2007-2011 Region 10 Strategy
Our Vision: A Healthy, Sustainable Environment for All
This strategy applies to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the approximately two hundred seventy Tribal governments in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. It has been developed in consideration of the EPA Administrator’s four priorities, the EPA National Strategy, employee input received through an environmental survey; perspectives of our state, tribal, federal and local partners; and the Region 10 mission, vision and values. Looking back to the 2005-2006 timeframe, the Region 10 plan included seven regional priorities: Columbia River Basin, Tribal Environmental Health, Oil and Gas in Alaska and Mining, Diesel Emissions, Coeur d’Alene and Spokane River Basins, Puget Sound Basin, and Grants Management. You will find these priorities worked into our new plan as part of a larger area of emphasis. At the start of our planning process we revised and re-affirmed our mission, vision and values. We believe that an organization is like a tree, it must be rooted in deeply held values, with all employees sharing a common mission, vision and values. Our values will be reflected in the way we implement this strategy.
For fiscal years 2007-2011, Region 10 will focus on the following six strategic endeavors.
Support the Core – The Agency has made significant progress in protecting the environment through key statutes like the Clean Water Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Clean Air Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act; and the regulatory programs implementing these laws. The Region recognizes the importance of our core regulatory program work and will ensure that resource and programmatic decisions maintain these essential efforts. This will include improving strategies to better use existing resources and focusing additional resources where significant shortfalls exist. |  | |
Clean, Affordable Energy and Climate Change – Climate change poses a serious challenge to the people of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and their environment. Energy production and use are closely linked to climate change. Our goal is to evaluate the current state of knowledge, and the tools currently in use, to determine our best course of action to address climate change in the region.
Enhancing Tribal Environments – Two hundred seventy tribal communities in Region 10 rely on natural resources for their physical, cultural and economic well-being. We will work with the tribes in Region 10 to build environmental management capacity, improve communication and consultation, and protect and restore the natural resources integral to their existence, with specific emphasis on improving air quality and better managing solid waste.
Protecting and Restoring Watersheds – To ensure clean, safe water for all, Region 10 will continue to emphasize watershed protection and restoration efforts in the Puget Sound, Columbia River, and the Coeur d’Alene Basin, as well as other locations. We will use integrated, crossprogram approaches to address water quality problems on a watershed basis. We will expand our work to identify and reduce sources of mercury contamination, while continuing to support fish tissue analysis for mercury and the appropriate issuance of public health fish advisories by state and local governments.
Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships – We will promote sustainable practices that allow us to meet our environmental, social, and economic needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. We will do this by fostering strategic partnerships, innovation, creating incentives, providing education and leading by example, focusing on efforts which give us the best return for the investment.
A Stronger EPA – Our people are our greatest resource. To maintain and further enhance our talented and highly skilled workforce, we will invest in their continued development. We will strive to increase the diversity represented by staff and managers in order to better address the needs of the diverse communities we serve. We will also conduct succession planning to create a smooth transition between retiring staff and future generations of EPA employees.