Ecological issues related to wetland preservation, restoration, creation and assessment

Democracy is prone to what may be called presentism – a bias in the laws in favor of present over future generations. I identify the characteristics of democracies that lead to presentism, and examine the reasons that make it a serious problem. Then I consider why conventional theories are not adequate to deal with it, and develop a more satisfactory alternative approach, which I call democratic trusteeship. Present generations can represent future generations by acting as trustees of the democratic process. The general principle is that present generations should act to protect the democratic process itself over time. They should try to make sure that future citizens continue to have competent control over their collective decision‐making.

/pdf/representing-future-generations-political-presentism-and-26c8z1x2dk.pdf

Representing Future Generations: Political Presentism and Democratic Trusteeship

Does enhanced regulation improve EIA report quality? Lessons from South Africa

Controls on the bureaucracy through administrative due process and presidential and congressional prerogatives are the focus of this book. The author examines these controls and assesses the trade-offs among them.

Controlling the Bureaucracy: Institutional Constraints in Theory and Practice : Institutional Constraints in Theory and Practice

The quality of Portuguese Environmental Impact Studies: The case of small hydropower projects☆

Comparing the quality of draft environmental impact statements by agencies in the United States since 1998 to 2004

Looking at the quality of draft environmental impact statements over time in the United States

Congressional policymaking has a significant impact on the management of wetlands in the United States. Both the congressional committees and witnesses who participate in hearings play significant roles in helping define wetland policy. This research examines congressional 240 hearings and 1569 witnesses who testified from 1789 to 1995 on wetlands. Based on key issues from witnesses and the committees who set the agenda, the findings show that three distinct eras exist in wetland policymaking in Congress. Era I (1789–1945) was characterized by a dominant monopoly of agricultural and development issues in congressional policymaking. Agricultural committees dominated in framing the debate by controlling the hearings and legislative discussion of issues during this time period. A significant break-up of these dominant agricultural issues occurred in Era II from 1946–1965 with the early beginning of public attention to environmental issues and the start of scientific investigation into wetlands. However, since Era III, which began in 1966, wetland policymaking in Congress has been highly conflictual, with no single committee or witness dominating. The growth of wetland science and continued public interest in wetlands presents a challenge to the dominant agricultural and development interests that once controlled congressional policymaking. Unlike in Era I, wetland monopoly that controls the issue. Wetland policy debates no longer focus solely on agricultural concerns but have expanded and been re-defined to include issues such as leisure, environmental protection, private property, and economics. Chi Square tests and a regression analysis demonstrate the strong relationship among hearings, venues, and witnesses. A major conclusion drawn from the study is that congressional wetland policymaking is a more open and democratic process than in earlier eras.

Wetland policymaking in the U.S. Congress from 1789 to 1995.

Accreditation of public works departments is a new method of improving quality of service that incorporates best management practices. Using a self-administered survey of 166 public works employees, this study examines the effects of accreditation on the towns of Greeley, Colorado, and Schaumburg, Illinois, currently the only communities to have completed the accreditation process. Results from chisquare tests and correlation coefficients indicated that communication among employees and communication between management and staff are statistically significant factors in the quality of service provided by employees. The other important factor correlated with quality of service was job knowledge that comes from the accreditation process. Findings suggest that benefits from accreditation, such as increased communication and job knowledge, are not captured in traditional performance measures of public works departments. Conclusions suggest that although higher quality of service can be a reason to pursue accre...

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Works Accreditation on Quality of Service

Since Executive Order 12898 in 1994, environmental justice analyses are required in the draft environmental impact statements (DEISs) prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act. Of a tota...

Kelly Tzoumis

Papers

Comparing the quality of draft environmental impact statements by agencies in the United States since 1998 to 2004

Looking at the quality of draft environmental impact statements over time in the United States

Wetland policymaking in the U.S. Congress from 1789 to 1995.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Works Accreditation on Quality of Service

Research Article: Environmental Justice Analysis: How Has It Been Implemented in Draft Environmental Impact Statements?