A Collaborative Governance A Collaborative Governance Network for Land Use Decision Network for Land Use Decision Making in Lake Erie’s Tributary Making in Lake Erie’s Tributary

Rivers: Rivers: The Ohio Balanced Growth The Ohio Balanced Growth

ProgramProgramWendy Kellogg, Ph.D.Wendy Kellogg, Ph.D.

Ohio APA Annual ConferenceOhio APA Annual ConferenceCuyahoga Falls, OhioCuyahoga Falls, OhioSeptember 25, 2009September 25, 2009

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

Landscape planning and management in Landscape planning and management in Ohio to improve Lake Erie watershedOhio to improve Lake Erie watershed

Collaborative Governance Networks (CGN)Collaborative Governance Networks (CGN) Study methodologyStudy methodology Balanced Growth Program as CGNBalanced Growth Program as CGN

Inter-organizational relationshipsInter-organizational relationships Program structure and functionProgram structure and function

Evaluation of process and outcomesEvaluation of process and outcomes

Balanced Growth ProgramBalanced Growth ProgramOLEC Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan 2000

Balanced Growth Taskforce and Workgroups 2001-2004

OLEC Interagency Taskforce

Linking Land Use Watershed Planning Framework

Balanced Growth Strategy State Agency Policies and Incentives

Linking Land UseBest Local Land Use Practices

Four Watershed Balanced Growth Pilot Plans

Best Practices Training Program

Joyce Foundation Grant to EcoCity Cleveland

Suitability GIS Decision Support

University Analysis of State Policies and Incentives

Indicators Committee and Process

Collaborative Landscape Collaborative Landscape Planning for OhioPlanning for Ohio

Ohio’s institutional setting for planning Ohio’s institutional setting for planning no land planning support from the state levelno land planning support from the state level no requirement for comprehensive plansno requirement for comprehensive plans no vertical or horizontal consistency no vertical or horizontal consistency

requirementsrequirements

Collaborative, voluntary approach to Collaborative, voluntary approach to change practices is most feasiblechange practices is most feasible

Impetus for CollaborationImpetus for Collaboration LegalisticLegalistic

Required by legislation or administrative rulesRequired by legislation or administrative rules Instrumental Instrumental

Increase resources (money)Increase resources (money) Expand knowledge base/expertise to more effectively Expand knowledge base/expertise to more effectively

solve problems (key to address complex solve problems (key to address complex ecological/social challenges)ecological/social challenges)

Decrease external risks to organizationDecrease external risks to organization Political Political

Demands for more inclusive decision making from Demands for more inclusive decision making from public and non-governmental organizationspublic and non-governmental organizations

Resolution of highly contested problemsResolution of highly contested problems

Collaborative Governance Collaborative Governance NetworkNetwork

Co-production of the Co-production of the structures and structures and mechanismsmechanisms for for development development and and implementationimplementation of public policy, plans and of public policy, plans and administrative programs administrative programs

Characterized by Characterized by multiple organizationsmultiple organizations across public, nonprofit and private across public, nonprofit and private sectorssectors

Which Which voluntarilyvoluntarily co-create and maintain co-create and maintain a a networknetwork of mutually-beneficial of mutually-beneficial interactions and relationshipsinteractions and relationships over timeover time

Policies and Mechanisms to Policies and Mechanisms to Support Collaborative Support Collaborative Watershed PlanningWatershed Planning

Shared vision, values and goalsShared vision, values and goals Process that builds trustProcess that builds trust Process that creates value or capacity Process that creates value or capacity

(intellectual and social) (intellectual and social) Jointly-created and freely distributed Jointly-created and freely distributed

knowledge base for decision makingknowledge base for decision making Access to technical assistance from Access to technical assistance from

network for process and implementationnetwork for process and implementation Access to resources to support changeAccess to resources to support change

MethodologyMethodology Interactive research through participation Interactive research through participation

in Balanced Growth Program for 8 yearsin Balanced Growth Program for 8 years

Review of published documents and Review of published documents and plans, including meeting minutes & plans, including meeting minutes & reportsreports

Formal review of research on land Formal review of research on land urbanization control policiesurbanization control policies

Interviews and survey of participants in Interviews and survey of participants in pilot watershed planning processespilot watershed planning processes

Pilot Watershed Projects as Pilot Watershed Projects as Collaborative Governance Collaborative Governance

NetworkNetwork Regional Planning WorkgroupRegional Planning Workgroup

Subgroup of taskforce plus other participants Subgroup of taskforce plus other participants representing state agencies, MPOs, representing state agencies, MPOs, environmental advocacy group, university, environmental advocacy group, university, municipal league, county planning, etc.municipal league, county planning, etc.

Identified most likely Identified most likely ecologically effective ecologically effective landscape planning framework and landscape planning framework and politically and institutionally feasiblepolitically and institutionally feasible implementation mechanisms that would implementation mechanisms that would work in work in OhioOhio

Collaboratively Constructed Collaboratively Constructed Knowledgebase for PlanningKnowledgebase for Planning

What planning unit or territory most What planning unit or territory most appropriate in terms of scale, scientific appropriate in terms of scale, scientific basis, and political acceptability?basis, and political acceptability?

How should the planning process be How should the planning process be organized?organized?

What landscape pattern best suited to What landscape pattern best suited to protect tributary rivers and streams?protect tributary rivers and streams?

By whom and how should the plan be By whom and how should the plan be implemented? implemented?

Using what policies and mechanisms? Using what policies and mechanisms?

Watershed Planning Pilot Watershed Planning Pilot ProcessesProcesses

4 pilot watershed plans to test planning framework4 pilot watershed plans to test planning framework through collaborative planning process, local through collaborative planning process, local

governments identifygovernments identify Priority development areas (PDAs)Priority development areas (PDAs) Priority conservation areas (PCAs)Priority conservation areas (PCAs) Priority agriculture areas (PAAs) (in some cases)Priority agriculture areas (PAAs) (in some cases)

Local governments to adopt into their own zoning Local governments to adopt into their own zoning and operations to implementand operations to implement

State agencies will not contravene these areas in State agencies will not contravene these areas in its permitting or funding, and will provide incentive its permitting or funding, and will provide incentive package and extra technical assistance for package and extra technical assistance for jurisdictions in BGP watershedsjurisdictions in BGP watersheds

Watershed Partnership for Balanced Growth Plan

Localgovernments with land use authority

Stakeholders and regional public sector organizations

State and federal agencies (ex officio members)

Regional Landscape Goals Reflecting Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan and BGP

PDAs and PCAs

Balanced Growth Planning Framework

Local: plans, zoning, capital spending

Implementation Mechanisms

State and other entities: education, training, and technical assistance

State:direct agency actions and investments and incentives

Changed development and conservation actions

Changes to Watershed Landscape

Regional landscape: settlement location and size, infrastructure, green infrastructure, etc.

Proposed Incentives Proposed Incentives PackagePackage

Local governments/communities as Local governments/communities as participants in endorsed BGPparticipants in endorsed BGP Extra points on applications for loans and Extra points on applications for loans and

grantsgrants

Lower interest rates on loansLower interest rates on loans

Technical assistance/coordinated review of Technical assistance/coordinated review of permit processes for development/conservation permit processes for development/conservation projects in communityprojects in community

Targeted state spending in PDA and PCAs in Targeted state spending in PDA and PCAs in watershed with endorsed BGPwatershed with endorsed BGP

Evaluation of Pilot ProjectsEvaluation of Pilot Projects

Conducted by Office of Coastal Management for Conducted by Office of Coastal Management for OLECOLEC

Web-based questionnaireWeb-based questionnaire N=39 who participated in WPPN=39 who participated in WPP Elected officials (10); local govt staff (17); NGO (6); Elected officials (10); local govt staff (17); NGO (6);

business (3); consultants (3); SWCD (1); not identified (3)business (3); consultants (3); SWCD (1); not identified (3) Interviews with WPP managersInterviews with WPP managers QuestionsQuestions

Motivation to participateMotivation to participate Decision support from OLECDecision support from OLEC State incentives package and needsState incentives package and needs Implementation challenges Implementation challenges Best/worst aspects Best/worst aspects

Motivation to Participate in Motivation to Participate in WPPsWPPs

Top motivationTop motivation To address stormwater/flooding concerns To address stormwater/flooding concerns

(20)(20) To protect areas suitable for conservation To protect areas suitable for conservation

(20)(20) To encourage more efficient To encourage more efficient

infrastructure (17)infrastructure (17) Elected officials: assure BGP conform to Elected officials: assure BGP conform to

community plans (7/10)community plans (7/10)

Motivation to Participate in Motivation to Participate in WPPsWPPs

NotNot availability of incentives from availability of incentives from statestate 55% answered “no”; 70% of elected 55% answered “no”; 70% of elected

officials answered “no”officials answered “no” Only 16% of respondents planned to Only 16% of respondents planned to

apply for existing incentivesapply for existing incentives Open-ended question: confusion about Open-ended question: confusion about

incentives mentioned by 5 respondentsincentives mentioned by 5 respondents

Support for PlanningSupport for Planning Most respondents were satisfied or very Most respondents were satisfied or very

satisfied (average response was 4.0 out of satisfied (average response was 4.0 out of 5) with how the pilot program was 5) with how the pilot program was configured in terms of configured in terms of watershed size, WPP organization function, time watershed size, WPP organization function, time

allowed and resources allocated (from the state allowed and resources allocated (from the state grant)grant)

Highest positive responses were from the Highest positive responses were from the Chagrin project; Chagrin project;

responses suggest this is because of the trust that responses suggest this is because of the trust that participants already had with each otherparticipants already had with each other

Support for PlanningSupport for Planning

Technical informationTechnical information Some concerns about GIS mapping Some concerns about GIS mapping

process (many people unfamiliar with process (many people unfamiliar with technical aspects and data)technical aspects and data)

Very different perspectives about Very different perspectives about relative balance of basing decisions on relative balance of basing decisions on GIS mapping results vs. local GIS mapping results vs. local preferences and existing plans when preferences and existing plans when designating PDAs, PCAs and PAAsdesignating PDAs, PCAs and PAAs

State Incentives PackageState Incentives Package What else could the state offer to local What else could the state offer to local

governments to encourage development governments to encourage development and implementation of plans?and implementation of plans? Fully fund and affirm existing programs and realign them to Fully fund and affirm existing programs and realign them to

support BGP (NPDES, wetland mitigation, regulatory support BGP (NPDES, wetland mitigation, regulatory programs)programs)

Require consideration of BGP participation for any state Require consideration of BGP participation for any state funding to align across agency programsfunding to align across agency programs

Money/funding benefits to jurisdictions through grantsMoney/funding benefits to jurisdictions through grants

Discounted interest rates for infrastructure, higher points Discounted interest rates for infrastructure, higher points fro grants in Clean Ohio Fund, , etc. fro grants in Clean Ohio Fund, , etc.

Requirement to do local plans with BGP principlesRequirement to do local plans with BGP principles

Change law to allow and support Transfer Development Change law to allow and support Transfer Development Rights for unincorporated communities and across Rights for unincorporated communities and across jurisdictions in watershedjurisdictions in watershed

State Incentives PackageState Incentives Package

What else could the state offer to the What else could the state offer to the private sector and land owners to private sector and land owners to encourage participation in the encourage participation in the implementation of plans?implementation of plans? Reduce hurdles to development Reduce hurdles to development

approvalapproval Investment tax credits to developers Investment tax credits to developers

who voluntarily follow BGP guidelineswho voluntarily follow BGP guidelines

Implementation ChallengesImplementation Challenges

Diverging interests of communities in the Diverging interests of communities in the watersheds in terms of land use, lot size, sewer and watersheds in terms of land use, lot size, sewer and waterwater

Not enough knowledge about BGP and its benefits Not enough knowledge about BGP and its benefits at local level; need more outreachat local level; need more outreach

Fear that land use options will be restrictedFear that land use options will be restricted

Cost of monitoring implementationCost of monitoring implementation

Land use output of plans (PDAs/PCAs) might not Land use output of plans (PDAs/PCAs) might not lead to measurable change in the resource because lead to measurable change in the resource because negotiation went too far from GIS results negotiation went too far from GIS results

Benefits from CollaborationBenefits from Collaboration Public value: Public value:

enhanced capacity through creation of a learning enhanced capacity through creation of a learning network across state agencies and other stakeholder network across state agencies and other stakeholder organizations organizations

Continuing governance networkContinuing governance network Technical advisory committee with representatives from Technical advisory committee with representatives from

across sectors across sectors Watershed planning partnerships created & Watershed planning partnerships created &

strengthenedstrengthened Interagency taskforceInteragency taskforce

State agencies in OLEC examining their programs State agencies in OLEC examining their programs and funding streams to coordinate support of BGPand funding streams to coordinate support of BGP

Remaining ChallengesRemaining Challenges Expansion of BGP to Expansion of BGP to entire stateentire state beginning beginning

in summer 2009in summer 2009

Maintaining the network of local Maintaining the network of local governments that developed the watershed governments that developed the watershed plans and supporting implementation plans and supporting implementation

Maintaining and enhancing networks through Maintaining and enhancing networks through decision support and technical assistance to decision support and technical assistance to move project statewidemove project statewide

Building on interagency taskforce as a node Building on interagency taskforce as a node to support changes in agency programsto support changes in agency programs