As a neutral party, we help diverse parties resolve tough issues. Whether training staff, creating new policy, or mediating contentious decisions, group and process facilitation requires an expert communicator with the ability to keep groups focused and negotiate resolution. Workshops, advisory groups, partnering, and public meetings can all benefit from a professional, knowledgeable, and creative EnviroIssues facilitator.
Hanford Cleanup Moves Forward

The Hanford Advisory Board is made up of citizen, local government, and tribal representatives from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The board advises the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology on cleaning up decades of soil and groundwater contamination at the Hanford Site. For almost a decade, EnviroIssues has facilitated the board and standing committees, ensuring that the board’s advice is grounded in substantive findings and represents the views of all members.

 
Gathering Information Through Focus Groups

From transportation to water quality, engaging the public means gathering information needed to make decisions that shape the direction of a project. EnviroIssues conducts focus groups on a wide range of topics. We met with local stakeholders to elicit their values and opinions regarding a stormwater implementation plan, coordinated and facilitated six focus groups to test attitudes and responses from low-income users of SR 167 regarding High Occupancy Toll lanes, and met with test audiences to verify messages used in an educational brochure regarding contaminated soil.

 
City Makes Plans to Protect Watershed

With the goal of achieving and maintaining healthy conditions and ecological functions in its urban watersheds and waterways, the City of Portland has tackled a citywide watershed plan. We integrated with the city teams as we convened a broad-based watershed science policy advisory group to provide input to the city’s watershed approach, process, products, and strategies. The city asked EnviroIssues to continue to provide strategy, facilitation and administrative support for the group because of our technical expertise and facilitation skills as well as familiarity with Portland-area watershed issues and Oregon water quality issues.

 
Replacing an At-Risk Linkage Between Seattle and the East Side

Faced with a 30-year deadlock over the SR 520 floating bridge's future, and increasing pressures on the routes across and around Lake Washington, state and local governments agreed to a facilitated process to break the deadlock. EnviroIssues facilitated the 47-person Trans-Lake Washington Study Committee to consensus recommendations for improving cross-lake safety and mobility. As the SR 520 project moved forward, we designed and carried out community outreach and communications in the corridor communities as well as region-wide. Today, work is continuing on a new facility that will withstand seismic and storm events, while also maintaining the vital east-west linkage.