Submitter:

Name:Owen Ambur

Email:Owen.Ambur@verizon.net

Organization:

Name:U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution

Acronym:USIECR

Description:
Congress established the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution in 1998. The U.S. Institute's mission is to help resolve environmental disputes that involve the federal government, by providing mediation, training and related services. Included within the term "environmental" disputes are conflicts related to the environment, public lands and natural resources. Congress also directed the U.S. Institute to work to further the implementation of our National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by providing negotiation, mediation, and other settlement efforts as alternatives to litigation.

Stakeholder(s):

• Udall Foundation: Congress placed the U.S. Institute within the Udall Foundation. The Foundation is an independent federal agency based in Tucson, Arizona. As a result, the U.S. Institute is part of the federal government - but it is completely independent of all other federal agencies. Congressional sponsors of the legislation creating the Institute thought it was appropriate for it to be part of the Udall Foundation, as Sen. John McCain said, because Morris Udall's career "was distinguished by his integrity, service and commitment to consensus-building." http://udall.gov/


• USIECR Staff: The U.S. Institute has a staff of about 30, including Deputy Executive Director for Environmental Conflict Resolution program managers, project and administrative staff. The Institute provides services nationwide and frequently partners with private-sector mediators and facilitators who are located in the geographic area of a dispute. These outside mediators are among the more than 300 members of the Institute's National Roster of Environmental Dispute Resolution and Consensus Building Professionals. This resource is also available to anyone searching for an ECR professional at Roster of ECR Practitioners. In addition to their mediation and facilitation skills, the Institute's professional staff have backgrounds in many related fields, including law, public policy, natural resource and public lands management, urban planning, air quality, transportation, energy, and Native American issues.


• Gail Brooks: Senior Associate for Programs and Communication -- Roster of ECR Professionals


• Suzanne Orenstein: Director of the Udall Foundation's Washington DC Office


• Patricia Orr: Director of Policy, Planning & Budget -- Case & Project Evaluation


• Tina Gargus: Program Associate -- ECR Training


• Olivia Montes: Assistant to the Directors -- General Information


• Jerry Carter: Webmaster


• Sarah Palmer: Senior Program Manager -- Case consultation areas: Native American and Alaska Native, federal- tribal engagement on cultural and natural resource issues, Native Network Skills Exchange workshop


• Brian Manwaring: Program Manager -- Case consultation areas: Wetlands, rivers, fisheries, coastal and marine issues


• Cherie Shanteau-Wheeler: Director of Programs -- Case consultation areas: Administrative proceedings, mediated settlements, military bases, training for Federal managers and others involved in environmental conflicts


• Debra Drecksel: Senior Program Manager/Senior Facilitator -- Case consultation areas: Transportation, any other areas not listed ...


• Maggie McCaffrey: Senior Program Manager -- Case consultation areas: Public lands management, fire and fuels management, landscape restoration, ecosystems assessment, planning and management


• Mark Schaefer: Mark Schaefer Deputy Executive Director for Environmental Conflict Resolution -- Case consultation areas: National Policy Dialogues and Regional Environmental Forums


• Karen Siderelis: Director of Technology Collaboration


• Caelan McGee: Senior Program Manager/Senior Facilitator


• Theresa Fernandez: Receptionist/Financial Assistant


• Kimberly Caringer: Senior Program Associate


• Pat Lewis: Senior Program Associate


• Mitchell Chrismer: Program Associate