Wyoming State Parks Engagement - Preliminary Toolkit

Introduction

This preliminary toolkit intends to improve public engagement within the agency of Wyoming State Parks This toolkit represents a reimagining of how Wyoming State Parks can best engage the public in development decisions

By specifically targeting stakeholder engagement in this toolkit, we aim to provide useful resources for Wyoming State Parks that could be used to improve engagement practices Crafting a "perfect" model for public participation is unrealistic and bounded by legal, moral, and political constraints. Though the path is fraught, this toolkit represents the need and opportunity for Wyoming State Parks to make improvements in the realm of public engagement.

While not extensive, this report attempts to address current practices within a Wyoming context. An interdisciplinary approach to public participation informs the recommendations included in this report The specific disciplines include law and policy, recreation resource management, and communication studies

As part of a broader research project, this toolkit addresses findings from the following research questions:

According to academic, peer-reviewed literature, what are the best practices for stakeholder engagement in public lands decisions?

What opportunities and recommendations can Wyoming State Parks use to improve stakeholder engagement?

Collaborative Governance

An arrangement between one or more state or government agencies and public stakeholders to develop a collective decision-making process that creates consensus, is deliberative and formal, and aims to create and implement policy for managing public programs or assets (Ansell & Gash, 2008)

Consensus Building

The practice of experimentation, learning, change, and building shared meaning to build the capacity to create outcomes within a group of stakeholders (Innes & Booher, 1999)

Community Engagement

Occurs throughout the previous processes and seeks to encourage public participation, and deepen relationships and trust between communities and state entities

Social & Community Learning

Is necessary for collaborative governance The elements that lead to social learning include: open communication, diverse participants, unrestrained thinking, constructive conflict, democratic structures, multiple sources of knowledge, extended engagement, and facilitation

When agencies value public participation in their decision-making processes, it creates an opportunity for decision-makers to learn about the community's interests, needs, and concerns The process of public participation can lead to an increase in community trust in the agency and lead to decisions that acknowledge local and cultural contexts Public Participation is a spectrum, ranging from low levels of engagement (e.g., informing the public) to high levels of engagement (e.g., collaborating with stakeholders on a decision). The graphic below depicts the full public participation spectrum and a corresponding goal for each level

Inform

To provide public with information on project or decision.

Consult

To obtain and consider public input throughout.

Involve

To work directly with the public and gather input.

To engage the public in key activities and decisions

To implement what the public decides

Meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the general public looks different for each agency or organization In adapting a plan for public participation, an agency, such as Wyoming State Parks, must think deeply about why they want to increase public involvement and what they are hoping to gain from the process

Since, generally speaking, there is no single "public," agencies must address the variety and range of stakeholders in each relevant community Stakeholders will likely have unique interests, needs, and concerns regarding any single issue, so it is up to the agency to determine how to utilize those interests, needs, and concerns in its decision-making process

Because public participation offers an opportunity for individuals and communities to potentially influence decisions that affect their lives, it is important that agencies have realistic goals and procedures for engagement. As stated by the EPA: "[c]onducting meaningful public participation involves seeking input at specific points in the decision process and on specific issues where such input has a real potential to help shape the decision or action" (EPA, 2022)

Is there specific public input we seek and intend to take into account as we make our decisions?

Are we seeking to engage stakeholders early and throughout the process rather than just get public comments at one or two points?

Do we intend to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to work on the problem and potentially seek consensus?

Do we intend to engage the public in key activities and decisions during the process?

Do we intend to give decision-making authority to the public on all or part of the decision?

Not every project will require the same level of engagement It is important to consider the resources available and to navigate public interest and the public's participation ability level. Utilizing situational analysis for each project will help determine the appropriate level of engagement.

P U B L I C E N G A

EDUCATE NOTIFY OUTLINE

Create a clear project outline with defined goals and objectives Establish a timeline of events and outreach Determine how public engagement will be archived and how project results will be shared

Connect with community early and often Clearly communicate how the project may affect specific audiences Determine with methods of communication are most effective and useful for the project & audience

Establish a clear understanding of what the project is, intends to do, and what level of input or control the public has Create space for dialogue and discussion Provide time for community to read through and understand documents

1. Clear Purpose

Follow Through

6 Characteristics of

2. Education

3. Broad Outreach

G E M E N T P L A N

Show the public their voices are being heard. Maintain a consistent database of community comments and input (both formal and informal). Approach the public with an open and willing attitude

ADAPT FOLLOW THROUGH LISTEN

Keep public updated and provide justification of decisions made. Acknowledge when results do not match public desire. Summarize common questions and concerns through an accessible FAQ page.

Successful Engagement Plans

5. Consistent, Detailed Records

6. Follow-up

Evaluate effectiveness of public engagement strategy. Assess whether goals and expectations were met. Adjust and adapt regularly. Be flexible with what the community needs. Respond to criticism and misinformation

THEMES

01 STRONG COMMUNITY

Wyoming residents take pride in their close-knit communities and access to public lands. Addressing local context is crucial.

02 DISTRUST OF AGENCIES

Lack of shared information, limited public awareness, broken promises of continued communication, and perceived divisiveness lead to distrust of Wyoming State Parks.

03 FEELING IGNORED

Wyoming residents want to be included in decisions regarding the management of State Parks. Residents want to feel that their voices are heard and their concerns are taken into account.

MISINFORMATION

The prevalence of misinformation, lack of factual research, and general hearsay can increase distrust of State Parks and government agencies in general. Frustration with community members, government agencies, and organizations’ lack of review and communication is prevalent when public engagement is minimal.

RENEWED TRUST

There is a general hope among Wyoming residents in re-establishing communication lines and trust with Wyoming State Parks.

COMMUNITY IS MUCH MORE THAN BELONGING TO SOMETHING; IT'S ABOUT DOING SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT MAKES BELONGING MATTER

Action Steps

Face-to-Face Dialogue

Break-down barriers, include representatives

Identify appropriate scale of effort & involvement

Collaborative Power-Sharing Trust Building

Acknowledge power-dynamics

Build local capacity and awareness

Employ strategic outreach by stakeholder groups

Create ground rules for participation

Ensure broad stakeholder representation

Situational Analysis

Be fully cognizant of local context

Use an approach that reflects local circumstances

Commitment to the Process

Regular, open, transparent communication

Be prepared for a sustained effort

Integrate Stakeholder Knowledge

Cultivate a Shared Understanding

Initiate engagement early

Create a common purpose & shared vision

Provide objective, relevant background information and baseline data

Craft a common vision for the future

Intermediate Outcomes

Keep participants engaged & find small wins

Celebrate success along the way

Planning

Stakeholder Engagement

Questions to Consider

Who may be affected by this issue?

Who can contribute to a solution that will meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders and public audiences? Who can't be left out?

What other agencies should be involved?

How does the project relate to others conducting engagement?

Methods for Reaching Out

City Hall

Neighborhood meeting

Focus groups

Workshop

Task force

Community events

Telephone

Website

Social media

Personalized emails

Printed materials

Radio

Message boards

Newsprint

This preliminary toolkit is intended to help improve the understanding of public and stakeholder participation in Wyoming State Parks

Wyoming residents have been clear in stating their desire for inclusion in public land management and decision-making processes This interest strengthens the potential of Wyoming State Parks to transform public engagement procedures within the state

The legally binding requirements on Wyoming State Parks for public engagement are quite minimal and stem mostly from the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act Though the lack of regulation can lead to some confusion, it also creates an opportunity for Wyoming State Parks to explore different participation mechanisms and find what is most effective

A further issue Wyoming State Parks faces is the potential for high employee turnover While careers in State Parks can last a lifetime, specific positions are seasonal and staff often transfer to new locations. This causes issues with longevity of community relationships

Recently, agencies have established positions focused specifically on community outreach In an effort to bolster public engagement and build lasting community relationships High turnover can make it difficult to maintain relationships and develop the necessary foundation of trust between an agency and the community With these new positions, however, an effort can be made to maintain that developed trust and connection for new and deep-rooted employees

A COMMUNITY IS MADE UP OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DIVERSIFIED INDIVIDUALS

REFERENCES

Ansell, C. & Gash, A. (2008). Collaborative governance in theory and practice. The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4), 543-571.

City of Issaquah, WY (2017) Public Engagement Toolkit

https://www issaquahwa gov/DocumentCenter/View/4420/Public-EngagementToolkit---2017?bidId=

EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). International Public Participation Guide. United States Environmental Protection Agency https://www epa gov/internationalcooperation/public-participation-guide-process-planning

Innes, J E , & Booher, D E (1999) Consensus building and complex adaptive systems: A framework for evaluative collaborative planning. Journal of the American Planning Association, 65(4), 412-423.

Tompkins County NY (2023) Public Participation Toolkit It’s Time For Public Engagement Where Do You Start?https://www tompkinscountyny gov/tccp/publicparticipation

Tuxill, S. L. & Tuxill, J. L., Learning to be better neighbors: case studies in civic engagement between national parks and neighboring communities. (2007) Woodstock, VT: Conservation Study Institute

NPS National Parks Service 2009 Stronger Together: A Manual on the Principles and Practices of Civic Engagement Conservation Study Institute

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1412/upload/stronger together web-508.pdf

Wondolleck, J M & Yaffee, S L (2012) Crafting meaningful, effective, and enduring processes In J M Wondolleck, & S L Yaffee, Lessons from a decade of people working together (1st ed, pp 99-117)

Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act, W.S. § 16-3-103 et seq (2023).

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Wes Eaton and Dr. Curt Davidson from the University of Wyoming for their work in Lander, WY. The interviews conducted by Dr. Eaton and Dr. Davidson were vital to our project. We acknowledge, respect, and appreciate the additional time given to our group from community members and stakeholders including Kyle Bernis and Jessica Moore from Wyoming State Parks. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the City of Issaquah, WA and their Public Engagement Toolkit from which we took much inspiration, as well as the National Parks System whose Stronger Together: A Manual on the Principles and Practices of Civic Engagement was another wealth of information and inspiration.

This preliminary toolkit was the result of a graduate capstone project at the University of Wyoming. It was completed by graduate researchers Iva Reckling, Jordan Kobliska, and Emma Carlson.

ENR 5900 | Spring 2023