Integrated Federal Planning and Renewable Energy
Secretary Vilsack, USDA, Secretary Salazar, USDI, and Secretary Chu, DoE, have all called for initializing planning for renewable energy planning, siting, and designing in such a way as to maximize development opportunities while minimizing the impacts to wildlife, wild lands, water, and other important resources and avoiding needless delays, all in response to the President’s commitment to renewable energy goals. Federal agencies have entered into a nine-agency MOU for working together to meet the President’s goal, intending to avoid the multiple-year delays typically associated with responding to renewable energy proponents’ applications for use of Federal lands.
US EPA Region IX and 17 environmental entities have requested the President to implement an efficient and environmentally-protective planning effort to meet his goals. However, industry and agency representatives agree that the current process used nationwide by agencies is neither efficient nor does it involve the necessary Federal and state agencies and Tribal governments, as well as the proponent, interested entities, and the public, in early planning efforts in a productive and appropriate way. In response to the MOU and the need for more efficient processes, the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Energy have drafted manuals and directives requiring concurrent engagement of Federal agencies and the proponent early in and throughout the planning and project screening process, and the meaningful involvement of interested and affected publics, NGOs and other parties at appropriate times.
Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. has adapted the Facilitated Planning using Informed Facilitation process to this complex and urgent effort. The adapted process is called Integrated Federal Planning, and its foundation, Facilitated Planning, has proven effective, efficient, and highly productive when applied to planning needs in many different sectors. Integrated Federal Planning for early and continued planning for interagency and Tribal renewable energy resources projects is an adaptation and expansion of Facilitated Planning using and depending upon Informed Facilitation. It is more complex and requires more interagency interaction than what has been attempted before. No other company provides this service nor has the extensive experience with this type of service than Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc.
Integrated Federal Planning applied to onshore renewable energy infrastructure planning (including hydropower planning) is substantially more complex, with high level interagency engagement, than the types of projects in other sectors to which the Facilitated Planning Approach has been applied by Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc.
Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. partners with the project manager of the Lead Agency(ies) to ensure that planning is efficient and effective through interdisciplinary engagement of all participating agencies and Tribes early and throughout the planning, providing Informed Facilitation skills, public/NGO involvement strategies, and ensuring legal compliance with environmental laws. Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. also trains federal managers and interdisciplinary staff in Informed Facilitation and the practical implementation of Integrated Federal Planning.
US EPA Region IX and 17 environmental entities have requested the President to implement an efficient and environmentally-protective planning effort to meet his goals. However, industry and agency representatives agree that the current process used nationwide by agencies is neither efficient nor does it involve the necessary Federal and state agencies and Tribal governments, as well as the proponent, interested entities, and the public, in early planning efforts in a productive and appropriate way. In response to the MOU and the need for more efficient processes, the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Energy have drafted manuals and directives requiring concurrent engagement of Federal agencies and the proponent early in and throughout the planning and project screening process, and the meaningful involvement of interested and affected publics, NGOs and other parties at appropriate times.
Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. has adapted the Facilitated Planning using Informed Facilitation process to this complex and urgent effort. The adapted process is called Integrated Federal Planning, and its foundation, Facilitated Planning, has proven effective, efficient, and highly productive when applied to planning needs in many different sectors. Integrated Federal Planning for early and continued planning for interagency and Tribal renewable energy resources projects is an adaptation and expansion of Facilitated Planning using and depending upon Informed Facilitation. It is more complex and requires more interagency interaction than what has been attempted before. No other company provides this service nor has the extensive experience with this type of service than Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc.
Integrated Federal Planning applied to onshore renewable energy infrastructure planning (including hydropower planning) is substantially more complex, with high level interagency engagement, than the types of projects in other sectors to which the Facilitated Planning Approach has been applied by Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc.
Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. partners with the project manager of the Lead Agency(ies) to ensure that planning is efficient and effective through interdisciplinary engagement of all participating agencies and Tribes early and throughout the planning, providing Informed Facilitation skills, public/NGO involvement strategies, and ensuring legal compliance with environmental laws. Environmental Planning Strategies, Inc. also trains federal managers and interdisciplinary staff in Informed Facilitation and the practical implementation of Integrated Federal Planning.