A Partnership Program of the University of Virginia Institute for Environmental Negotiation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Forestry and the Department of Conservation and Recreation

Agendas for last year's VNRLI may be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat by clicking on the links below

VNRLI SESSION SCHEDULE AND SAMPLE TOPICS

Six three-day workshops are held in different locations around the state to focus on different environmental issues. The sessions use a mix of mini-lectures, experiential roleplays and exercises, stakeholder panel discussions about specific environmental "hot" topics and field trips to cover the following core curriculum elements. The agenda for each session changes from year to year, but here is an overview of locations and session highlights. Please see the information brochure or application form for specific dates.

Session 1 (Central Virginia): September/October

TOPICS: Personal conflict management styles and communication skills, the Enneagram personality type indicator, teambuilding, tobacco-public health dialogue and sustainable communities.

Session 2 (Chesapeake Bay or Portsmouth): November

TOPICS: Facilitation, reaching for "higher ground," Chesapeake Bay Agreement, fisheries management, environmental justice.

Session 3 (Richmond or Alexandria): January

TOPICS: Consensus building, "Six Thinking Hats," the General Assembly, urban forestry, land conservation and smart growth.

Session 4 (Shenandoah Valley): March

TOPICS: Interest-based negotiation, water quality, TMDLs, agriculture, Superfund issues.

Session 5 (Southwest): April

TOPICS: Public involvement, environmental justice, sustainable forestry, and coal mine reclamation.

Session 6: (Charlottesville): May/June

TOPICS: Designing and convening a process; ethics; special challenges and special processes.