A Voluntary and Collaborative Problem-Solving Process for Resource Management Issues
“So, just what the heck is CRM?”
Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) is a stakeholder consensus decision-making process. Stakeholders are any interest with a stake in the consequences of the decision. In this process, the stakeholders make decisions by consensus, rather than by traditional voting and majority rule.
Consensus, as defined by various CRM practitioners, means, “The group makes decisions collaboratively.There is no voting, and everyone had to be able to live with the decision–discussion continues until they can.Although all participants may not agree 100% with all aspects of the decision, all participants support the whole decision 100%.”
The CRM process helps people manage natural resources in a productive, environmentally-friendly, and economical manner, for the long term. It is a coalition-building process which involves those using the resources in the decision making about those resources. Thus, CRM integrates local wisdom and technical expertise, while taking advantage of group synergy. Indeed, some CRM teams have been initiated solely as “brain trusts” to reap the benefits of diversity and group creativity.
One particularly appealing aspect of CRM is that it complements any regulatory process, such as NEPA, and responds to the plethora of recent mandates to incorporate the public in decision making. The process also fulfills the intent of the “Sunshine Laws,” to include all interests when making public policy decisions. In today’s environment of government devolution, CRM is ideally suited as a process for local decision-making.
The CRM process is ultimately flexible. It works at a variety of scales and on a variety of issues. While the CRM process historically has been used to develop natural resource management plans or to resolve natural resource use conflicts, we are learning that the principles of CRM apply to other types of conflict resolution and to human resource management, as well. As a result, we are beginning to see the principles of the CRM process applied in the workplace, to community development issues, and to a variety of dispute resolution situations.
CRM Guidelines
- Voluntary participation by all partners in the process
- Landowner initiated; others are essential in the process, but landowner commitment is critical for success in natural resources management
- Involvement by all players; those without ownership in the process will create roadblocks
- Experienced, neutral facilitators are key to forming the teams and training participants in the process so the participants learn to balance power, focus discussions on goals and interests, etc.; facilitators can step back in to help the group get past stumbling blocks, should they occur
- Establish ground rules early by group consensus, to set the group’s behavioral norms
- Determine common goals early by group consensus; stay focused on those goals
- Be sure participants have decision-making authority for their constituencies
- Make all decisions by consensus to balance power, prevent logrolling, develop trust, and ensure that all interests are supportive of each decision
- Talk about “needs” rather than “positions;” say “I need” instead of “you can’t”
- Create a team to develop empowering trust and respect
- Be committed to the process and to the rest of the team; it takes time and hard work to develop consensus decisions.Build a sense of accomplishment and progress; start with small accomplishments, especially in contentious situations
- Develop management objectives and action plans which move toward the goal(s)
- Monitor, monitor, monitor to measure progress and develop long-term trend data about the resource; monitor the process, as well, to be sure the group is accomplishing its goals
- Make the plan flexible to allow for unforeseen circumstances, yet rigid enough to provide for accountability
Lisa Taricco, Director
CRMP Council Program
801 K Street, Suite 1318
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-447-7237
Fax: 916-447-2532
Email: cacrmp@ns.net
W. James Clawson
Agronomy & Range Science
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-8515
Phone: 916-752-3455
Fax: 916-752-4361
Email: wjclawson@ucdavis.edu
John Husband
USDI-BLM
1280 Industrial Ave.
Craig, CO 81625
Phone: 970-824-4441
John Valentine
USDA-NRCS
1826 E. Platte Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5783
Reed Kelley
PO Box 1028
Meeker, CO 81641
Phone: 970-878-4666
Roy Roath
Dept. of Rangeland Ecosystem Science
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: 970-491-6543
Dennis Phillippi
PO Box 1871
Bozeman, MT 59771-1871
Phone: 406-587-7792
Fax: 406-582-8247
Email: nroinc@mcn.net
Jason Campbell
PO Box 1679
Helena, MT 59624
Phone: 406-442-3420
Fax: 406-449-5105
Email: msgahelena@aol.com
Bob Hanson
Riverside Ranch
3718 Highway 12
White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
Phone: 406-547-3482
John Hollenbeck
PO Box 330025
Gold Creek, MT 59733
Phone: 406-288-3382
C. Rex Cleary
PO Box 16
Genoa, NV 89411
Phone: 702-782-2889
Fax: 702-883-1656
Chris Freeman or Pam Wilcox
Nevada Conservation Commission
333 W. Nye
Carson City, NV 89710
Phone: 702-687-6977
Fax: 702-687-3783
Monica Schwalbach
USDA-Forest Service
PO Box 539
Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 702-289-3031
Fax: 702-289-2132
Voice Mail: 702-289-0148
William Goddard
USDA-NRCS
5301 Longley Lane
Bldg. F, Suite 201
Reno, NV 89511
Phone: 702-784-5863
Fax: 702-784-5939
Gene Kolkman or Tim Reuwsaat
USDI-BLM
HC 33, Box 33500
Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 702-289-1800
Fax: 702-289-1910
Email: gkolkamn@nv1807.nv.blm.gov
Sherm Swanson or Lynn Huntsinger
Center for Sustainable Agreements
University of Nevada-Reno
UNR/ERS/KRC/186
1000 Valley Road
Reno, NV 89512
Phone: 702-784-4057
Fax: 702-784-4583
E. William Anderson
Task Group Mentor
1509 Hemlock St.
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Phone: 503-636-8017
John Mellott
Natural Resources Division
Oregon Dept, of Agriculture
635 Capitol St., NE
Salem, OR 97310
Phone: 503-986-4705
FAX: 503-986-4730
Mike Barsotti
Stewardship Coordinator
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
2600 State St.
Salem, OR 97310
Phone: 503-945-7385
Fax: 503-945-7376
Tom Bedell
Society for Range Management
25488 Wonderly Lane
Philomath, OR 97370
Phone: 541-929-5598
Mike Borman
Dept. of Rangeland Resources
Oregon State University
Strand Ag. Hall, Rm. 202
Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone: 541-737-1614
Fax: 541-737-0504
Jeffrey P. Repp
USDA-NRCS
Baker Field Office
3990 Midway Dr.
Baker City, OR 97814
Phone: 541-523-7121
Fax: 541-523-2184
Email: jrepp@or.nrcs.usda.gov
Leroy Holtsclaw
USDA-NRCS
Federal Building
200 4th St., SW
Huron, SD 57350-2475
Phone: 605-353-1783
Marty Beutler
SDSU West River Ag. Center
1905 Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57702-9302
Phone: 605-394-2236
Fax: 605-394-6607
Email: Beutlerm@ces.sdstate.edu
Jim Johnson
SDSU West River Ag. Center
1905 Plaza Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57702-9302
Phone: 605-394-2236
Fax: 605-394-6607
Email: JohnsonJ@ces.sdstate.edu
Keith Rowland
USDA-Forest Service
CRMP Task Group
Okanogan Nat’l Forest
1240 S. 2nd St.
Okanogan, WA 98840
Phone: 509-826-3067
Fax: 509-422-2014
Chuck Perry
Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
4204 W. Lakeshore Dr.
Moses Lake, WA 98834
Phone: 509-765-6236
Fax: 509-766-2983
Linda Hardesty
Dept. of Natural Resource Science
Washington State University
PO Box 646410
Pullman, WA 99164-6410
Phone: 509-335-6632
Fax: 509-335-7862
Email: lhardest@mail.wsu.edu
Tom Brannon
Washington State University
CES
8774 Colockum Rd.
Malaga, WA 98828
Phone: 509-663-6400
Email: brannont@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu
Jerry Rouse
USDA-NRCS
Rockpointe Tower 2, Ste. 450
West 317 West Boone
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: 509-353-2335
Fax: 509-353-2354
Leanne Stevenson
Natural Resources & Policy Division
Wyoming Dept. of Agriculture
2219 Carey Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-6579
Fax: 307-777-6593
Email: lsteve@state.wy.us
Larry Bentley
Wyoming Dept. of Agriculture
1111 Mud Creek Road
Thermopolis, WY 82443
Phone: 307-867-2555
Email: lb5cows@tctwest.net
Jason Fearneyhough
Wyoming Dept. of Agriculture
2219 Carey Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-6579
Fax: 307-777-6593
Email: jfearn@missc.state.wy.us