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Educating the public about agency activities and raising awareness about management issues and decisions is an important part of public involvement. The tools described here may be used to reach large audiences. Some, such as brochures and displays, may be targeted at visitors. Newsletters and web-based media provide an opportunity to reach people who have expressed an interest in agency activities. Media events can be used to target the general public.
Brochures are small booklets or pamphlets that address a defined topic. They can be produced on one folded piece of paper or several sheets. They are meant to be short and provide readers with an overview of the pertinent issues related to the resource issue being considered. They can reach a large and varied audience. Brochures can be used to inform the public about the public involvement process or specific public involvement activities. They can also be used to educate the public about resource use issues. For example, a brochure might explain that an environmental impact statement has been prepared for a management alternatives for an area of high visitor use, briefly describe the resource use issues and the alternatives being considered. Brochures themselves often do not allow for feedback, they are a one way information flow. However they may provide information on who to contact for further information or where to send comments. They are a one-time method of communicating. Therefore agency staff should distribute brochures in a timely manner and update them, or stop their distribution, should the material become dated. It can take from several hours to several days to prepare a brochure. The amount of effort will depend on the type of information to be included and its availability. Depending on expertise, brochures can be prepared by agency staff with appropriate desktop publishing software and a scanner. It is also possible to contract out the writing, design and layout of a brochure. If this is done agency staff must ensure that the final text and layout are appropriate to park needs. It is always useful to have colleagues or visitors review a brochure to make sure it is understandable and conveys the message intended. Depending on the type of brochure it can be reproduced in house by photocopying or contracted out to a printing company. Distribution of a brochure can be done at entry gates or visitor centers, through a mailing to people who have expressed interest in the topic, or through a combination of these methods. It can occur over a period of weeks or months depending on the timeliness of the information. Displays are visual presentations that address the resource issue or planning process. They can be stationary or designed to be moved. They may be located at entry gates or visitor centers or carried to public meetings or workshops. Most often they are designed so that interested people can read the text and examine maps and other visual aids by themselves. Occasionally, agency staff may be available to answer questions. Displays can be designed to present information relevant throughout the entire planning process or in such a way that they are periodically updated as the process progresses. Displays are a good method to inform large numbers of people about a topic. They are most effective in presenting an overview of what is going on. In order to attract attention they need to be well laid out with many visual aids. Interpretation principals should be used to guide their design. Make messages simple and straightforward and structure the information in such a way that viewers can easily grasp the important points. Simple, temporary displays may be prepared in a matter of days. More often it can take several weeks to assemble the information and visual aids and lay them out in a useful format. The material with which the display is prepared will depend on its final use and costs can vary greatly. Increasingly the internet is being used as a means of communication. News services on the web are important sources of information for many people. Web pages dedicated to agency activities can be set up permanently or during the planning process. These pages take considerable effort in terms of time and expertise to keep them updated and running smoothly. Agency staff with appropriate skills can manage a web page or an outside firm may be contracted to do such work. Web sites can be an important outlet for information. Reports, maps, figures, and other pertinent data can be organized and linked so that users can examine them. The agency can maintain electronic mailing lists in order to disseminate new information efficiently. This can save money in terms of copying and postage as people read or download documents from their computers. The use of the internet in public involvement is constantly expanding. Its informational role is employed by many. Increasingly it is being used as a venue for targeted discussions, with participants exchanging viewpoints "on-line." Web sites may also provide comment sections or email addresses so that the public can provide comments. Media coverage is an important part of the public involvement process. The media can be used to advertise public hearings, meetings and other activities as well as to inform the public about agency activities. Announcements, feature stories, and press releases serve to let the public know what the agency is planning and how to get more information. By utilizing a variety of media outlets – newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet – a large number of people can be reached. The media is a one-way information flow from the agency to the public. Comments can, however, be solicited, though meaningful interaction between the agency and the public is not possible. Agency public relations staff are likely well acquainted with local media representatives and provide them with particulars on public involvement activities. By providing information in a timely and periodic fashion the public can rely on media placements to keep them informed. Newsletters are periodic correspondences with the interested public. A series of newsletters might be included as part of a public involvement process. Newsletters may be from one to several pages long and contain a number of stories relevant to the planning process. Readers can find information on the issues at hand and should be able to see how the process is evolving. They are a good method for keeping interested parties up-to-date on the planning process and soliciting public participation. Newsletters can be used to periodically convey a variety of facts and opinions on issues. For example, newsletters can be used to explain a plan that has been prepared and the alternatives being considered. Updated information on the planning process and feedback received from the public can be included. Public meetings, workshops, and comment methods can be announced in newsletters. Recipients of well thought out newsletters can feel connected to the public involvement process and how it is moving forward. Newsletters can be planned as quarterly (or some other appropriate time frame) communications from the planning team to the public. In that way people will be aware of when they will receive more information. Newsletters are a one-way flow of information from the agency to the public. However, they can be used to solicit feedback from the public through the inclusion of postage-paid questionnaires or comment cards. Each newsletter will take from several days to weeks to assemble. A variety of planning team members and others will likely be involved in providing information for articles. One staff member may serve as the editor, coordinating the writing of articles from staff expert in the different aspects of the plan or the process. Alternately staff may provide pertinent information to someone who takes the lead in writing the newsletter articles. Sketching out the anticipated progression of public involvement activities can help in planning out the expected content of each newsletter to assure that all relevant topics are covered and the public is adequately informed of activities and progress. The inclusion of maps, diagrams, and other visual aids is helpful. Desktop publishing software can be used to layout the newsletter, either by staff familiar with its use or an outside business engaged for that purpose. Distribution is most often done through mailing lists of interested people. Additional newsletters may be distributed at entry gates or visitor centers.
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