Do you want to start a Work Group?

Step One: As a two-step screen, ask yourself the two questions that will eventually determine how the Chair of the Conservation Committee, the Board, and the membership will evaluate the product of your work group:

1. Is this concerned with an important biodiversity issue on the Colorado Plateau? The Chapter broadly interprets biodiversity to encompass cultural diversity, but we want to avoid (a) issues of purely local concern (e.g., conversion of a natural vacant lot to a city park) or (b) environmental issues with only peripheral biodiversity implications (e.g. noise in the Grand Canyon or air pollution from a proposed energy project - unless there is a scientifically demonstrable impact on biodiversity).

2. Is there a strong scientific basis to the white paper, letter, or other product of the Work Group? The Chapter is not the least bit shy about advocating for the value of biodiversity, but we differ from most other environmental advocates in that we specifically advocate that decision-makers consider scientific evidence that might otherwise be overlooked.

Step Two: Send an Email to Allison Jones, outlining the issue that your Work Group will address, identifying the instigators of the Work Group, and stating the sort of product you envision for the group (e.g., a sign-on letter, a white paper, a comment on an Environmental Impact Statement). If you welcome additional SCB-ers to your committee, request that the Conservation Chair dip into our membership database and forward your request to members whose expertise and interest are most appropriate to Work Group's issue. The purpose of this communication is to inform the Chair and CP Board of your interest, and to solicit additional Work Group members if you want them. The Chair will provide feedback, but is not in the business of granting permission or approval.

Step Three: Without waiting for a response from the Conservation Chair, get to work on producing your product. Admit new members to the Work Group as dictated by necessity, availability, and expedience. Produce your product and send it to the Chair as an electronic document that can be circulated as an attachment to Email.

Step Four: Go back to your busy life while the Chair and Board determine if the product is ready to go to the membership for review and approval. With or without such revision, the product will be circulated electronically to the CP membership for review and approval. Each member can vote to (a) approve (including approval accompanied by suggestions that the reviewer does not wish to make conditions of approval), (b) approve contingent on incorporation of suggested changes, or (c) disapprove. If 50% + 1 of those voting support option (a), the proposal will be approved. The Chair will share the vote results and all suggestions with the Work Group.

Step Five: The Work Group considers the voting results & suggested revisions, makes appropriate revisions, and sends the revised document to the Chair. If there was a majority for approval and the revisions seem unlikely to change this majority, the Board can approve the product, and distribute the revised document to members (without a second vote). If the product did not achieve majority approval, or if it seems plausible that the revisions could overturn a previous majority approval, the revised document will be circulated for a straight up or down vote of the membership.

Step Six: Coordinate with the Chair and Board on dissemination of the product. You may for example wish to hold a press conference, issue a press release, circulate a letter for signatures of scientists outside of the chapter, seek endorsement by the international Board of Governors of SCB, or take other actions to increase the impact of the product.