Protecting Land and Conservation Values

And How Public Values Fit In

October 2010

Typical Transmission Line Planning

Define Problem

Model System

Generate Route Alternatives

Evaluate Costs & Impacts

Select AlternativeApply for Permit

All Hell Breaks Loose

Assess needs to meet objectives

Design program with toolbox

Implement CP program

Standard Process EIS Citizen Participation

Evaluate and

adjust

Decision

Standard Agency Public Meetings: Somewhere Between a Waste of Time Counterproductive

“I never heard about this!”

1. PR Focused on Supporters2. “Systematic Development of Informed Consent” Focused on Opponents

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Over my dead body

Don't care

Support

Spectrum of Project Support

SDIC:

In the U.S.

One Determined Opponent Can Block your Project

You have one man to blame, and it’s not who you expect…..

Thomas Jefferson

The Public Must Understand

• It is Serious Problem/ Opportunity (Sell Problem; Sell Problem…..)

• You’re the Right Entity• Approach is

Reasonable/Responsible

• You’re Listening/You Care

Goal: “Informed Consent”“I don’t like it, but I’ll have to live with it.”

Selling the problem, not the solution, increases support

Convincing public of need early on is critical to project success

Well, it has to go somewhere…

Don’t jump to using same tools.Standard communication methods are too time consuming