5.1.4. Communications between state agencies and the
public
Current outreach activities must be strengthened. In
some situations, coordination with the public was
perceived to be secondary to ‘‘normal’’ work of the
agencies. Regional offices typically are understaffed to
manage resources to meet the current demand for a wide
range of NBT activities. Some state employees who
should be interacting with the public are not trained in
the skills needed for public participation aspects of an
NBT/ecosystem approach. These skills include educating
the public, motivating people to become involved,
facilitating public discussions, building consensus, and
resolving conflicts. A critical element of the NBT/
ecosystem approach is community acceptance of the
idea. Without community acceptance, knowledge, talent,
and political support is highly unlikely.
--Recommendations
- Public awareness programs
ARTICLE IN PRESS
622 E.L. Shafer, Y. Choi / Tourism Management 27 (2006) 615–628
Create and enhance public awareness, understanding,
and appreciation for the Commonwealth’s NBT
resources, and their management.
- Public access to information
Systematically increase public access to biological,
social, and economic information and data associated
with the relationship between sustainable NBT and
ecosystem management.
- Marketing
Increase interagency efforts to target and market
NBT activities.