How to develop most effective public involvement in resource and environmental quality planning is discussed. Examples are drawn from the experiences of the great lakes basin commission, the Susquehanna study of the Corps of Engineers, the Canada-New Brunswick St. John River study, and the non-governmental public involvement institution, Pollution Probe, based at the University of Toronto. There is demonstrably a need to develop a genuine partnership between the water resource planner and the water resource public. A suggested ideal form of a public participation program is to: identify the local social and cultural mores, carefully select and train a field staff specifically to handle the public participation program, collect preliminary data on community institutions and attitudes, establish an information exchange between the people and the planners, test alternative planning solutions through public discussions and workshop sessions, and provide political decision makers with consequences or alternative courses of action. Toronto Pollution Probe has also developed an environmental law association and makes available legal services for environmental cases on a low or no fee basis. (SEE ALSO W72-13640) (Jones-Wisconsin)
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