Public Participation, Deliberation, and Faca: Insights from Us Land Management: a Study of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and Its Chilling Effects

Across the United States, land managers are working together to change management practices. They often use deliberation and collaborative activities, crossing traditional boundaries of government agencies, property lines, and organizational roles. This leads to a significant question: how to determine which decision-making relationships are ethically, politically, and legally appropriate between government and stakeholders. One resource on this question is the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which sets guidelines for how government can receive policy advice. The FACA's procedural requirements, administrative limits, and legal challenges have been cited as barriers that chill public participation. To examine this, a survey was conducted with the US Forest Service and the US Bureau of Land Management. The study finds that any theory of public deliberation must recognize the complexities of policy-making and attempt to reconcile the practical needs of deliberators in their various roles. This book provides insights on one of the challenges facing deliberative democracy and should be useful to natural resources managers, political theorists, and professionals in public policy.