Water Resource Administration & Funding Task Force
Center Contribution: With the assistance of expert facilitators, the Center provided facilitation, logistics, information gathering, and report drafting support to the Task Force. Issues such as concerns over the validity of data, the allocation of program resources, and others that had been contentious and blocked progress were examined and largely resolved through the facilitation and analysis process. Focusing on some of the remaining issues, the Task Force submitted a consensus report to the Governor and Legislature that assembled valuable budgetary and program information regarding state water resources programs and presented broadly acknowledged findings and guidelines upon which to base future policy decisions.
Impact and Implications: The Center’s contribution and the Task Force report were praised by Task Force members and observers. The Task Force process established a common knowledge base regarding costs, operations and sources of funding for the state’s water resource programs. The consensus report advanced many important water policy and funding issues and removed questions about major aspects about the Department of Ecology’s performance. It contributed to increased budgetary support and additional staffing for the agency, and led to changes in long-debated water policies.
Click here to view the Final Report.