Archive
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Document Name: Natural Resource Management (7 of 23)
Date: 09/01/94
Owner: National Performance Review
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Title: Standards for Our Customers: Natural Resource Management (7 of 23)
Author: Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review
Date: September, 1994
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CUSTOMER GROUP: Natural Resource Management
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The Snake River flows through a broad lava plain in a sinuous canyon,
200 feet deep. The surrounding lands have expansive panoramas typical
of the basin and range province of southeastern Idaho. The landscape
at the American Falls Reservoir is dominated by water and sky, and
most views extend for miles in all directions. The bottomlands at the
northeast end of the reservoir are covered with a rich mosaic of
wetland grasses, shrubs, and trees, where masses of waterfowl and
shorebirds can be seen at certain times of the year.
But the demands of man and his machines are eroding this idyllic
tableau. Areas of disturbance are visible at several locations around
the reservoir. Uncontrolled access by off-road recreational vehicles
has caused random and pervasive scarring of the ground cover. Some
upland areas have been disturbed, and invasive weeds have replaced
native vegetation.
About half of the reservoir shoreline is within the Fort Hall Indian
Reservation of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The area contains
traditional tribal cultural sites and other archaeological and
historic sites, some dating back as far as 10,000 years. These sites
are also being damaged by off-road vehicles.
The Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, which built American
Falls Dam in 1927, recognized the need to develop a resource
management plan for American Falls that protected the environ-ment
from further damage but took into account the interests of the
disparate groups of people who use the land. Bureau officials called
together a focus group of representatives from farms, irrigation
districts, environmental groups, state and local governments,
Shoshone-Bannock tribes, state universities, and private
organizations. In September 1994, this group will present its plan
for using the dam in a responsible manner.
Resolving conflicts, reconciling compet-ing interests, and making the
most of finite resources -- these are the guiding words of the new
Bureau of Reclamation, an organization that is reinventing itself in
the face of rapid change. The American Falls example illustrates the
bureau's shift from the role of dam-builder to that of resource
manager.
Reclamation has a big job to do; it is the largest wholesale supplier
of water in the 17 western states, delivering 10 trillion gallons of
water annually for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and domestic
uses. Reclamation is the nation's sixth largest electric utility with
52 power plants in operation. In addition, its multi-purpose projects
control floods, promote recreational use, and protect fish and
wildlife.
After consulting with front-line employees and customers, the bureau
has developed a set of guiding principles that reflect its new
mission. These principles, in turn, will lead to a published set of
customer service standards in fiscal year 1995.
Stewardship of Natural Resources
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Besides the Bureau of Reclamation, other departments and agencies
have major roles in managing and conserving the nation's lands and
natural resources. Key agencies are the Forest Service in the
Department of Agriculture; the Bureau of Land Manage-ment, the
National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Minerals
Manage-ment Service, all in the Department of the Interior; and the
Army Corps of Engineers.
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Highlights from Customer Service Standards:
Bureau of Reclamation
Reclamation has not yet completed a set of customer service
standards. However, it has developed a set of guiding principles that
will lead to published standards in fiscal year 1995. The Bureau of
Reclamation's principles of customer service are as follows:
--- We will always treat our customers with courtesy and respect.
--- We will promptly answer our customers' questions with accurate,
objective information.
--- We will resolve our customers' needs through single-point contact
whenever possible -- our customers will not receive the runaround.
--- We will provide educational information to our customers about
the resources we manage, their use, and the laws and regulations
governing their use.
--- We will use language that our customers can easily understand.
--- We will ask for and consider our customers' ideas about agency
plans, programs, and services.
--- We will promptly respond to our customers' suggestions, concerns,
and complaints.
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Stewardship means managing the nation's resources to benefit the
common good. In this context, agencies' definition of their customers
certainly includes the people who visit and use the national forests,
public lands, and water recreation areas (see section on "Travelers,
Tourists, and Outdoor Enthusiasts"). Relevant customer service
standards include clean facilities and courteous service. But the
agencies also recognize that they must define customers in broader
terms, to include all Americans as the customer-owners of the
resources. The American people want more of a say in what gets done
with public lands and bodies of water. The issues are complex when
all the customers' views are put on the table.
The Forest Service faces the issues head-on. The agency's basic
promise is to keep the national forests and grasslands healthy,
diverse, and productive for all Americans. This year, the Forest
Service has held town hall meetings across the United States and
conducted focus groups, local forest planning meetings, and panel
discussions. It even created customer group networks of all
interested parties and conducted a national public opinion poll. The
agency is committed to letting all its customers help build a better
Forest Service for the future.
The Bureau of Land Management controls 270 million acres -- about an
eighth of all the land in the United States. It also looks after
another 570 million acres of federal mineral resources. Most of the
land administered by the Bureau of Land Management is located in the
western United States and are dominated by extensive grasslands, high
mountains, and deserts. The agency's concern for the environment is
apparent in its mission statement: "It is the mission of the Bureau
of Land Management to sustain the health of the public lands for
present and future generations. In carrying out our mission, our aim
is to serve you."
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Highlights from Customer Service Standards:
Bureau of Land Management
BLM's complete set of standards for all its business areas is in
Appendix B. Among other things, the agency promises always to:
--- Give you an answer within five work days if you write or call for
a permit.
--- Give you an answer within 30 minutes if you stop by for
information or for permission to camp or use the trails and other
facilities.
--- Tell you if we can't give you an answer right away and tell you
who will respond to your request and when.
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The bureau is finding out what its customers want, setting standards
of service delivery that meet customer needs, and establishing
benchmarks equal to the best in business. It is using a variety of
techniques to gauge customer desires: questionnaires, focus groups,
comment cards, complaint systems, and suggestions from front-line
employees. The bureau's principles of public service include
accuracy, courtesy, promptness, and choice.
Reinvention Closes a Gap
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Last year, the Bonneville Power Adminis-tration, the largest power
distributor in the Northwest, looked at the future and found a
problem. The combination of new competitors in the wholesale power
market, along with Bonneville's growing costs, revealed a half-
billion dollar gap between projected revenues and expenses.
Bonneville is determined not to raise rates; if it does, utility
companies may stop buying electricity from Bonneville, and its other
main customers, aluminum smelters (with their 10,000 jobs), may go
out of business.
Bonneville joined forces with its customers and is well on the way to
success. Together they have developed and are implementing a business
plan that gives customers new choices, like buying cheaper but less
dependable power; encourages conservation by charging more for
increased usage; and streamlines the Bonneville organization by
nearly 800 jobs.
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Your Standards
These agencies and offices are publishing customer service standards
for natural resource management. The standards appear in the "Natural
Resource Management" section of Appendix B.
Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Department of Defense
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Energy
Energy Resources
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
Minerals Management Service
National Park Service
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