Conflict Resolution and Crisis Prevention

  • When a large number of feral dogs were euthanized in a rural Arizona County the resulting media coverage and on-line outrage made it difficult for the County government to maintain credibility and conduct business.  GRA was retained to conduct a situation assessment, bring law enforcement, legal, NGO, veterinary and other stakeholders to the table to address the issue.  Project was resolved to satisfaction including a grant from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to the County to bolster their ability to respond to future incidents.
  • Managed a public involvement effort for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality which is currently reviewing air and quality permit applications from Denison Mines USA, a company developing several uranium mining claims near the Grand Canyon in Arizona.BLM managed land in the area in question is under consideration for a future mining claim withdrawal currently under study as part of a BLM led Environmental Impact Statement.Grandfathered mining claims are still moving forward in various stages of development in spite of the opposition of environmental NGOs and several area Native American tribes.In 2009 Godec, Randall & Associates Inc. (GRA) assisted in agency training and the design and facilitation of a controversial but successful high profile public meeting and was hired again in 2010 to develop a communication strategy and public process and facilitate a series of public and stakeholder meetings with Tribes, NGOs and the public in 2010.
  • Working with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution GRA assumed management, consultation and facilitation of a public and stakeholder working group that had reached an impasse in resolving conflicting interests over use of the Bradshaw Foothills.The area, comprised of BLM, county, National Forest and private land, offers multiuse opportunities for OHV, prospecting, hunting, hiking, shooting and a variety of conflicting uses.
  • Proposed and helped develop the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) “On the Road” public outreach program and promotion working with Office of Ombudsman and Outreach to implement. Program consisted of teams of scientists and engineers from ADEQ traveling to rural areas to present and discuss issues of concern to local governments, businesses, schools and media.
  • Designed a strategy, trained government staff and senior management and successfully facilitated a highly contentious public meeting for a proposed hazardous waste facility expansion in south Phoenix involving community charges of environmental racism.
  • Worked with a south Phoenix neighborhood dealing with a proposed voluntary investigation and remediation of an historic manufactured gas plant site overbuilt by single family homes and apartment complexes.
  • Developed strategy, reached a public and government consensus, planned and executed a successful public involvement program and informational open houses in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.The program was instituted in response to extraordinary media attention and severely eroded credibility of authorities dealing with environmental and health issues along the US/Mexico border. An outreach program was eventually conducted in full partnership with a nationally known citizen activist group, Living Is For Everyone (LIFE). Helped facilitate opening of a local dedicated LIFE office.
    • Proposed and helped facilitate opening of the local offices of the two state regulatory agencies involved. Designed a communications plan to overcome a local illiteracy rate twice that of the state average. Produced a public open house/health fair held in Nogales, Arizona as well as Nogales, Sonora, after winning support from the Mexican government.
    • An environmental/health communications program was then instituted for border sister communities. Proposed and received federal funding to produce an innovative prototype informational bilingual video. Received commitments from border cable television outlets for regular broadcast and reached agreements with libraries and video rental stores to make program available for free distribution.

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