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external collaboration for the next assessment, what requirements /processes would you 

 put in place? 



Answers; Get them into the same room and at the same table. Then invite them 

 to eat and to drink beer after the meetings end (What is "external collaboration"? Is that 

 dealing with the public? Or is it dealing with other agency people? If the question is how 

 to get along with people from other agencies or with the public, it is important to allow 

 for interacting at nonmeeting times.) 



H Question: What criteria should be used in determining which agencies should 

 participate in such an assessment'' 



Answer: Are they willing to commit people and money; do they have 

 information or a point of view that adds to the assessment. 



I Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a SAMAB -type 



organization to coordinate multiple groups and agencies? 



Answer: At first we were skeptical that "SAMABizing" the assessment was a 

 positive development We now believe it was an extremely important step in facilitating 

 the assessment It provided a platform for interagency cooperation rather than a 

 perception of direct agency-to-agency negotiations. This was very important where many 

 of the agencies were not capable of making contributions of personnel and money 

 comparable to the Forest Service. 



J Question: In terms of communicating/interacting/working with people from 



agencies other than your own, what worked and what didn't work? 



Answer: 

 Worked: Interacting at the table. Personal contact. Conference calls. 

 If they didn't show at the meetings, it didn't work. 



PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 



K. Question: In terms of communicating/interacting/working with the public, what 

 worked and what didn't work? 



Answer: It was vital to get the public to the table. Moving the meetings around 

 the Region helped, but effective public involvement required following the meetings from 

 place to place. It helped to allow interaction at the table rather than limiting participation 

 to listening and speaking at scheduled times. The internet helped provide a channel of 

 communication. 



