Event Details
When:
-
Location:
Online: Zoom
In-Person at WWU:
Academic West, Room 204
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
College of the Environment, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Check out this video to watch the Getting Messy Managing Northwest Environmental Conflicts and Collaboration.
Through much of the 20th century, natural resource and environmental policy decision-making was performed often by centralized bodies and government experts. Dams were constructed without consultation with sovereign Tribal Nations and interstate highways were built through neighborhoods with limited community input. Today, Washington state is a national leader in collaborative environmental governance with university programs, independent government agencies, NGOs, and contractors supporting this work.
Thomas Christian will discuss the role of professional independent facilitators, mediators, and community engagement practitioners in helping governments, Tribes, scientists, stakeholders, and diverse publics work through conflict and find implementable solutions to shared natural resource challenges. He will introduce a theoretical approach to developing collaborative solutions, and provide examples of how collaboration, which is messy in practice, has played out during specific projects that my team from Triangle Associates has supported.
The Environmental Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30pm in Academic Instructional Center West, room 204. Join us at WWU or online on Zoom!
Featuring:
Thomas Christian, Speaker
Facilitator for Natural Resource & Public Lands Decision Making, Triangle Associates
Thomas Christian is based in Seattle and brings a decade of natural resource and public lands experience. Since joining Triangle Associates in 2017, Thomas has facilitated collaborative natural resource planning and decision-making processes throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. His recent multi-party facilitation projects have included the Skagit River hydroelectric relicensing, a prescribed fire strategic plan, and engagement between the State and Tribes regarding sustainable outdoor recreation management.
Thomas is trained in environmental collaboration and conflict resolution by the Udall Foundation. He holds an MA in Environmental Studies from Western Washington University and a BA in History from Augustana College. Prior to joining Triangle, Thomas worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest and the National Park Service at Olympic National Park.
Accommodations and Other Details
Contact The Foundation for WWU & Alumni for this event if you have questions or need disability accommodations by calling (360) 650-3353 or emailing Alumni@wwu.edu.
Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is greatly appreciated. Please indicate your special needs on the registration form.
There will be auto-captions available for the Zoom webinar.
Limited paid parking is available in the C lots at the south end of campus and in lots 6V and 7G at the north end of campus. Western provides comprehensive parking details—including lot locations, applicable fees, and campus map. Please note that parking in the C lot and 12A by Fairhaven College is free after 4:30pm on weekdays and all hours on weekends.