Cooperating Agencies Advisory Group (CAAG)
In Oregon, the BLM is fully utilizing the Cooperating Agency process in the Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for Western Oregon effort. The Cooperating Agency role derives from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which calls on federal, state, and local governments to cooperate with the goal of achieving "productive harmony" between humans and their environment.
The Cooperating Agencies Advisory Group (CAAG) meetings are facilitated by DS Consulting thru Oregon Consensus to reach agreement on public issues thru unbiased facilitation to support diverse groups to share views and craft workable solutions for the RMPs for Western Oregon.
The BLM held the first CAAG meeting for prospective cooperating agencies at the Eugene District Office on July 24, 2012. Attendees met monthly thru November 2012, and then decided to change the meeting schedule to a working timeline based on workload, planning needs and availability. The approximate schedule for the next meeting is discussed tentatively as part of each meeting's agenda and later finalized through coordination with the facilitator.
The address for the Eugene District Office is 3106 Pierce Parkway, Suite E, Springfield, OR 97477. Each upcoming meeting date and time will be posted as the schedule is determined.
We believe that by working closely with our state, local, tribal and federal government partners, we will improve communication and understanding, identify common goals and objectives, and enhance the quality of our management of the public lands.
Meeting Schedule
| Meeting Date/Time | Location | Agenda/Minutes/Handouts |
|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2012, 1 pm to 4 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
| August 23, 2012, 9 am to 3 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
| September 27, 2012, 8:30 am to 2:30 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
| October 25, 2012, 10 am to 4 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
| November 15, 2012, 10 am to 3 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
| February 14, 2013, 10 am to 3 pm | Eugene District Office | Agenda (PDF) |
Meeting Materials
- NEPA and Planning 101 (PDF)
Reference Material
In May 2012, the BLM released a Desk Guide to Cooperating Agency Relationships and Coordination with Intergovernmental Partners as a reference for managers and BLM partners in understanding the commitments, roles, and responsibilities of the BLM and cooperating agencies during land use planning and project development. The Desk Guide updates a 2005 guide by incorporating the valuable lessons learned since 2005 as the BLM has completed more than 60 resource management plans and engaged with more than 300 intergovernmental partners at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. It also addresses the changes in the Department regulations in 2008 and the principles of coordination under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and how cooperating agency status can improve efforts to coordinate during land use planning.
- A Desk Guide to Cooperating Agency Relationships and Coordination with Intergovernmental Partners 2012 (5.57MB PDF)
- News Release: BLM Issues Updated Guide for Cooperating Agencies
- Model Cooperating Agency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- The BLM Land Use Planning Handbook (1.7MB PDF)
- Federal Register Notice--Final BLM Rule on Cooperating Agency Relationships (2005) (600KB PDF)
- Department of the Interior NEPA Regulations (2008)
- Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Guidance
Want to learn more about RMPs for Western Oregon?