issues, it is a primary interest of many relicensing stakeholders. To help provide objectivity to the land conservation discussions, Jeff organized the formation of a sub-committee of representative stakeholders and a Geographic Information System model was developed that classifies the entire river basin according to land categories and descriptive criteria. The relicensing stakeholder teams then used the GIS to help them prioritize land areas. This information will be valuable in the negotiation of a comprehensive relicensing agreement.
Tim Lisk	Wake Co. Parks, Recreation and Open Space	Park Manager	New Hill, NC
PARTNERSHIP FOR MULTI-USE TRAIL SYSTEM Harris Lake County Park is built on 680 acres of land leased by Wake County from Progress Energy. The park has over eight miles of mountain bike trails and about five miles of hiking trails. Trail development has been a major focus for park staff since the beginning of operation. Directly across New Hill/Holleman Road from the park, NC State University also leases land from Progress Energy. NC State uses the 1,200-acre tract for forestry research and class field study. Progress Energy also continues its timber management practices including prescribed burns and timber harvesting on the property. Harris Lake County Park staff has proposed to build and manage a multiple-use trail system focused on equestrian use but available for mountain biking and hiking as well. In this project, Tim established a partnership between Wake County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space, Progress Energy, NC State University, and the Jordan Lake Trails Conservation Association. The objective of the partnership is the development, construction, and management of multi-use trails named the Piney Woods Trail System. The long-term benefits of the trail system include potential connections to the American Tobacco Trail and the Town of Holly Springs greenway plans creating a network of trails for southwest Wake County. This practicum has served as the catalyst for proposing the project and establishing a joint-use agreement between all agencies involved.
Elizabeth Lee Lusk	NC Dept. of Transporation - Office of Natural Environment	Environmental Supervisor	Raleigh, NC
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CROSS TRAINING PROGRAM Successful planning, permitting and construction of transportation projects within the NC Department of Transportation involve a complex and interdependent relationship between the Office of Natural Environment (ONE), Office of Human Environment (OHE), Highway Design Units, and external regulatory agencies. It is a significant challenge to design and build a road project that is safe for the public, has fair and evenly distributed impacts to human resources, and is a wise use of taxpayers’ money while simultaneously satisfying regulatory requirements. Successful project implementation requires effective communication, knowledge of the basic functions of each NCDOT Unit, as well as the needs, limitations, and regulatory requirements of those Units. An organized and consistent training program that addresses the working relationships between ONE, OHE and the Highway Design Units is lacking at the present time. In this practicum project, Todd and Elizabeth conducted a needs assessment and eight fact finding meetings to determine the necessary components for a successful cross training program between and within the ONE, OHE, and Highway Design Branch. It is anticipated that the implementation of a cross training program will result in enhanced communication, the sharing of resources and knowledge regarding engineering, environmental, and cost constraints, and a better understanding between units. The goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the transportation planning and design process, facilitating on-time and on-budget roadway designs that minimize or avoid impacts to the natural environment. The implementation of the cross training program will complement the NEPA/404 Merger 01 Process, which resulted from a collaborative between NCDOT, NCDENR, and other government agencies involved in transportation permitting.
Sara Mirabilio	NC Sea Grant College Program	Extension Fisheries Specialist	Manteo, NC
UTILIZATION OF CULTURAL MODELS AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TO ADVANCE MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BLUE CRAB FISHERY The blue crab supports North Carolina’s most valuable commercial fishery in terms of total landings, value, processing, participation, employment, and the amount of harvest gear used From 1994-1999, North Carolina was the top blue crab producing state in the country; in 2002, North Carolina still accounted for 21% of the total harvest, second only to Louisiana (31%) Finding ways to increase the quality of technical expertise, while simultaneously increasing the involvement of stakeholders in the fishery management process, has been perhaps the fundamental challenge of policy formation for years. In this project, Sara organized three dialogue workshops of NC blue crab fishery stakeholders (commercial crabbers/dealers, university researchers, fishery managers, and non-governmental environmental organizations). Through these workshops stakeholders were able to 1) establish a commitment to working together, creating workshop protocols and a group covenant; 2) summarize all issues and interests related to management of the fishery in the Albemarle region, NC; 3) define a shared problem and goal; and 4) develop actions that foster continued communication among stakeholders and work towards the creation of a sustainable commercial blue crab fishery in the Albemarle region. More generally, the project improved communication and understanding among blue crab fishery stakeholders, refined the methodology for reducing conflict among stakeholders by integrating community-based knowledge into policy discussions, and increased recognition of the importance of collaborative learning based on cultural models
Janine Nicholson	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Office of Environmental Education	Info Resources Manager	Raleigh, NC
USING THE ENVIRONMENT AS AN INTEGRATING CONTEXT FOR LEARNING: IMPLEMENTING THE EIC MODEL IN NORTH CAROLINA To better understand the environmental impacts of our daily choices, we typically need direct experience interacting with natural systems. The subsequent steps – knowing how to change the damaging behaviors and making effective decisions about our choices – can be accomplished through education. Public schools in NC tend to focus intensely on their mandated need to show that all students are achieving at expected levels in the core, tested areas of math, reading and writing. This leaves little time for teachers to focus on other areas of study, like environmental science. One solution would be to integrate all subject areas into hands-on study of the environment around the school. National studies show that using the environment as an integrating context (EIC) for improving student learning has proven benefits including better performance on standardized measures of academic achievement in reading, writing, math, science and social studies; reduced discipline and classroom management problems; increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning; and greater pride and ownership in accomplishments. In her practicum project, Janine built a coalition of partner organizations to investigate the potential for implementing a 3-year EIC Model pilot program in 10 North Carolina middle schools. Janine applied a collaborative, consensus-based process to obtain the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) support for piloting the EIC Model in NC schools. DPI’s support is essential in order to gain access to the public schools and get permission to use this environmental education model with students. DPI and additional partners have committed to actively support the EIC implementation in 10 pilot schools. With their collaboration, NCDENR submitted funding proposals to EPA’s Environmental Education Grants Program and Congressional Earmark Funding.
Kevin O'Kane	Weyerhaeuser	Area Forester	Washington, NC
CREATION OF A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TO PROTECT RCW HABITAT AND MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY OF USE OF WEYERHAEUSER PROPERTY IN TYRELL COUNTY In recent years a significant population of red cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs) established themselves in loblolly pine forests of the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve (P3) in northern Tyrell County. The NC Department of Transportation purchased the tract as a mitigation area to compensate for damage that highway projects might cause to RCW habitat in other parts of the state. They deeded the tract to The Conservation Fund. Weyerhaeuser Company has owned and managed timberlands adjacent to P3 for many years. With the discovery of the RCWs, the company became liable for impacts it may have on the birds’ habitat or foraging areas. While the affected parties met once in 2002 to discuss the issue, no agreements were reached and no protocol for further communication was established. In this project, Kevin and Tom convened the Weyerhaeuser Company, The Conservation Fund, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a collaborative decision making process to formalize an agreement to protect the birds while enabling the continuation of Weyerhaeuser’s operations. Through a facilitated process, the representatives of the stakeholder groups have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding that calls for meetings on an annual basis and other measures that encourage long-term communication and cooperation.
Blake Price	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div of Marine Fisheries	Biologist	Morehead City, NC
THE FORMATION OF THE MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEA TURTLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Species listed as threatened or endangered are protected by federal and state regulations under the federal Endangered Species Act. Many of these regulations directly affect coastal communities through restrictions on economic activities. In North Carolina federal agencies have closed areas to fishing to protect sea turtles. Specifically, the Pamlico Sound has been closed to all gillnet operations from September through December in response to an increase in the number of sea turtle strandings and sea turtle interactions in large mesh gillnets. To maintain this fishery, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries has applied for and received incidental take permits that allow for sea turtle interactions, but mandate many stipulations to the commercial industry. Blake’s practicum builds on the work of two other NRLI Fellows who established the North Carolina Sea Turtle Advisory Committee (STAC) in 2003. The committee is comprised of representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Duke University, and commercial and recreational fishermen. Blake assumed the task of guiding the STAC through a deliberative process to characterize fishery interactions with sea turtles in North Carolina commercial fisheries, develop solutions to these, and provide the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission with recommendations to minimize sea turtle interactions, while simultaneously maintaining economically critical fisheries. The committee expects to complete its task by October 2005.
Shardul Raval	Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div. of Forest Resources	Forstry Specialist	Raleigh, NC
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LAND ACQUISITION POLICY & PROCEDURE FOR THE NCDFR EDUCATIONAL STATE FOREST EXPANSION PLAN The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) has been acquiring real property for its Educational State Forest system without a standardized policy and procedure. Key stakeholders important to the Division persistently raised questions about NCDFR’s Educational State Forest land acquisition priorities. In this practicum, Shardul organized a collaborative process with a team of NCDFR managers and external stakeholders to create a land acquisition policy and procedures that are consistent with the mission and goals of the Educational State Forest.
Tommy Sports	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div. of Forest Resources	Asst. District Forester	Taylorsville, NC
EXPECTATIONS OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND PROCEDURAL CONFLICTS THAT EFFECT WORK IN FIELD AND PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION TO NCDFR CUSTOMERS Employees of the NC Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) prepare forest management plans for forest landowners. Plans conform to standards, policies and procedures set by the Division, most recently updated in 1992. Some plan components are outdated, some new information has been added, but changes have not kept up to date with current demands. Expectations can differ from one forest plan evaluator to another on the proper procedures used for evaluating and approving forest landowner plans. This can result in service that does not meet landowner needs and expectations. In this project, Tommy worked to combine the ideas and comments from DFR field personnel and landowners so that DFR management can review them when considering a procedural update on plan development. The outcome will be a clearer understanding of how to best serve landowners with their management needs. Another immediate benefit is to streamline plan evaluation so that field personnel will be more confident in what is expected of them when preparing plans. The anticipated long-term outcome of this leadership project will be implementing suggestions from the field into a procedure updated by DFR management, which will result in improved services to citizens.
Roger Stallard	NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Div. of Forest Resources	District Forester	Fairfield, NC
FORESTRY EDUCATION OUTREACH TO NON-INDUSTRIAL PRIVATE FORESTLAND OWNERS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MULTI-COUNTY LANDOWNER ASSOCIATION TO ADDRESS POLICY ISSUES IMPACTING FORESTRY Forest products are the second leading industry in the state. In North Carolina, 78% of all timberland is owned by Non-Industrial Private Forestland (NIPF) owners, nearly half of which is in the Coastal Plain. While the amount of timberland owned by farmers continues to decline, the transfer to other NIPF owners has increased forestland ownership, but reduced tract size. These smaller ownerships may limit management options, but should provide an increased opportunity for forest education programs. Many forest landowners do not understand the advantages of actively managing their timberlands and those that do are confused and suspicious of various environmental regulations. Roger’s practicum accomplished three goals: (1) provide forestry education to NIPF owners in Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties; (2) encourage forest landowners to have a greater involvement in forestry policies/issues by forming groups or associations and (3) foster open communication between forest landowners and related public service agencies to better meet their needs.
Tom Stroud	Partnerships for the Sound	Dir./Programs	Washington, NC
REATION OF A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TO PROTECT RCW HABITAT AND MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY OF USE OF WEYERHAEUSER PROPERTY IN TYRELL COUNTY In recent years a significant population of red cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs) established themselves in loblolly pine forests of the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve (P3) in northern Tyrell County. The NC Department of Transportation purchased the tract as a mitigation area to compensate for damage that highway projects might cause to RCW habitat in other parts of the state. They deeded the tract to The Conservation Fund. Weyerhaeuser Company has owned and managed timberlands adjacent to P3 for many years. With the discovery of the RCWs, the company became liable for impacts it may have on the birds' habitat or foraging areas. While the affected parties met once in 2002 to discuss the issue, no agreements were reached and no protocol for further communication was established. In this project, Kevin and Tom convened the Weyerhaeuser Company, The Conservation Fund, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a collaborative decision making process to formalize an agreement to protect the birds while enabling the continuation of Weyerhaeuser's operations. Through a facilitated process, the representatives of the stakeholder groups have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding that calls for meetings on an annual basis and other measures that encourage long-term communication and cooperation.
Alma Watson	Puckett Institute	Associate Research Specialist	Swannanoa, NC
DEVELOPMENT OF A TOOL KIT TO SUPPORT THE NATURAL RESOURCE EXPERIENCE The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE, 1997) published guidelines that emphasize in-depth understanding based on accurate information, critical thinking, and research skills, as well as taking action to enhance the environment. North Carolina has more than a decade of experience in supporting the development of critical-thinking and conflict resolution skills for career professionals through the Natural Resource Leadership Institute (NRLI). Given the support that is now in place with NRLI graduates, it seems timely, if the state is to remain on the cutting edge of environmental issues, to create a parallel experience for the youth of our state. Alma is developing a Tool Kit for promoting and delivering a “Natural Resource Experience” for North Carolina’s youth, that targets junior and senior high school students. The immediate benefit of making a Tool Kit available is to have a concrete resource to build youth stewardship across the state. The long-term outcomes will help to ensure that the next generation of is equipped with critical thinking, collaborative, and conflict-resolution skills in the area of environmental issues to respond intelligently to increasing diverse public interests.
Natalie Watson	Land-Loss Prevention Project	Staff Attorney	Durham, NC
PLANS TO GRADUATE IN JUNE 2006 DUE TO A JOB RELOCATION.
Steve Yurkovich	Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management	Professor of Geology	Cullowhee, NC
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO THE CULLOWHEE DAM WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Cullowhee Dam, located on the Tuckasegee River in Jackson County, NC, serves as the impoundment for two public water supply systems. The practicum was designed to evaluate its water quantity and conservation, water quality, sediment issues, safety of the dam structure, and protection of the water supply. This was to be done using a stakeholder-driven decision process involving the owners of the water supply systems and agencies responsible for water quality, conservation, and dam safety. Although Steve made several attempts to bring the parties together, the project did not meet its desired outcomes. For reasons that are not fully understood the principal player in the project balked at fully participating in the stakeholder process. Had timing been different, there may have been more buy-in to the process and study thereby moving it further ahead.