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Projects (Recent)
Here is a sample of our current projects.
For more information about any of these projects, please
email us!
Birth of Freedom - Transitions
(2007-present)
In 2007, Virginia's General Assembly issued a statement of "profound regret" for the Commonwealth's treatment of African Americans and Native Americans. That statement called for citizens to "embrace, celebrate, and retell" their history and called upon the people of the Commonwealth to "express acknowledgment and thanksgiving" for their contributions. A number of individuals at the University of Virginia have determined to follow that formal statement with a collective response to the legacy of slavery, segregation and discrimination in the history of the University of Virginia. The project began in Fall of 2007 with the Institute and the Office of African American Affairs and the Carter G. Woodson Institute compiling a database of individuals and organizations that would be involved in this effort. This database will also identify relevant activities, events, curriculum and research ongoing at the University of Virginia.
We expect that this will lead to a systematic, coordinated effort involving University students, administration and faculty and staff, alumni, and community members in defining how this University community can complete the transition from any continuing legacy of slavery and segregation to a community of shared purpose. This examination would not duplicate, but instead build upon the initiatives and resources already in place. Its goal is to transition to a community in which recognition and understanding of all of our past, the bad and the good, allows us develop authentic relationships based upon integrity, trust, accomplishment and shared purpose. We will understand our history but our future will no longer be defined by that history. The project is funded with a generous grant from the Andrus Family Fund.
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Charlottesville Area Local Food Directory
(2006-present)
With the support of an anonymous donation for a graduate student internship, the IEN worked in partnership with the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) to develop the first local food directory for the greater Charlottesville region: “Buy Fresh, Buy Local.” The PEC is serving as official host for this directory and will be updating and distributing the directory on an annual basis (PEC's Buy Fresh, Buy Local site)  . IEN sees this project as connected to many of its other projects addressing rural economic development and sustainable agriculture.
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Elizabeth River Watershed Plan Revision
(2007-present)
The Elizabeth River Project is currently undergoing a yearlong revision process to the watershed Action Plan, last updated in 2002. The Elizabeth River is an important tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. While serving as a vehicle for economic activity, with many industries on the River served by its navigable waters, the River has also served as a reminder of the harm of environmental contamination. A series of stakeholder meetings has been convening over the course of the year to evaluate existing and continuing problems (environmental, social, political) associated with the restoration of the Elizabeth River. The first of these meetings was held in November 2007, with the second meeting in February 2008 followed by a concluding summit in May 2008. Six sub-committees were tasked with identifying action items and priorities for the restoration of the Elizabeth River, published in white papers presented at February's meeting. The revised Watershed Action Plan for 2008 is scheduled to be published in June 2008.
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Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River Strategic Plan
(2007-present)
Founded in 1988, Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (Friends) is a community watershed organization with a mission to improve and protect the purity, beauty, and natural flow of the North Fork Shenandoah River, a major tributary of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Friends’ founders worked from its inception with fellow nonprofit organizations and government agencies to address water quality and quantity challenges confronting the North Fork. Currently, Friends’ is pursuing a strategic planning effort in order to be more focused in achieving its goals and objectives, to broaden the organization’s reach, and to increase its impact in the core programmatic focus areas of science and water quality monitoring, education and outreach, and advocacy.
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King William Reservoir Impact Mitigation
(2006-present)
IEN is assisting the City of Newport News and the Virginia-recognized Mattaponi, Upper Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes with the mitigation of impacts to culturally important sites affected by the proposed King William Reservoir.
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Maryland Eastern Shore Collaborative Initiative
(2008-present)
Inspired by the Virginia Waste Solutions Forum (2005), the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center convened a first meeting in February 2008 of stakeholders representing a wide range of agricultural and environmental interests on Maryland's Delmarva peninsula. At this meeting, participants explored the potential for establishing a collaborative effort to improve water quality while fostering agricultural economic viability. While a decision has not been finalized, participants agreed that a collaborative could be worthwhile and that they will continue meeting to explore the design and focus for this potential collaborative. The collaborative will tentatively focus on on Maryland's Eastern Shore, while inviting participation from the entire Delmarva peninsula. IEN is working with the University of Maryland to design and facilitate the beginning meetings for this effort.
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Shenandoah Community Dialogue Project
(2007-present)
The Shenandoah Community Dialogue Project is a grassroots effort, sponsored by the Shenandoah Forum, to develop specific recommendations for ways to improve County ordinances and plans so that the vision of the Comprehensive Plan will become reality. A Consensus Committee was brought together by the Forum, representing a broad range of interests, including farmers, developers, business, conservation and preservation, and local county and town governments. The Consensus Committee meetings and workshops are open to the public; it has hosted guest speakers to learn about the gap between the County's Comprehensive Plan and its current Zoning Ordinance, as well as the array of planning tools available to localities. The Consensus Committee will produce a set of recommendations for County consideration before the end of 2008. For further information, see:
Link to Shenandoah Forum website
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Strategic Planning and Facilitation for Nonprofits and Localities
(ongoing)
IEN staff provide frequent assistance to environmental and civic nonprofits as well as to local governments. Strategic planning facilitation has been provided for numerous nonprofits. A few examples include the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Western Virginia Land Trust, the Virginia Conservation Network, the Virginia Water Monitoring Council, the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center, and the Archaological Society of Virginia. Facilitation of public meetings that are anticipated to be difficult is another form of assistance. A few examples include a Culpeper County meeting on the land application of biosolids, a series of community discussions in Fluvanna County about the siting of its new court hourse, a Goochland County meeting on the land application of biosolids, a Halifax County meeting about proposed setbacks for large-scale hog operations, and a series of meetings among Henrico County officials about how to improve the flow of development approvals.
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The Nature Pyramid
(2007 - ongoing)
Inspired by Richard Louv's keynote address and workshop at the 2007 Environment Virginia Conference and workshop, discussing his book "The Last Child in the Woods," IEN Senior Associate Tanya Denckla Cobb created the Nature Pyramid. Like the "Food Pyramid," the Nature Pyramid depicts the kinds of activities that are important for human health, and indicates desired proportions of these different activities. Building on Louv's look at the long-term problems resulting from changing lifestyles and expectations for children, the Nature Pyramid attempts to establish guidelines for life, for all ages. This is a work in progress, so please feel free to email Tanya Denckla Cobb with suggestions and feedback on how to improve this concept (td6n@virginia.edu). To download the latest version of the Nature Pyramid, click here.
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Virginia Eastern Shore Seaside Strategy
(2007-present)
The Institute for Environmental Negotiation is providing facilitation and planning assistance to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program and its partners in the Eastern Shore Seaside Strategy. This assistance will culminate in a plan (prepared with input from state, federal, and private partners with relevant management responsibilities) to enhance, sustain and better manage the seaside coastal resources of the Eastern Shore consistent with Partner and Virginia CZM Program vision and goals.
Virginia Seaside Heritage Program site
Seaside Avian Partnership Management Plan - Draft
Seaside Management Plan - Draft
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Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI)
(2000 - ongoing)
The Virginia Natural Resources Leadership institute (VNRLI) provides Virginia's leaders with skills to address complex environmental issues in a collaborative manner. Each class of leaders from Virginia’s industry, businesses, local and state government, and the environmental community works together in a year-long program that provides challenges in conflict resolution, personal leadership, and collaborative dialogue. VNRLI is a partnership between the University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation, Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Forestry. Founded in 1998, with its first full-year program in 2000, VNRLI is funded by a combination of tuition fees and grants. The year-long program consists of a series of six 3-day workshops in various locations across Virginia. The class curriculum involves three components: personal leadership, collaborative problem-solving, and key natural resources challenges in the state. Each session focuses on a different natural resource issue, including the Chesapeake Bay, water quality, land use, coal mining, forestry, sustainable agriculture, TMDLs, and more.
Link to VNRLI homepage
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Virginia Solutions
(ongoing)
IEN initiated Virginia Solutions in Fall 2004, a state-wide initiative for community collaboration and consensus building. In 2005, funded by the Laura J. Musser Fund, two pilot Virginia Solutions projects were completed, one resulting in a Declaration of Cooperation for the establishment of a riparian easement program in Fauquier County. Virginia Solutions provides an easy, cost-effective mechanism for communities to develop community-based solutions to any given community issue. A neutral convener is formally appointed, a stakeholder Solutions Team is formed with the assistance of an experienced facilitation team, and the Team develops an integrated solution strategy that is embodied in a Declaration of Cooperation. In 2005, another project in Loudoun County utilized key components of the Virginia Solutions process which successfully led to the adoption of a Declaration of Cooperation
http://www.virginiasolutions.org/
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Virginia Tech Community DECISIONS
(2007-present)
This three-year project will develop a real-time, microcomputer-based system for supporting community consensus decision-making about watershed issues Led by a multi-disciplinary team at Virginia Tech, this project will involve stakeholders from the North Fork of the Shenandoah watershed, representing a wide range of interests including agriculture, government, private business, environmental and utilities. The overall goal is to develop a flexible, practical toolkit that will provide watershed stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to select water quality protection mechanisms appropriate to their watershed. It will also help stakeholders develop innovative strategies to reduce costs of meeting water quality protection goals. IEN's role is to help design and facilitate stakeholder involvement in the development of these tools.
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WSFII
(2008-present)
The WSFII (June 2008) was conceived to build upon the success of the first Waste Solutions Forum (April 2005), which developed a strategic plan and priorities for improving water quality while fostering agricultural economic viability. The WSFII will review progress made since 2005 in the areas of pilot projects, research, education and policy. IEN is working with the planning committee to design a dynamic agenda that capitalizes on the passion of stakeholders and partners, encourages collaboration, and generates both new directions for ongoing projects as well as new ideas and partnerships. The results of WSFII will guide coalition action and project implementation over the next three years.
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