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Enlibra

Frequently Asked Questions
Enlibra Home Page

What does the word Enlibra mean?

Enlibra is a newly created word meaning balance and stewardship. The governors believe Enlibra will become a symbol for a balanced approach to successful environmental and natural resource management.

What is the history of Enlibra?

As Western Governors have struggled with a range of environmental problems, it has become evident that there are common principles underlying the most promising approaches and successful solutions they have developed. These principles for environmental management call for greater participation and collaboration in decision-making, focus on outcomes rather than just programs, and recognize the need for a variety of tools beyond regulation that will improve environmental management.

The culmination of this way of approaching environmental management occurred in December 1997 at the Western Governors’ Association’s winter meeting. The discussion was initiated by Utah Governor Mike Leavitt (R) and Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (D) based on their separate experiences with the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission and the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watershed Restoration, respectively. The success of those processes led them to articulate and institutionalize a new approach to environmental management with the development of this shared set of principles. The WGA policy resolution, Principles for Environmental Management in the West, was first agreed to by the Western Governors’ Association in February 1998 and updated in June 1999.

To broaden the discussion of the principles, the Governors convened an Environmental Summit on the West in December 1998. More than 400 people of diverse interests attended the meeting. To review the wealth of comments, the Governors created the Enlibra Advisory and Steering Committees, composed of a diverse group of representatives from government, industry, agriculture, environmental groups and academia. The committees’ recommendations for refining the principles were adopted by the Governors in June 1999.

The committees have continued to work to raise awareness of the Enlibra principles and to develop an implementation strategy to encourage its use among a broad constituency. With their support, WGA has published on its Web site a resource guide of best practices. The committees have also recommended enhanced support for state implementation, establishment of an Enlibra Resource Fund, and an Enlibra Summit II to share successes from across the West.

Why is this approach to environmental and natural resource management needed?

While the last 25 years of environmental management have seen some major environmental successes, the easy targets are gone and there is a growing emotion and polarization among interested parties. People generally agree about the need to protect the environment and its natural resources. Unfortunately groups representing extreme positions have largely shaped environmental management and the environmental debate. Today there is no symbol for the middle, for the majority of citizens who believe that the environment and its natural resources can be protected while at the same time providing recreational and employment opportunities for citizens. Enlibra will be that symbol for the middle.

The Governors embraced Enlibra because they rarely see environmental improvements coming out of polarized situations. However, when interested parties are able to identify shared goals and collaborate, progress is made.

They believe the Enlibra principles can help the West successfully deal with increasingly complex environmental problems. This complexity is a function of both the global economy and its ability to dramatically influence our communities, as well as the many dimensions to environmental problems that were not well understood when many environmental laws were written nearly 25 years ago.

The Governors recognize that to succeed at environmental management we need to empower people. This requires good information; inclusive processes that respect different values and provide individuals a role in designing and implementing solutions; and meaningful incentives to complement existing laws.

The Governors believe that the Enlibra principles, developed through their personal experiences and the collective experiences of others over the past 25 years, provide a collection of tools for increasing the velocity of environmental problem-solving. While use of the principles will not eliminate conflict, they can be used to expedite solutions and minimize the costs of conflict, not only in the West, but across the country.

What Enlibra is not:

  1. Enlibra does not represent a rejection of the goals and objectives of federal environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act or Clean Water Act.
  2. Enlibra is not a rejection of the need for national environmental standards.
  3. Enlibra does not represent a rejection of the legitimate role of the federal government in regulation and enforcement.

What are the principles?

  • National Standards, Neighborhood Solutions -- Assign responsibilities at the right level
  • Collaboration, Not Polarization -- Use collaborative processes to break down barriers and find solutions
  • Reward Results, Not Programs -- Move to a performance-based system
  • Science for Facts, Process for Priorities -- Separate subjective choices from objective data gathering
  • Markets Before Mandates -- Pursue economic incentives whenever appropriate
  • Change a Heart, Change a Nation -- Environmental understanding is crucial
  • Recognition of Costs and Benefits -- Make sure all decisions affecting infrastructure, development and environment are fully informed
  • Solutions Transcend Political Boundaries -- Use appropriate geographic boundaries for environmental problems

What Do the Governors Hope Will Come of Enlibra?

  1. It becomes part of the American political lexicon, giving people a symbol for balance and stewardship in environmental and natural resources management.
  2. It becomes a widely used framework for solving difficult environmental problems.
  3. It becomes a philosophic foundation for balanced environmental and natural resources legislation.
  4. It becomes a road map for discussions between regulators and stakeholders.

What are some examples of Enlibra at work?

There are numerous examples of the Enlibra principles at work within the Western states, some of which are highlighted on the Western Governors’ Association’s Web site, www.westgov.org. Examples include:

 
August 12, 2003