C hapter 5: Managing Partnership Membership

The purpose of this chapter is to maintain the Partnership's balance of interests and effectiveness.

The Intergovernmental Agreement that formed the Chehalis Basin Partnership identifies several member groups and in many cases provides specific direction on how the representatives of the member groups are to be appointed. These Operating Procedures do not modify or amend the language of the Intergovernmental Agreement where it provides specific direction. In cases where the Intergovernmental Agreement is silent the Operating Procedures are intended to guide the Partnership's actions regarding membership.

Member Groups Identified in the Intergovernmental Agreement with a Defined Process for Selecting Representation.

The Intergovernmental Agreement identifies nine groups of potential members: counties, cities, tribes, water supply utilities, port districts, state departments, federal agencies, major interests and private citizens. For seven of these groups the Agreement provides specific direction on the number of Partnership members each group may have and on how representatives for each group are designated:

Counties: each county in the basin, appointed by the respective county;

Cities: each interested city and town in the basin, appointed by the respective jurisdictions;

Tribes: The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Quinault Indian Nation;

Water Supply Utilities: a representative appointed jointly by the water supply utilities in the basin;

Port Districts: a representative appointed jointly by the port districts in the basin;

Major Interests: a minimum of four members representing various major interests in the basin, appointed jointly by the counties and the tribes;

Private Citizens: one private citizen from each of the counties, appointed by the respective counties.

Member Groups identified in the Intergovernmental Agreement without a defined Process for Selecting Representation.

The Intergovernmental Agreement identifies the federal and state agencies that may become members but does not define how representatives from those agencies shall be designated.

State Departments: Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Ecology.

Federal Agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, Forest service, Corps of Engineers and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Representatives for these agencies shall be appointed by letter from the head of the agency or its appropriate regional office.

Other Members

If the Partnership determines the need to add representation from additional groups it may do so by consensus agreement and request that the group appoint a representative.

If an interest group or organization wishes to join the Partnership, the following process is established:

Application Process:

1.

  • The interested party will be asked to provide the following information in writing.

    a) The name of the interest group organization.

    b) The mission, purpose and goals of the interest group or organization.

    c) The number of individuals that are involved in the interest group or organization.

    d) Why the interest group or organization should be added to the Partnership, including:

    The issues the interest group or organization is involved in;

    How those issues relate to the Partnership mission, purpose and goals;

    How those interests might affect and be affected by Partnership decisions;

    Why the interest group or organization is not adequately represented by current Partnership members;

    How adding the interest group or organization would benefit the Partnership's work.

    e) A statement of support for the Partnership's Purpose and Goals, and concurrence with the Partnership Ground Rules

    h) The name of the representative and alternate from the interest group or organization that will participate on the Partnership?

    Selection Process:

    Upon request Partnership staff will describe this process and criteria for applying for membership and provide the applicant with information on the composition of the Partnership, the Partnership's work program, its organization and Ground Rules.

    The Steering Committee will review the submitted written material and, if necessary, interview the applicant to identify their interest in the watershed, and will advise the applicant about alternatives for involvement in the Partnership.(see Section 2.1.6)

    The Partnership will make decisions on membership after reviewing and discussing submitted materials and interview information when applicable. The applicant are welcome attend the meeting at which this a decision is made. Approval of new members is by consensus agreement.

    Revisions to section 5.4 based on the December 20, 2002 Partnership Meeting

    5.4Replacing Partnership Members

    Circumstances may arise where members of the Partnership resign, or are unable to adequately represent their interests due to lack of attendance.

    When a Partnership member representing an organization that has signed the Intergovernmental Agreement resigns the Partnership will defer to that organization to designate a replacement. If no replacement has been designated within two months, a Partnership member will contact the organization to request that the vacant position be filled.

    In cases where the Partnership member has been appointed to represent a specific major interest group resigns, the Partnership will work with the major interest group to identify a suitable replacement and then contact the organization(s) that made the appointment to request that a replacement be appointed.

    In situations where, due to lack of attendance at the Partnership meetings, the Partnership agrees a particular interest or organization is not being adequately represented, the designated representative of the interest or organization will be contacted by a Partnership member to determine their level of interest in participating on the Partnership. The results of the contact will be reported back to the Partnership for action.

    Two months after a request has been made that a position be filled with an active participant the Partnership will follow-up in one or more of the following ways:

    A written request that the organization or interest group explain the level of involvement they anticipate having on the Partnership. The level of involvement could include deciding not to participate;

    A written request that the vacancy be filled with an active participant;

    Written notification that the organization has not fulfilled the Partnerships expectations for involvement and that they are no longer considered to be an active member with an opportunity to influence decisions of the Partnership. The notification will request acknowledgement of this status;

    Replacement of the interest group or organization with a different one.



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