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Dysfunctional Dungeness gets Social Engineer by Steve Marble With chairmanship of the Dungeness River Management Team (DRMT) switching from Ann Seiter, non-tribal member representing the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, to Clallam County Commissioner, Martha Ireland, the Team determined the time was ripe to turn the steering wheel over to outside entities. Public policy formation needs a helping hand. Department of Ecology, eager to assist, found the money and contracted with a professional facilitator. He who pays the piper calls the tune. The hired gun signed a contract with Ecology, not local government. Local control is abdicated. April’s DRMT meeting was the debut of Bob Ness, the new facilitator. Bob comes very qualified to this position. His credentials include a degree in psychology from Lewis and Clark, graduate work at U of O in group process psychology, and Harvard Law School where he was mentored by Roger Fisher, director of the school’s program on negotiation.Obviously Bob made some right career choices. The contract pays $13,000 for six DRMT meetings. Of course additional obligations would be required for the DOE paycheck. Executive committee meetings would be attended. Moreover, interviewing all the players would be necessary. Different techniques are used to manipulate different personalities and attitudes. Pigeon holing the human resources is essential for a facilitator. Although the Team has told the public that they’re also allowed to be at their executive meetings, the times and place are never announced. These gambits lend to speculation that the DRMT’s real business is done at these private gatherings while the announced monthly meetings are staged for public consumption only. Questions are asked. Why is a group behavioral psychologist leading the discussions on natural resource issues? What’s being managed-- fisheries and water resources or people? Why is a diverse group of people brought together to dialogue to consensus over social issues in facilitated meetings? What’s going on? In the past, elected officials gathered advice from experts and made decisions accordingly. This form of government is prescribed by the constitution. That’s all changing now. In the future decisions will be based on the consensus of an unelected, unaccountable committee guided by behavioral psychologists. Feelings, not scientific facts, will determine public policy for natural resources. The dysfunctional Dungeness will have a social engineer. But is this the best way to bring salmon back? |