The Natural Resources Law Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder Law School has created a new information series for The Red Lodge Clearinghouse, a Web site project that provides tools for individuals or groups seeking to address environmental problems.
The first edition of the new series addresses how to work with federal notice and comment processes, said Lauren Ris, coordinator for the project.
"The Red Lodge Clearinghouse provides resources to individuals and groups in their efforts to address environmental challenges through collaboration stories, funding information, the Collaboration Handbook, summaries of legislation and regulations and up-to-date news," said Ris. "Viewers are provided a primer on how to work within the process, tips on how to write effective comments and insights from a federal official responsible for running a comment process, as well as links to additional resources."
The project was created by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation in 2001. Claiborne, who died in June 2007, was an icon of the fashion industry and successful businesswoman.
The Natural Resources Law Center took over management of the project this fall, Ris said, but the foundation continues to fund it. The Art Ortenberg Foundation is dedicated to protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat.
The goal of the series, said Ris, is to explore the process of collaboration -- in its many forms and applications -- as well as other approaches that may accompany, enhance or even replace a collaborative process.
According to Ris, future editions of the series will provide information on public hearings, meetings, field trips, open houses, administrative protests and appeals, alternative dispute resolution, legislation, litigation and collaboration. For each of these topics, she said, the Clearinghouse will evaluate the risks and benefits of various approaches, provide examples of their successes and failures and illustrate lessons learned.
To access The Red Lodge Clearinghouse Web site log on to .