The Observer, January 2006

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Wilderness group backs citizen oversight

An international environmental forum last fall gave a ringing endorsement to the concept of citizen involvement in preventing and responding to oil spills and other man-made disasters.

The 8th World Wilderness Conference, meeting in Anchorage, passed a resolution calling on extractive industries to support citizen advisory groups for every project started.

“Local citizens have the most to lose,” the resolution states. “It is in the best interest of industries to work with the citizens of the areas affected by their projects.”

The resolution was proposed by John Devens, executive director of the citizens’ council, and adopted by the Congress during its meeting Sept. 30-Oct. 6.

“We’re getting more and more requests for information and presentations from interested citizens and industries around the world,” Devens said. “This resolution will hopefully be one more tool people elsewhere can use to establish citizen oversight.”

Rick Steiner, a University of Alaska professor and international advocate for conservation and citizen oversight, said the resolution should help in his efforts to persuade governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations to support the concept.

“We want to drive home the point that all large extractive industry projects throughout the world should establish citizen oversight bodies similar to the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council, but adapted to local conditions,” Steiner said. “I’m optimistic we can get there.”

The World Wilderness Congress is the world’s longest-running public international environmental forum, according to the organizers. The group said the Anchorage event drew some 1,200 delegates from 55 countries.