Federal negotiators involved in this effort were not trying to build collaboration and consensus among federal and nonfederal stakeholders but to reach a fair settlement for the federal government. Lessons Learned in South Florida

Among the lessons learned so far in implementing environmental restoration efforts in South Florida is that nonfederal stakeholders would generally prefer to present their concerns, positions, and supporting documentation during rather than after the development of federal proposals to address environmental concerns. In the final analysis, the most that a federal agency may be able to achieve is an open airing and full consideration of all views within the constraints imposed by external factors, and any conclusion about the extent to which an agency or effort meets this objective is highly subjective. Federal agencies have involved nonfederal stakeholders in their efforts to restore the environment of South Florida, and some, including the Interagency Task Force on the South Florida Ecosystem and the Corps, are considering alternatives to increase public involvement. The recommendation now focuses on constraints to formal participation by nongovernmental interests in federal restoration efforts. In one instance, the working group denied several requests by the chairman of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (see app. The overall strategy for involving the public in the reconnaissance phase was to solicit information from the public for use by the study team and then provide feedback to the public on how the information was being used. GAO’s Response: We revised the report to recognize that the working group had expanded its membership to include state and tribal officials.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to congressional requests, GAO reviewed: (1) federal efforts to involve nonfederal stakeholders in environmental restoration efforts in South Florida; and (2) the lessons learned about federal and nonfederal collaboration and consensus-building in South Florida that might be applicable elsewhere.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) federal agencies have involved nonfederal stakeholders in their environmental restoration efforts in South Florida by making their meetings and draft products publicly available, establishing groups with nonfederal members, holding workshops, soliciting information from the public and then providing feedback on how it was used, and entering into formal mediation; (2) the working group of the Interagency Task Force on the South Florida Ecosystem includes state and tribal officials, but it does not include local officials and representatives of nongovernmental interests; (3) restrictions on and uncertainties about advisory committees have limited nonfederal interests in federal restoration efforts except those for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; (4) nonfederal stakeholders prefer to present their environmental concerns during rather than after the development of federal environmental proposals; (5) external constraints often dictate the extent of nonfederal involvement in agency activities and preclude a consensus on appropriate solutions; and (6) the most federal agencies may be able to achieve is an open airing and full consideration of all views within the constraints imposed by external factors.