For the past few months, we have been preparing an updated Guide on how to use the powerful Coordination strategy that requires Federal agencies to make Federal plans and policies consistent with local plans and policies.
With a new administration poised to change the direction of natural resource policies in America, it is important now more than ever that we prepare to defend our rights at the local level, in every community.
The new guide is titled, The Policy Coordination Guide for Local Governments.
During the Trump Administration, we have had the unique opportunity to educated top officials and career staff, leading to significant gains that have moved the Federal agencies to recognize their obligation to coordinate. This is a major step forward, and one that will be difficult for the Federal agencies to reverse and successfully defend.
Many Federal laws require the agencies to coordinate with States and local governments for the purpose of reaching policy consistency. This is so essential, especially for our rural communities where we produce our food, fiber and energy.
When local governments first insisted policy coordination be carried out in the early 1990’s, it was summarily dismissed. Nevertheless, many counties and special districts pressed on and achieved remarkable successes that protected their communities from harmful policies. You will learn about some of these in the new Guide.
Importantly, over the last four years we have prepared the way to take another step forward and insist the Federal agencies fulfill “actual” policy coordination with local governments — regardless of who is President.
In 2007, we released the first Coordination Guide designed to educate local governments on the coordination provision and lead them through these uncharted waters. The new 110 page Guide captures the past 20+ years of experience providing instruction on how to take coordination to the next level. It includes:
- Legal analysis of the Federal Coordination Provision;
- Step-by-step instructions on how to organize, initiate, and carry out policy coordination;
- Model Coordination Resolution and Agreement; and
- Guidance on how to write effective policies requiring agencies to provide a reasonable basis for their positions.
There has never been a more pressing reason than the 2020 Presidential election for Americans to implement coordination in every local jurisdiction. Individually, we have limited impact on the national political agenda. But, at the local level, we can join our like-minded neighbors and elected officials insisting Federal policies be consistent with local policies through the coordination process.
This is where we can build a local wall to fight for the principles our nation was founded upon.
If your community has tried to implement coordination in the past with limited success, I urge you to get the new Guide and consider whether now is the time to make this strategy work. If you are using coordination already, the Guide will help you move towards “actual” policy coordination with the Federal agencies.
Joe Bidens’ response to a Pennsylvania farmer during the campaign was chilling. She asked how a small farmer was to continue operating under the Green New Deal restrictions. He confidently explained she would be allowed to place her land in a “land bank,” and be paid to plant the crops the establishment determined were acceptable.
His plan is to regulate landowners until we concede and give up our private property rights. Our right to control and determine how to best use our land would be erased.
The radical environmental agenda is no surprise to us, nor I suspect to you. They have been pursuing their plan quietly for decades. What is different today is that it is openly embraced at the highest levels of our political system. They are no longer hiding their intent from the American people.
We are that close to losing the fundamental principles of our Nation.
We need to employ every tool we have to defend our rights. Policy Coordination through your local governments is one of the critical tools you can deploy.
You can download a copy of the Guide today from Apple Books, or click here to purchase a hardcopy we will ship directly to you.
