Federal ECR Policy
OMB and CEQ Joint Memorandum on ECR
INTRODUCTION
On November 28, 2005, Joshua Bolten, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and James Connaughton, Chairman of the
President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a policy memorandum on environmental conflict resolution (ECR). This joint
policy statement directs agencies to increase the effective use of ECR and their institutional capacity for collaborative problem
solving. It includes a definition of ECR and sets forth "Basic Principles for Agency Engagement in Environmental Conflict Resolution
and Collaborative Problem Solving." It also includes a compilation of mechanisms and strategies that may be used to achieve the stated
policy objectives.
This policy direction developed from a request in August 2003 by Chairman Connaughton to the U.S. Institute to work with senior staff
of key federal departments and agencies to develop basic ECR principles and recommended guidance on ECR. Over the next two years, the
U.S. Institute worked collaboratively with senior staff from the Departments of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland
Security, Interior, Justice, Navy, Transportation, the Office of Management and Budget, the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Council on Environmental Quality to develop basic principles and draft guidance. In
November 2005 the "Memorandum on Environmental Conflict Resolution" was signed by Director Bolten and Chairman Connaughton.
The memorandum requires annual reporting by departments and agencies to OMB and CEQ on progress made each year, periodic leadership
meetings, and quarterly interdepartmental senior staff meetings to be facilitated by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict
Resolution.
BACKGROUND FOR ECR POLICY MEMORANDUM
A briefing report was prepared for the June 2004 Federal Departmental Leadership meeting on Environmental Conflict Resolution. This
report, revised and updated in May 2005, includes a compendium of cases and projects provided by multiple federal agencies and
descriptions of programs that support ECR and collaborative problem solving. Appendices to this report provide further documentation
and authorities supporting the use of ECR.
In preparation for the development of the ECR Policy Memorandum, a federal department survey was conducted. The findings from this
survey are reported here.