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Public Participation in Decision Making Increasingly the public is being encouraged to participate directly in decision making. The degree to which this is done depends on the legal requirements of the agency, and the agency's willingness to share it's decision making authority. Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution Alternative dispute resolution or "ADR" is a term given to a group of techniques used to resolve conflicts including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, collaborative problem solving, conflict assessment, and consensus building. These techniques are most often used when issues are becoming polarizing. They are intended to help conflicting interests arrive at a solution without litigation. Commitment to the process and the outcome must be high on the part of the agency and the stakeholders involved. Neutral professional facilitators often oversee the process.
Co-management involves a combination of local and government decision making in the management of public land resources. Different models are employed by different agencies and in different situations. For example, in Alaska Subsistence Resource Commissions and Regional Advisory Councils are legally mandated to make recommendations to the National Park Service concerning certain aspects of park management for the parks with which they are associated. The Applegate Partnership in southwester Oregon and the Quincy Library Group in northern California are examples of grassroots community-based organizations who are participating in public land management decision making in their respective regions. Co-management activities are long-term, collaborative arrangements that must be developed over time and adapted to the unique situations in each resource area and each agency.
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