Projects (Recent)

University - Community Racial Reconciliation Project

(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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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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National Assessment of USFS Travel Management Planning: Challenges, Recommendations, and Best Practices for Public Involvement

(2009)

IEN was contracted in the fall of 2008 by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to undertake an independent assessment of the U.S. Forest Service travel management planning process. The goal of this assessment is to offer specific recommendations to Forest Service personnel as they work to complete travel management planning throughout the national forest system. We also hope that this report will provide value and guidance to those citizens who are engaged as members of the public in these planning processes. Drawing on lessons from individual projects, our report identifies key issues and challenges that are common to travel management planning efforts, with each issue and challenge serving as the basis for specific recommendations. The assessment is based principally on individual discussions with leaders representing motorized recreation, non-motorized recreation and conservation, forest service staff, and local government.

To download the report or its components parts click below

National Assessment of TMP - Full Document
The Full Document of the National Assessment of Travel Management Planning: Challenges, Recommendations, and Best Practices for Pubic Involvement

Key Principles for Successful Collaboration
A one-page document describing successful collaborative processes

Guidelines for Effective Conflict Resolution
A one-page document describing guidelines for effective conflict resolution

Part III - Recommendations Only
For easier reading this contains the introductory material followed by recommendations for best practices (material identifying the scope of challenges has been removed from this document)

Appendix 5 - Public Participation and Collaboration Resources
A ten-page resource guide for collaborative problem-solving

Appendix 7 - Education Resources
A two-page Example of User Education: Sharing Resources From the Tread Lightly! Program

Appendix 9 - Websites
A two-page list of websites related to TMP

Appendix 10 - TMP Best Practices
A four-page document describing TMP best practices: principles and their supporting practices

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National Preservation Institute

(2009)

The National Preservation Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1980, educates those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of our cultural heritage. NPI is proud to serve a broad spectrum of professionals from government and the private sector by providing training through its seminars in historic preservation and cultural resource management. Four further information, go to http://www.npi.org/

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Nature Pyramid

Resilient communities offer multiple opportunities for children to be in nature, for both education and play. Inspired by Richard Louv's book "The Last Child in the Woods," IEN Senior Associate Tanya Denckla Cobb created the Nature Pyramid in May 2007. 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. Since Denckla Cobb developed this concept, the Nature Pyramid has been incorporated into an environmental education curriculum, and has been presented to various audiences. It is a concept in progress. She welcomes your feedback! Click here to see Denckla Cobb's "Nature Pyramid."

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Strategic Planning and Facilitation for Nonprofits and Localities

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 Archaeological 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 citing of its new court house, 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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Virginia Food Security Summit

In partnership with Virginia Tech and the UVA School of Architecture, the IEN designed and facilitated the first state-wide summit on food security. Partners include Professor Tim Beatley of the UVA Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and the Virginia Tech Food Department of Food Science and Technology, headed by Susan Sumner. Held on May 11, 2007, the Summit attracted 146 participants representing stakeholders in Virginia’s food system – farmers, local governments, state agencies, academicians, farm suppliers, food buyers and distributors, public health managers and nutrition experts, and, of course, consumers. Speakers provided the “big picture” of Virginia’s current food security and participants developed recommendations for next steps needed to help Virginia increase connections between Virginia farmers and Virginia households and institutions, to increase state food security. For more information about the Food Summit, including presentations at the Summit and the final report, click here.

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Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI)

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

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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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