New Guidelines for Public Participation in Livestock Development

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) recently produced a useful tool to engage communities in discussion on livestock development. Karen Bolton, the Provincial Livestock Environment Specialist, worked with other members of Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and with the Dispute Resolution Office of Saskatchewan Justice to prepare a document entitled Guidelines for Public Participation In Livestock Development.

The guidelines are useful for a developer or a community group considering a livestock operation. The purpose of the document is to encourage developers to take an active role in engaging the public throughout the development process. Local residents can provide valuable information on local resources, and highlight issues that may be of concern.

The guidelines are equally useful for a local council that wants to consider various options for collecting public input.

“Development discussions can be difficult, but there is a need to engage the public in this discussion,” says Bolton. “It can be daunting to those who do not have experience in managing public consultation.”

At times, individual developers and community groups can get wrapped up in the details of planning the project and obtaining approvals, and community consultation is initiated late in the process. This can result in significant delays, as the public may raise issues that need to be addressed or resolved, which, in some cases, may take considerable time.

“Generally,” she explains, “in the planning world, it is recognized and acknowledged that, although public consultation extends the term of a project, it is useful from a couple of perspectives. One, it often provides local information and insight that perhaps developers wouldn’t have access to otherwise; and two, it provides people with an opportunity to bring forward their issues. This provides an opportunity for developers to consider those issues and, where possible, to work with the public and the RM to find solutions or compromise.This is where the wisdom of these principles lies. Bolton believes they could be transposed to any project.

“Whether you are looking at livestock development, or any business—an ethanol plant or a seed cleaning plant—the process is the same. You need to consult people and you need to do it in ways that provide an opportunity for them to share their insights and concerns," she says.

Providing both formal and informal ways for the public to engage in discussions will hopefully result in more solution-oriented discussions between developers and the public. The guide talks about some of the communications tools that can be used, such as open houses and public meetings, as well as tips for dealing with the media. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities also supports the use of events like open houses to allow developers and interested members of the public to exchange information and ideas.

“Although the guidelines present other options for public consultation, we recognize that public meetings are the most frequently used option, so we spent some time talking about how to make the most of them through preparation and focussing the discussions,” she says.

The 16-page guidelines document may be downloaded from the SAF website, www.agr.gov.sk.ca, under the Economics and Farm Management section.

For more information, contact:

Karen Bolton, M.A., P.Ag
Provincial Livestock Environment Specialist
Livestock Development Branch
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
306-787-9183