Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION ANNOUNCES IT WILL NOT BE CONVENING A WORKING GROUP TO ANALYZE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS INVOLVING THE PROPOSED ROSEMONT MINE

Working on behalf of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute), facilitator Carie Fox has completed her assessment of the feasibility of convening a citizen's working group to assist the U.S. Forest Service as it develops its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the proposed Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains. For the past two months, Fox and the U.S. Institute have been meeting with interested parties to determine whether the initial design concept, a stronger integration of public input into the NEPA analysis, would be practicable. A public meeting to discuss initial findings of the assessment was held at Empire High School in Vail on November 13. More than 100 people attended the meeting to discuss Fox's findings and recommendations.

Based on these discussions, Larry Fisher, Senior Program Manager at the U.S. Institute has concluded that "it will be difficult for people to commit to a sustained, objective effort that focuses on the analysis, rather than the outcome, of the NEPA process. Given the current character of public opinion, there also appears to be little room for truly collaborative dialogue," Fisher said. For these reasons, the U.S. Institute has determined that a broadly inclusive collaborative working group would not be a productive means of citizen involvement or an effective vehicle for enhancement of the Forest Service's NEPA analysis.

Fox and the U.S. Institute have communicated these conclusions to the U.S. Forest Service and to participants who have been involved in the initial assessment effort. Fox has posted a letter on http://projects.ecr.gov/rosemontmine detailing some of the conclusions of her assessment.

In lieu of convening a collaborative working group, the U.S. Institute will continue to work with the public and with the Forest Service to explore other options for promoting meaningful public education and input, and greater transparency for the NEPA process. The U.S. Institute will continue to consult with all affected stakeholders as it considers any possible future role in providing neutral and independent services in support of this effort.

The U.S. Institute is a federal program established in 1998 by the U.S. Congress to assist parties in resolving environmental, natural resource and public land conflicts. The U.S. Institute serves as an impartial, non-partisan institution providing professional expertise, services and resources to all parties involved in environmental disputes. It is the practice of the U.S. Institute to determine whether its assistance can make a meaningful contribution to collaboration on a project and involve all affected parties in its assessment of potential opportunities. For more information on the U.S. Institute, visit www.ecr.gov

The U.S. Institute is a program of the Tucson-based Morris K. Udall Foundation, an independent agency of the executive branch overseen by a board of trustees appointed by the President. The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established in 1992 by Congress to honor the late Morris K. Udall's thirty years of service in the House of Representatives. For more information about the Udall Foundation, visit www.udall.gov

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