State Environmental Goals and Indicators Activity

State Environmental Goals and Indicators Activity


Alabama
(James W. Warr, Acting Director)

Dr. Dan Howard, Dean of Research
University of North Alabama
Box 5121
Florence, Alabama 35632-0001
(205) 760-4211
(205) 760-4644 fax

James W. Warr, Acting Director
P.O. Box 301463
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463
[or]
Department of Environmental Management
1751 Congressman Dickenson Drive
Montgomery, Alabama 36109
(205) 271-7706
(205) 271-7950 fax

GOALS: The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is developing a new set of rank-ordered environmental goals and measurable objectives as part of an overall strategic planning effort being led by Dr. Howard. This effort, which will address both internal and external needs, uses the Harvard SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) model, and will be partly based on a general set of goals developed in 1988- 89 and published in 1990.

INDICATORS: Alabama does not have a formal environmental indicator system at this time. However, ADEM monitors surface waters in the state and then compares the quality of all the surface to monitor trends.


Alaska
(Gene Burden, Commissioner)

Jim Powell, Wetlands Coordinator
Division of Environmental Quality
Dept. of Environmental Conservation
410 Willoughby Ave, Suite 105
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1795
(907) 465-5260
(907) 465-5274 fax

INDICATORS: The Alaska Department of Environmental Quality is developing a new pilot program that will contain six initial statewide indicators called a "Community Report Card", an annual progress report on local and statewide issues for communities that have community agreements with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). DEC will present environmental indicator data in a GIS format for ongoing communication with communities. The six initial indicators will be included in the next State/Environmental Protection Agency Agreement (SEA). Alaska's Comparative Risk Project (AKRISK) will include the development of indicators to track progress on reducing environmental risk.


Arizona*
(Karen Heidel, Acting Director)

Diana Marsh
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
3033 N Central, cube 315
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
(602) 207-4603

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The AZ Department of Environmental Quality is developing indicators as part of its strategic planning process. The state will be completing a Comparative Environmental Risk Project in the Spring of 1995 that will provide a basis for developing indicators. In addition, ADEQ has an Office of Water Pilot Project for indicators and is developing biocriteria for water quality assessment. This project is evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success.

Jack Bale (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Surface Water Quality Section
Water Quality Division
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
3033 N Central
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
(602) 207-4456

INDICATORS: Arizona received a $25,000 grant from the EPA Office of Water to evaluate indicators as substitutes for existing program measures. They are working with an internal team to identify indicators that are valuable for compliance management (programmatic indicators) and assessment measures for the 305b report. They are currently redesigning their water quality databases from which they will use as a structure to develop indicators. They have a strong ground water program and they will develop indicators in this area as well.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Arkansas
(Randall Mathis, Director)

Dick Cassat, Chief
Department of Pollution Control and Ecology
8001 National Drive
Little Rock, Arkansas 72209
(501) 570-2131
(501) 562-0297 fax

GOALS: There are no existing or planned state environmental goals.

INDICATORS: There is no formal indicator development process at this time. The agency would like to develop a set of goal and indicators, but is waiting for EPA to distribute a core list in order to get started.


California
(James M. Strock, Secretary)

Steve Hanna, Ph.D., Chief, Office of Information Management)
California Environmental Protection Agency
400 P Street, Room 4310
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 324-9924
(916) 324-1788 fax

INDICATORS: CAL EPA is presently in their second phase of indicator development. They are developing summaries of the areas where data exists and where data is lacking. There will be more emphasis on graphic display of information than text. CAL EPA wants to focus on pollution prevention and highlight trends in pollutant releases that have been avoided because of changes in policy. They will use ambient and discharge data and data on changes in species composition. CAL EPA issued Environmental Indicators Report, a set of human health and environmental indicators for Earth Day 1995.

John Turner, Chief
(Douglas Wheeler, Secretary)
Environmental Services Division
Department of Fish and Game
California Resources Agency
1416 9th Street, Room 1341
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-4875
(916) 653-2588 fax

INDICATORS: The Resources Agency is involved in an EPA project on bioassessment. Also, DFG has a water monitoring program that uses indicators, including a Mussel Watch program that has 17 years of monitoring data showing trends and hot spots. They also have a toxic substance monitoring program that uses biological indicators.

Janine Stenback, Cooperative Projects Coordinator
Strategic Planning Program
California Resources Agency
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
1920 20th Street
P.O. Box 9442
Sacramento, California 94244-2460
(916) 227-2658
(916) 227-2672 fax

INDICATORS: The California Resources Agency has launched the California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES) using the Internet to make existing public information concerning California's natural resources and environment accessible from local, state, academic, and federal sources. Data available from CERES comes in a variety of forms including text, maps, tables, satellite images, photos, video, and sound.

CERES World Wide Web address: http://resources.agency.ca.gov
CERES Help Desk: ceres@resources.agency.ca.gov
(916) 653-8614

Carol Whiteside
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Governor Pete Wilson 1400 Tenth St.
Sacramento, California 95814
(916) 323-5446
(916) 323-3749 fax

GOALS: The Governor's Office of Planning and Research will be undertaking a goals project in the near term.


Colorado*
(Tom Looby, Director)

Gerard Bulanowski, Director, Environmental Assessment Program
Office of Environment
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80220-3716
(303) 692-3004
(303) 782-4969 fax

GOALS: Colorado developed a set of goals, objectives, and risks (Colorado Environment 2000, Colorado's comparative risk project) in 1991-93, but these are considered dated and obsolete and are not being currently used. There are current 5-year environmental goals outlined in the State/EPA Agreement (SEA), but these apply only to those programs that use EPA federal funding sources. A state comprehensive "Smart Growth" planning process is ongoing, with forays into quality of life and environmental issues, but goals for public release are not yet available.

INDICATORS: Developing indicators and following up on Colorado's comparative risk project, the Process for Environmental Assessment and Quality (PEAQ), is beginning with a two-step process: 1) develop a base of environmental indicator information including an examination of available data sources and environmental indicators appropriate for use in Colorado, and 2) identify possible uses for environmental indicators and define methods for those uses. Categories of environmental indicators may include air quality, water quality, and ecosystem quality.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Connecticut
(Sidney Holbrook, Commissioner)

Tina Delaney, Environmental Analyst III
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Environmental Services
79 Elm Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
(203) 424-3579
(203) 566-7232 fax

Tess Gutowski, Management Analyst III
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Deputy Commissioner’s Office
79 Elm Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
(203) 424-3096
(203) 566-7932 fax

GOALS: Environment 2000 is the major environmental planning document for the state. The plan, required by the Legislature to be updated every five years, contains a set of long-range goals, objectives, and strategies that address 52 issues. This plan also drives the Bureau of Environmental Services' internal two- year "strategic action" plan. This plan, which is integrated into the Governor's biennial budget, has a set of bureau- level performance measures.

In January 1995, the Connecticut Progress Council, an intergovernmental entity charged by the Legislature to establish goals and benchmarks to measure Connecticut’s progress, published State of Connecticut Goals and Benchmarks for the Year 2000 and Beyond. The environment is one of five sections of the report and eight environmental goals are articulated. Of the 300 benchmarks presented in the report, 54 deal with the environment and seven are labeled “urgent”, the most critical benchmarks over the next five years.

INDICATORS: Connecticut has published an Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality containing 20 indicators to illustrate the real status of Connecticut’s environment through actual conditions of air, water, land and wildlife.


Delaware*
(Christopher A.G. Tulou, Secretary)

Betsey Frey
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware 19901
(302) 323-4542
(302) 739-6242 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Delaware does not have a formal, statewide indicator process. There are individual efforts in specific programs. For example, they want to use water supply data to develop indicators on ground water and also use indicators to track loss of wetlands acreage and causes of loss.

Peggy Emslie (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Wetlands Section
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control
P.O. Box 1401
Dover, Delaware 19903

INDICATORS: Delaware is an EPA Office of Water Pilot State, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success. Using a grant of approximately $24,000, Delaware is undertaking a statewide trend analysis for all wetlands looking at loss of acreage, where losses are occurring, type of wetlands affected, and the causes of the loss.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Florida
(Virginia Wetherell, Secretary)

Pam McVety, Ecosystem Management Coordinator
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Douglas Building
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000
(850) 488-7454
(850) 488-7093 fax

Gil Bergquist, Ph.D., Project Director
Florida Center for Public Management
118 N. Woodward Ave
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4025
(850) 922-8042
(850) 487-4169 fax

GOALS: The Florida state government has prepared a state comprehensive plan and a series of state agency strategic plans which are to be consistent with the state comprehensive plan. In addition, all local governments are required to prepare comprehensive plans consistent with the state comprehensive plan. The state plan and all local government plans are required to address environmental issues where required and necessary, including the identification of environmental resources such as coastal, marine, and water resources and systems, and strategies for their protection. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has also begun a paradigm shift over to ecosystem management and planning.

INDICATORS: In November 1994, the Florida Center for Public Management updated Florida's indicator project, Strategic Assessment of Florida's Environment (SAFE) which consists of approximately 87 environmental indicators organized by Florida's comparative risk issues. SAFE will be used in Florida's ecosystem management planning system. At least two indicator- driven, ecosystem management-based river basin strategic plans are being developed, including indicator systems capable of measuring environmental improvement.


Georgia*
(Harold Reheis, Director)

Jim Setser, Chief, Program Coordinator
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
205 Butler Street, SE, Suite 1152
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
(404) 656-4713
(404) 651-5778 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Georgia's environmental agency is working on a new strategic planning process that will match the budget. Strategic planning process includes mission statement, goals, objectives, and establishing indicators that will measure if goals are being met. Development of environmental indicators through the strategic planning process is taking place in several issue areas: solid waste, water quality, hazardous waste, ground water quality, drinking water quality. The goal is to develop biological results types of indicators and have efficiency measures that measure whether they are meeting their objectives. Georgia is an EPA Office of Water Pilot State, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success.

Alan Hallum (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Floyd Towers E, Suite 1058
205 Butler Street, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
(404) 656-4708

INDICATORS: Alan Hallum is the contact for the EPA Office of Water Pilot Program to evaluate specific environmental indicators as substitutes for existing program measures based on a $60,000 grant for the Savannah Watershed in the Augusta area joint project for South Carolina and Georgia). Georgia/South Carolina have several project goals: 1) to see how sensitive the environmental indicators are in measuring environmental change, 2) to develop a process for indicator development that is applicable statewide, and 3) to develop an assessment of the environment and overlay as many databases as possible to measure the effects of program actions. Indicators will be evaluated for the following areas: designated uses, fecal coliform, water quality trends, biological results, fish contamination, fish advisories, habitat assessment, biological integrity, and reduced pollutant loadings. This work will culminate in a final report that will be published tentatively on September 30, 1996.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Hawaii
(Lawrence Miike, M.D., Director)

Patrick Felling, Strategic Planning Coordinator

Environmental Planning Office
Department of Health
PO Box 3378
Honolulu, Hawaii 96801
(808) 586-4337
(808) 586-4370 fax

GOALS: In September 1994, the Environmental Planning Office of the Hawaii Department of Health developed Goals, Strategies, and Benchmarks for the Department of Health Environmental Management Programs containing a mission statement, management goals, and environmental goals.

INDICATORS: The Department of Health is developing goals, strategies, and indicators. Most indicators are programmatic due to the lack of data on biological results. However, they do have some indicators from ambient and discharge data. Five goals have been developed: 3 for water, 1 for air, and 1 for land. There are 15 to 20 strategies for each goal and at least one indicator for each strategy, making approximately 100 indicators. The Environmental Planning Office is proposing a statewide goals and environmental indicators project to Hawaii's new Governor as an extension of the state's comparative risk project. In addition, Hawaii has received funding to support the development of environmental indicators as part of the risk management phase of its comparative risk project. An 18-member advisory group has been established to provide feedback to the process of developing and validating indicators.


Idaho
(Wallace Cory, Administrator)

Bill Jarocki, Drinking Water Program Manager
Division of Environmental Quality
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
1410 North Hilton
Statehouse Mail
Boise, Idaho 83720-9000
(208) 373-5879
(208) 373-0576 fax

GOALS: The first attempt at strategic planning and the use of goals and indicators (Indicators for Idaho's Sustainable Future) was rejected in 1993 by the Idaho Legislature. However, this report is serving as the forerunner for a current strategic planning exercise being conducted by consultants for DEQ as part of a Legislatively-mandated strategic planning requirement for all state agencies. The DEQ exercise is at the survey stage now, and goals settings is scheduled to follow as part of a generic strategic planning methodology. Agency staff, the regulated community, and the general public are being interviewed, and the final plan will be released to the public following completion.

INDICATORS: Preliminary indicators have been developed for a state of the environment report, which has not yet been published. However, a finished set of statewide indicators for air quality has been created, and additional indicators for state responsibilities such as water and hazard waste are being developed. These ideally will be used for budgeting and legislation appropriation requests as part of the state's strategic planning efforts, in addition to being used as internal measures of performance outcomes.


Illinois*
(Mary Gade, Director)

Roger Kanerva, Environmental Policy Advisor
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
PO Box 19276
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276
(217) 785-5735
(217) 782-9039 fax

Bob Lieberman or Tom Heavysides
CTAP
Office of Research and Planning
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(Brent Manning, Director)
325 West Adams, Room 300
Springfield, Illinois 62704-1894
(217) 785-0138
(217) 785-8575 fax

GOALS: Illinois has a strategic environmental plan that has a set of general goals. These goals do not have any indicators associated with them.

INDICATORS: Illinois has completed a two-year critical trends project, which is an assessment of the state's environmental progress. A 90-page project summary, The Changing Illinois Environment.- Critical Trends, is available, as well as a seven-volume technical report. The project wanted to come up with baseline indicators, but was not able to do so within this project. Illinois would like to develop indicators in the future, but at this point an indicator development process is uncertain. However, an ecosystem- level monitoring system is currently being developed based on a forest ecosystem data hierarchy (i.e., location, extent, and condition) that will acquire and use environmental data as indicators of environmental quality.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Indiana*
(Kathy Prosser, Commissioner)

JauNae Hanger, Executive Assistant
Department of Environmental Management
100 N. Senate, IGNC 1303
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
(317) 233-3043
(317) 232-8564 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Indiana has a geographical (place-based) initiative with U.S. EPA with the intention to develop indicators. They have not developed any indicators at this time. There is no formal process for developing statewide indicators, but Indiana recognizes the need to develop indicators.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Iowa
(Larry Wilson, Director)

Allan Stokes, Administrator, Environmental Protection Division
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Wallace State Office Building
900 E. Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
(515) 281-6284
(515) 281-8895 fax

Shashi Goel, Program Planner
Energy Division
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Wallace State Office Building
900 E. Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
(515) 281-8518
(515) 281-6794 fax

GOALS: The state does not currently have a set of environmental goals at this time, although Iowa recognizes the need to develop them.

INDICATORS: Iowa has begun a comparative risk project, and are negotiating with U.S. EPA to conduct an environmental indicator project in order to track the effectiveness of their environmental programs. The Energy Division of DNR is in the process of hiring a consultant to develop indicators for energy issues and their impact(s) on the environment.


Kansas
(James J. O'Connell, Secretary)

Ron Hammerschmidt, Acting Director
Division of Environment
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Forbes Field, Building 740
Topeka, Kansas 66620
(913) 296-1535
(913) 296-8464 fax

GOALS: There are no existing statewide environmental goals at this time. However, Kansas has recognized the need to develop biennial planning goals, and is planning to do so following the production of a state of the environment report as part of a move toward performance-based budgeting, including measures of program results and successes.

INDICATORS: Kansas is developing a state of the environment report, the Kansas Almanac (in press) which presents some factual environmental information showing changes, but not indicators. Indicators that are being developed by the agency include:


Kentucky*
(Phillip J. Shepherd, Secretary)

Karen Armstrong-Cummings, Deputy Secretary
Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet
Capital Plaza Tower, 5th Floor
500 Mero Street
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
(502) 564-3350
(502) 564-3354 fax

Leslie Cole, Executive Director
The Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission
14 Reilly Road
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-1132
(502) 564-2150
(502) 564-4245 fax

GOALS: There are no present plans to develop specific environmental goals, although there is interest in doing so as part of the ongoing Kentucky 2000 comparative risk project. This project is part of a long-term effort to conduct comprehensive planning for the state in a variety of different areas, of which goal-setting will likely be a part of this process. However, goal-setting has not yet been started.

INDICATORS: The Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission developed State of Kentucky' Environment. A Report of Progress and Problems published in 1992 containing environmental indicators. The State of Kentucky's Environment., 1994 Status Report updates the original report and was completed in February 1995. In addition, Kentucky has an integrated comparative risk and futures project that may integrate indicators. For the risk management phase of the comparative risk project, Kentucky will be developing environmental indicators.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Louisiana
(William Kucharski, Secretary)

John C. Glenn
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 82263
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2263
(504) 765-0741
(504) 765-0746 fax

GOALS: There are no existing statewide environmental goals at this time. However, the setting of statewide environmental goals will follow the completion of a set of environmental indicators presently being developed and a previously-completed comparative risk assessment called Leap To 2000.

INDICATORS: The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is developing environmental indicators with a blue- ribbon steering committee composed of citizens, industrialists, environmentalists, and other state agencies. The steering committee has recommended over 300 potential indicators to six technical committees who review them for data availability, consistency, and usefulness. There are technical committees for air, water, solid and hazardous waste, natural resources, sustainability, and health indicators. At this time, a list of approximately 100 indicators has been developed and are being reviewed internally before being sent in draft form to the steering and technical committees. The indicators will be used in the strategic planning process, for public information, and environmental education. These indicators are being developed as part of an interagency effort; different state agencies can then use specific indicators to assist in managing their own particular goals.


Maine
(Edward 0. Sullivan, Commissioner)

Deborah Garrett, Planning and Environmental Education
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
State House Station 17
Augusta, Maine 04333
(207) 287-7830
(207) 287-7826 fax

David Courtemanch (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
State House Station 17
Augusta, Maine 04333
(207) 287-7789
(207) 287-7826 fax

Mary James (State of the Environment Report, Contact)
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
State House Station 17
Augusta, Maine 04333
(207) 287-7830

Cindy Bertocci, Project Manager
Maine Environmental Priorities Project
State House Station 17
Augusta, Maine 04333
(207) 287-7842
(207) 287-7826 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Maine DEP has completed A Place In Time... Maine's Environment 1994, a 12-page Vermont-style State of the Environment Report. In addition, the Maine Economic Growth Council is developing indicators of sustainable development and benchmarks. Maine is also an EPA Office of Water Pilot State, and using a $12,500 grant will undertake a project using GIS to juxtapose land uses with existing biocriteria assessment data. Maine is looking to integrate indicators into the risk management phase of its comparative risk project.


Maryland
(Jane T. Nishida, Secretary)

Steve Bieber, Natural Resources Biologist
Chesapeake Bay and Special Projects Program
Department of the Environment
2500 Broening Highway
Baltimore, Maryland 21224
(410) 631-3681
Internet: chesie.ana.epa.gov.steve

Sue Battle, Deputy Director
Office of Strategic Planning and Policy
Department of the Environment
2500 Broening Highway
Baltimore, Maryland 21224
(410) 631-3114
(410) 631-3436 fax

GOALS: The state has begun a comparative risk project which is part of Maryland Environment 2000, a strategic planning exercise that will incorporate goals and indicators. ME2000 will set priorities and a management plan for the state. At present, the state's environmental planning has been focused on the state's participation in the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program, the chief goal of which is the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Bay.

INDICATORS: Maryland has used environmental indicators in a general way for past 10 years. However, they have recently developed specific indicators in the Chesapeake Bay Project. The following environmental goals and indicators have been developed under this project:

Rob Magnien (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Maryland Department of the Environment
Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Management Administration
2500 Broening Highway
Baltimore, Maryland 21224

INDICATORS: Maryland was also selected by the EPA Office of Water Pilot Project to develop indicators, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success. They received a grant for $22,500. They want to develop indicators in ways that can be communicated to the public and to provide updates of water quality to the tributary stakeholders. They want to use the results to communicate with the more effectively. This is the next step in the Bay Program restoration effort. Maryland has ten tributaries that drain in to the Bay. A Tributary Strategy, including a nutrient reduction plan has been developed for each watershed and a tributary implementation team with 20-30 stakeholders per team is assigned to oversee the implementation of the plan. They want to use indicators which are useful to the public and decision-makers to measure progress. They intend to develop indicators beyond the scope of indicators required by the EPA Office of Water including zooplankton and phytoplankton bioindicators, nutrient bioassays, restoration goals index for benthic monitoring, and several others.


Massachusetts
(David Struhs, Commissioner)

Carol Rowan West
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
(617) 292-5510
(617) 264-9695 fax

Laura Rome
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
(617) 292-5690
(617) 556-1049 fax

GOALS: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has an ongoing set of specific environmental goals within and across three major areas of concern: resource protection, waste prevention, and waste site cleanup. These goals are used for internal management purposes, preparing legislative appropriations requests, and to help prepare measurements of the effectiveness of the aforementioned areas of DEP program concern.

INDICATORS: Massachusetts has indicators for resource protection, waste prevention, and waste site cleanup. Since the 1994 National Conference, the state has begun a formal indicator development process and is currently cataloging various indicators used in DEP, as well as also tracking indicators and writing a quarterly report to inform top managers of changes in the environment over time. A set of indicators for public outreach is also being developed in order to communicate environmental change and activities. A place-based pilot watershed project for the Merrimack River is being conducted which includes multimedia pollution data (e.g., air, water, etc.), the status and change of the area's environment, use of different kinds of indicators and changes within these, sampling and monitoring, and compliance and enforcement.

Meg Colclough
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
(Trudy Coxe, Secretary)
100 Cambridge Street, 20th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02202
(617) 727-9800 x2l8

Massachusetts is in the process of writing a State of the Environment Report which will be published on Earth Day 1995, April 22. Because there is not a formal environmental indicator development process in Massachusetts, the report is based on program monitoring data with information on air quality, water quality, loss of open space and protected land, waste generation, and several other areas.


Michigan
(Rolland Harmes, Director)

Gary R. Hughes, Asst. to Deputy Director for Environmental Protection
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Executive Division
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Ml 48909
(517) 335-4229
(517) 335-4242 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: There is no formal development of indicators at this time.


Minnesota*
(Charles Williams, Commissioner)

Paul Schmiechen, Senior Planner
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194
(612) 296-7795
(612) 297-8676 fax

GOALS: There are no existing environmental goals per se, but they exist within several strategic planning documents and exercises. These include:

INDICATORS: There are two closely related environmental indicators initiatives underway in Minnesota. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been developing indicators for use by agency decisionmakers that describe the status and trends of environmental health. The Strategic Indicators Project involves the development of administrative and environmental indicators that provide better information for managing activities contained within the agency's authority. The key products include: a set of environmental indicators that describe the status and trends of issues under MPCA management, communication tools that provide information on environmental protection effectiveness, and internal database coordination to improve information accessibility. Indicators previously developed have been used in annual performance reports and biennial legislative reports.

The Minnesota Environmental Indicators Initiative (MEII) is a multi-agency effort to evaluate and communicate information on Minnesota's overall environmental health. The initiative is a comprehensive attempt to evaluate the current condition of the environment and monitor its change over time. This effort builds upon previous work by state agencies to better characterize the state of the environment. The key products include: a catalog of existing environmental monitoring data, a state of the environment report describing current environmental conditions and trends, a set of relevant indicators that measure environmental "vital signs" in selected Minnesota ecoregions, and communication tools that provide easy-to-understand descriptions of the indicator results. The primary basis for this project is to provide better environmental information to decisionmakers.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Mississippi
(James I. Palmer, Executive Director)

Sam Mabry, Policy and Planning Coordinator
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality/ Office of Pollution Control
P.O. Box 20305
Jackson, Mississippi 39289-1305
(601) 961-5545
(601) 354-6612 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Mississippi is developing a strategic planning process and a comparative risk project. Through their strategic planning process they will determine which indicators are needed and how they will track them. Mississippi has measures for:


Missouri
(David A. Shorr, Director)

Karen Northrop, Planner
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Hazardous Waste Program
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0176
(314) 751-3176
(314) 751-7869 fax

David Bedan, Senior Planner MO Department of Natural Resources
Division of Energy address same as above (314) 751-4000

Kathy Hale, Legislative Coordinator
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Department Director's Office

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Missouri is developing a strategic planning process and a comparative risk project. They will determine which indicators will be developed and how to track them through their strategic planning process. Proposed indicators include:

MDNR is finishing a 300-page draft report on environmental indicators that has four sections: air, water, soil and land, waste and toxics. There will be 2-7 indicators for each issue that will be generally level 3 or 4 indicators as well as some activity indicators. The recommended use of the report is for policy and planning decisions. A shorter version with selected indicators for the public is also being prepared.

The DNR Institute is also proposing a list of indicators covering nine issues: energy, demographics, soil and land use, biota, air quality, water quality, water quantity, solid waste, and hazardous substances. The emphasis is to have biological results indicators, but the indicators are more programmatic for solid waste and hazardous substances. The committees working on the proposed indicators are recommending that they be used as a basis for a state of the environment report.


Montana
Michael Kakuk, Staff Attorney

Montana Environmental Quality Council
Room 106
State Capitol
Helena, Montana 39620
(406) 444-3742
(406) 444-3036 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The EOC is considering undertaking an indicator project and tying it into a project on sustainable communities. This is in the development stage with an uncertain schedule. They will insist on the project being consistent with EPA run indicator projects, very broad based, having public involvement, and having buy-in and an active role from their administration, and a commitment to use indicators for policy decisions.

Abe Horpestad
Water Quality Division
Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences
(Robert J. Robinson, Director)
Cogswell Building
Helena, Montana 59620
(406) 444-2459

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Montana does not have an indicator program at this time.


Nebraska
(Randolph Wood, Director)

Joe Francis, Assistant Director
Nebraska Department Environmental Quality
1200 N Street, Suite 400
PO Box 98922
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509
(402) 471-0001
(402) 471-2909 fax

Dennis Heitmann, Supervisor, Groundwater Section
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
PO Box 98922, Statehouse Station
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922
(402) 471-0096
(402) 471-2909 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Nebraska has no current plans for an indicator development process. They do use biological indicators for their surface water program and they have some monitoring activity, but they do not have specific parameters for the use of indicators.


Nevada
(Lewis H. Dodgion, Administrator)

David Cowperthwaite
Division of Environmental Protection
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
333 West Nye Lane, Room 128
Capitol Complex
Carson City, Nevada 8971 0
(702) 687-4670, ext. 3118
(702) 687-5856

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Nevada is using environmental indicators in their strategic planning process. They are using programmatic performance measures as well as some biological indicators. The system in which they will be used is still under development. The environmental indicator system will also be tied into the budget process. Nevada is also constructing a non- statutory planning process (still in the planning stages) in which indicators will be discussed. The person to contact for this program is Colleen Bathker at (702) 687-3600. Nevada is also beginning a project on biodiversity.


New Hampshire
(Robert Varney, Commissioner)

Chris Simmers, Chief Environmental Planner
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
P.O. Box 95, 6 Hazen Drive
Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0095
(603) 271-3503
(603) 271-2867 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: New Hampshire will be identifying indicators as part of their agency strategic plan. They will track EPA indicators and develop an indicator proposal for the state of New Hampshire. Although they are still in the planning stage, they want to keep indicators simple, using them in a state of the environment report to be published every other year beginning in 1995. They plan to hire staff to begin looking at the biological health of waters and will use indicators to describe changes. New Hampshire is also at the beginning of a comparative risk project and wants to develop indicators for issue areas of highest concern.


New Jersey*
(Robert Shinn, Commissioner)

Leslie McGeorge
Environmental Research and Health Assessment
Division of Science and Research
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
CN 409
401 E. State Street, Floor 7
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0409
(609) 633-3834

GOALS:

INDICATORS: New Jersey DEP is undertaking an indicator development process based on an evaluation of ambient monitoring programs and land use management. The programs are being evaluated in terms of goals, objectives, monitoring program design and funding. The development of environmental indicators from existing data is being explored. NJDEP is entering the National Environmental Performance Partnership System in three areas: air quality, water quality, and solid waste.

Alfred L. Korndoerfer, Acting Chief
Bureau of Water Monitoring
Division of Science and Research
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
CN 422
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0422
(609) 292-0427
(609) 633-1095 fax

INDICATORS: The Bureau of Water Monitoring has reactivated a network of ambient biomonitoring reference stations within every major ecoregion in the state. 43 stations were selected after 425 sites were sampled and evaluated. Benthic macroinvertebrates are used as environmental indicators. Long-term baseline monitoring data from this network will be beneficial to Departmental planning and permitting activities; the biennial generation of the 305(b) water quality inventory, the departmental watershed management initiative, and the NJDPES permit activities.

Kathleen Kelly
New Jersey Office of State Planning
Department of the Treasury
33 W. State Street
CN 204
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0204
(609) 633-9648
(609) 292-3292 fax

INDICATORS: The New Jersey Office of State Planning is mandated to develop indicators monitoring the state of New Jersey’s economy, environment, infrastructure, intergovernmental coordination and community life and report their findings in an annual report. The initial report, New Jersey Progress Report, to be completed in October 1995, is indicator-driven.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


New Mexico
(Mark Weidler, Secretary)

Dennis McQuillan, Program Manager
Ground Water Remediation Section
State of New Mexico Environment Department
1190 Saint Francis Drive, P.O. Box 26110
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502
(505) 827-2831
(505) 827-2965 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The New Mexico Environmental Department is using indicators in several of their programs. In the Ground Water Remediation Section they are using chloride level, oxygen levels, and VOC levels as indicators of ground water quality. They also use indicators in their Surface Water Section, including dissolved oxygen levels, nitrogen levels, and benthic macroinvertebrate organisms. Finally, the Air Quality Section uses visibility and parameters such as carbon monoxide levels as indicators of air quality. In addition, they track the number of "no-burn nights" (nights when residents cannot burn fireplaces or woodstoves) in the City of Albuquerque, NM as an indicator of human health.


New York
(Michael Zagata, Commissioner)

John lannotti, Director
Bill Eberle
Pollution Prevention Unit
NY State Department of Environmental Conservation
Room 538
50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12233-1010
(518) 457-2480
(518) 457-2570 fax

James Colquhon
Division of Fish and Wildlife
NY State Department of Environmental Conservation
Room 530
50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12233-4756
(518) 457-6178

GOALS:

INDICATORS: New York DEC Division of Fish and Wildlife has developed a system for classifying program outcomes in ascending order: outputs; discharge or use (water withdrawal, fish or wildlife taken; trees harvested); ambient monitoring; monitoring ecosystem health. The Division says as the order ascends that the degree of integration, political and ecological relevance, complexity of measures, and cost of the measures increase. The Division has developed some level six indicators for wildlife.


North Carolina
(Jonathan Howes, Secretary)

David Vogt, Section Chief
Environmental Statistics and GIS
State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics
North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources
P.O. Box 29538
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0538
(919) 715-4474
(919) 733-8485 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: North Carolina Environmental Indicators published in June 1995 is an effort to present and interpret information regarding the environmental quality of the state as a condensed overview that accounts for the dynamics of change over time presenting most data for the years 1989 through 1993. The 134- page report covers air, water, waste and natural resources. Future reports will incorporate 1989 as a base year and extend trend evaluations from that year forward. The report started as a recommendation of a blue ribbon panel in 1991, received funding from the North Carolina Legislature in 1993, completed analyses of air, water, and waste in 1994, and added evaluations of wetlands and marine fisheries in 1995.


North Dakota
(K.L. Cool, Director)

Mike McKenna, Chief of Natural Resource Division ND Game and Fish Department
100 N. Bismarck Exp.
Bismarck, North Dakota 58501
(701) 328-6325
(701) 328-6352 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The North Dakota Comparative Risk project is close to completion. They want to see how the project is accepted and then base an environmental indicators project on the comparative risk project.

Martin Shock, Special Projects Coordinator
Environmental Health Section
North Dakota Department of Health
(Dr. John Rice, State Health Officer)
P.O. Box 5520
Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5520
(701) 328-5170
(701) 328-5200 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Although there is not a formal indicator development process, over the past twenty years the North Dakota Department of Health has collected ambient data on surface water quality and streams and rivers. They are also beginning an assessment of groundwater quality. They are mapping state aquifers and using a three-tiered model of risk. They have been monitoring the aquifers in the highest risk tier for the past two years. The Department of Health is also assessing the ground water quality around the state's landfills which will be completed this winter. The ambient air monitoring program also uses indicators on source specific data. In addition, they have begun monitoring mercury levels in fresh water fish.


Ohio*
(Donald R. Schregardus, Director)

Tony Lafferty, Environmental Specialist
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
1800 Watermark Drive, DSW
Columbus, Ohio 43266
(614) 644-2159
(614) 644-2329 fax

Chris Yoder, Manager, Ecological Assessment Section
Division of Water Quality Planning and Management
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
1800 Watermark Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43266-6264
(614) 728-3382
(614) 728-3380 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has developed an index of biological and chemical indicators to assess stream water quality for 305b reports. Ohio EPA has a rating score based on certain conditions of surface waters which will determine the relative health of streams. This effort utilizes a GIS based system extensively.

John Albrecht (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
1800 Watermark Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43216-3669
(614) 644-2033
Internet: jalbrech@central.epa.ohio.gov

INDICATORS: Ohio is also an EPA Office of Water Pilot State, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success. They have received a grant of $131,000 to examine existing data base files and evaluate whether linkages can be made between the different levels of environmental indicators (ambient, physical, biological, and programmatic). The first year they will focus their efforts in central Ohio in the Columbus area. They will also study two small streams: one unimpacted stream and one impacted by a nonpoint source.

Michelle Morrone
Ohio EPA
P.O. Box 1049
1800 Watermark Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43266-0149
(614) 644-3020
(614) 644-3687 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: In May 1994, the publication A Practical Guide to Data Sources for Comparative Risk at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was released. This publication offers potential indicators drawn from the Ohio EPA's environmental protection programs.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Oklahoma
(Mark Coleman, Executive Director)

Lawrence A. Gales, Director of Support Services
OK Department of Environmental Quality
1000 NE 10th Street, Suite 1212
Oklahoma City, OK 73017-1212
(405) 271-8062
(405) 271-7339 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Oklahoma had indicators in the 1992 report State of Oklahoma Environmental Subcabinet State Environmental Assessment - A Report to the Governor. However, Oklahoma does not have a formal indicator development process. Oklahoma wants to wait and see if EPA wants states to follow a specific model in developing indicators.


Oregon*
(Langdon Marsh, Director)

Paul Burnet, Assistant to the Director
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
811 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 229-5776
(503) 229-6124 fax

Richard Gates, Laboratory Division Administrator
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
1712 SW Eleventh Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 229-5983
(503) 229-6924 fax

Executive Director
Oregon Progress Board
775 Summer St., N.E.
Salem, Oregon 97310
(503) 986-0033

GOALS: At present, there are stated environmental goals in Oregon Benchmarks: Standards for Measuring Statewide Progress and Government Performance, first published by the Oregon Progress Board in December 1992. This is a report to the Oregon Legislature including both goals and indicators. There are no active Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strategic planning goals at this time; however, the Department is updating its previous strategic planning goals, and this information will eventually be available over the Internet. These goals will focus on agency management needs, and will be formalized following interaction with staff, regulated communities, and the public.

INDICATORS: In December 1994, as its 1995 report to the Legislature, the Oregon Progress Board issued its third biennial report, Oregon Benchmarks: Standards for Measuring Statewide Progress and Institutional Performance. As a subset of the quality of life section, 28 environmental benchmarks are presented out of a total of 259 in the report. Protecting natural resources is listed as an issue that demands near- term attention. Oregon is also participating in the federal- state EMAP and REMAP programs. There is no other formal indicator program at this time.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Pennsylvania
(James Seif, Secretary)

William Kirk, Acting Director
Advanced Science and Research Team, PA
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 8471
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
(717) 783-9730
(717) 787-1904 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: There is no indicator development or use at this time.


Rhode Island

Dr. Robert K. Griffith, Chief
Office of Strategic Planning
Division of Planning
Department of Administration
One Capitol Hill
Providence, Rhode Island 02908
(401) 277-1220
(401) 277-2083 fax

Kevin J. Nelson, Senior Planner
Office of Strategic Planning, Division of Planning
Department of Administration
One Capitol Hill
Providence, Rhode Island 02908
(401) 277-2093
(401) 277-2083 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The indicator project is not consistently worked on due to new agency priorities and budget constraints. However, potential indicators will be developed statewide at staff level. Rhode Island is currently in the process of the developing statewide indicators to be used in a State of the Environment report and for policy decisions.

Roger Green
RI Department of Environmental Management
(Tim Keeney, Director)
9 Hayes Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02908-5003
(401) 277-2771
(401) 277-6802 fax

Fred Vincent
Planning and Development Division
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
83 Park Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02908
(401) 277-2776
(401) 277-1181 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: The indicator program at RIDEM has developed several living resource indicators. They measure individual species and population viability of species such as the osprey, commercial and estuarine fish, reintroduction of the native species of turkey, and the piping plover, an endangered species. They have also developed indicators for air, such as ozone, and for water quality using invertebrates.


South Carolina
(Douglas Bryant, Commissioner)

Robert King, Deputy Director
Department of Health and Environmental Control
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(803) 734-5360
(803) 734-5407 fax

Paul A. Sandifer, Ph.D., Director (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Marine Resources Division
PO Box 12559
Wildlife and Marine Resources Department
217 Fort Johnson Road
Charleston, South Carolina 29412
(803) 795-6350 office
(803) 795-4846 residence

GOALS:

INDICATORS: South Carolina is just beginning to look at environmental indicators. There will be a formal indicator development process with both programmatic and biological indicators. P> South Carolina is an EPA Office of Water Pilot State, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success. Alan Hallum, from the State of Georgia, is the contact for the joint project for South Carolina and Georgia. These states received a $60,000 grant to evaluate indicators for the Savannah Watershed in the Augusta area. Georgia/South Carolina have several project goals: 1) to see how sensitive the environmental indicators are in measuring environmental change, 2) to develop a process for indicator development that is applicable statewide, and 3) to develop an assessment of the environment and overlay as many databases as possible to measure the effects of program actions. Indicators will be evaluated for the following areas: designated uses, fecal coliform, water quality trends, biological results, fish contamination, fish advisories, habitat assessment, biological integrity, and reduced pollutant loadings. This work will culminate in a final report that will be published tentatively on September 30, 1996.


South Dakota
(Nettie Myers, Secretary)

Bill Markley, Program Administrator
South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
523 E Capitol Avenue
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-3181
(605) 773-5868
(605) 773-6035 fax

INDICATORS: South Dakota is developing program performance indicators, including issues on contaminated sites, solid waste, water quality, air quality, wastewater, land, hazardous waste. Indicators are more programmatic than biological results.

Rod Woodburn
South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
523 E Capitol Avenue
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-3181
(605) 773-4750
(605) 773-4068 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: South Dakota does not have a formal indicator system; however, they are using programmatic indicators in their annual report to the legislature. They have proposed to use biological indicators for budget decisions, but the legislature said it would be too difficult at this point. They have identified the biological indicators that they would like to use, but there is no concerted effort at this time to review or develop these indicators. Furthermore, they are based on current programs that could be used as indicators.


Tennessee
(Don Dills, Commissioner)

Rick Sinclair
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
21st Floor, L&C Tower
401 Church Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0435
(615) 532-0734
(615) 532-0740 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: In September 1994, Tennessee published the 16-page State of the Environment. A Preview, the state's first comprehensive effort to discuss the quality of the environment and what they are doing about it. They are using both programmatic and biological indicators, but they lack a systematic approach at this time. The 100-page final State of the Environment report to be completed in fall 1995 will include comments from a review process.


Texas*
(Barry McBee, Chairman; Ralph Marquez, John Baker Commissioners)

Allison Miller, Environmental Quality Specialist
Department of Monitoring Operations
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, Texas 78711-3087
(512) 239-1797
(512) 239-1605 fax

GOALS: The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) is responsible for air quality, water resources, and waste management. As stated in the TNRCC's 1994 Strategic Plan, the mission of the TNRCC is to "[ensure] clean air ... an adequate supply of clean water ... proper and safe disposal of ... pollutants." This is further broken down into a series of functional goals, each having its own indicator(s). Each office with the TNRCC has its own goals which include identification of those areas where health risks are posed by environmental practices, and the gathering of sufficient information regarding exposure in order to support TNRCC's risk assessment efforts and to disseminate this information to interested parties. Legislative funding is also dependent on specific goals, strategies, objectives, and "outcome measures" outlined in both the TNRCC's Strategic Plan and its biennial Request for Legislative Appropriations.

INDICATORS: Texas is developing an environmental index reporting system for air quality assessment using indicators with ambient and discharge data to describe the effects of air quality on human health. They have conducted a benchmark study to determine how other states and the EPA use environmental indicators, and have developed an updated "data catalog" to allow easy access to air quality data for Texas.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Utah*
(Dianne R. Nielson, Executive Director)

David R. Workman, M.P.A., Comparative Risk Project Coordinator
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 144810
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-481 0
(801) 536-4480
(801) 536-4401 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Utah recently completed the risk analysis stage in their comparative risk project and are currently looking at how to reduce risk and how to measure the reduction. They would like to have environmental results indicators and use them for policy decisions and public communication and awareness. These indicators would be incorporated into the Utah Tomorrow. State of Utah Strategic Plan, Environmental and Natural Resources Section that uses a benchmark system. Utah is looking to integrate indicators into its comparative risk process.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Vermont
(Barbara Ripley, Secretary)

Bernard Johnson
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
103 South Main Street, Center Building
Waterbury, Vermont 05671-0301
(802) 241-3600
(802) 244-1102 fax

GOALS: The Vermont Agency for Natural Resources (ANR) is engaged in developing environmental goals (known as "outcomes") linked with existing indicators in order to prepare next year's budget. This process is called "comprehensive planning," and is a management-oriented strategic planning process that will have a public component. The process involves acquiring survey data from a variety of instruments, and an agency review and prioritization of current programs. This is to be followed by a comparison exercise which will facilitate the realignment of existing (or the creation of new) agency activities with perceived public and agency needs and preferences. This comparison will aid in agency resource allocation, decisionmaking, and budget preparation, all of which will reflect agency priorities.

INDICATORS: As a follow up to the Environment 1994 -- State of the Environment Report and Vermont 1993 Environmental Quality Index, Vermont has developed agency staff ownership for indicators through workshops and has instituted an ongoing process to produce Environment 1995 as a snapshot of progress. Steering Committee oversight structure is in place. Environment 1996 is in production and will focus on ecosystems.


Virginia
(Peter Schmidt, Director)

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
629 E. Main Street
P.O. Box 1009
Richmond, Virginia 23240
(804) 762-4000
(804) 762-4019 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Virginia state government does not have an indicator development process and there are no plans to use indicators at this time.

David H. Finister, Director
Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy
College of William and Mary
Jamestown Road, Morton Hall 140
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(804) 221-2390
(804) 221-2739 fax

INDICATORS: The College of William and Mary has received a grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment, a private grantmaking foundation resulting from a number of environment pollution settlements, to identify indicators of environmental quality that can be used in an Index of Environmental Quality for Virginia, comparing Virginia outcomes with those of other states, and involving ongoing development and annual reporting of the indicators by August 1, 1995.


Washington*
(Mary Riveland, Director)

Dee Peace Ragsdale
Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, Washington 98504-7600
(360) 407-6986
(360) 407-6989 fax

GOALS: The state's 1991 State of the Environment Report (Environment 2000), a comprehensive environmental report, lists environmental objectives for the state government in three areas, education, cooperation, and knowledge building. Although the E2000 report does not have the high profile it had following its initial release, much of the report's contents have managed to become co-opted into the day-to-day activities of the state government. The Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) is carrying the bulk of these E2000 activities. Additionally, DOE has a set of five goals developed for internal use as part of a set of other strategic planning activities, and is developing a set of performance measures based in part on these goals.

INDICATORS: Following up on the comparative risk project derived from the E2000 report, Washington has developed Washington's Environmental Health, a 16-page summary of environmental indicators, for distribution in April 1995 including putting the document on the Internet (available on the DOE's WWW page at URL address: http:Holympus.dis.wa.gov/www/access/ecology/ecyhome.html). The Department is also using available data to create a wide range of indicators working with media programs on a pilot project basis. The Department wants a core set of indicators developed that they can be accountable to over the long-term.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


West Virginia
Eli McCoy, Director
Division of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Commerce
10 McJunkin Road
Nitro, West Virginia 25143-2506
(304) 759-0515
(304) 759-0526 fax

GOALS: The enabling legislation for the Bureau of Commerce (formerly the Department of Commerce, Labor, and Environmental Resources has very broad goals which are generally used to guide the Division of Environmental Protection. However, there is no existing agency strategic plan, although there are funds allocated toward hiring a strategic planner and creating such a plan. The "process" the development of this plan will undergo involves both a public survey and an environmental assessment, the latter of which will be created utilizing a GIS. This data base will be organized by watershed and will be used to manage natural resources within each watershed according to specific constraints and opportunities, physical and otherwise, found through the assessment and from the survey instrument. It will also be used a conflict resolution tool.

There is some use of environmental data (i.e., stream monitoring of fish, invertebrates, and water quality) for indicators, although this use is general and not considered statistically valid, due to limitations of locational and temporal data.

INDICATORS: West Virginia has no formal indicator development process and does not use indicators.


Wisconsin*
(George E. Meyer, Secretary)

Tim Mulholland, Ph.D., Waste Management Engineer
Environmental Indicator Team Leader
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
1 0 1 S. Webster Street - SW/3
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7921
(608) 266-0061
(608) 267-2768 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: In March 1995, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) formed an Environmental Indicators Project Team to evaluate other indicators projects; recommend environmental indicators for Wisconsin; recommend a format for presentation of indicators; and evaluate current data and suggest improvements by August 1995. WDNR issued the report, Wisconsin's Environment 1970-1995, a short review, for Earth Day 1995. There are also several small place-based projects that utilize indicators: the Milwaukee River Basin; the cooperative effort to develop aquatic indicators for Lake Superior (involving MN, MI, WI, Canada); the Lake Michigan Lake Area Management Plan (LAMP) which is developing goals and indicators for aquatic, air, land, etc.; Air Management Department is developing indicators; and the Hazardous Waste Division is considering creating a new strategic plan with goals and indicators.

Duane Schuettpelz (Office of Water Pilot, Contact)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Box 7921
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7921
(608) 266-0156

INDICATORS: Wisconsin is an Office of Water Pilot state for the U.S. EPA, evaluating whether specific environmental indicators can be used as potential substitutes for existing measures of program success. Wisconsin is trying to bring recognition of the concept of environmental indicators into their agency. They will use a $12,500 grant as an incentive to existing employees to develop water-related environmental indicator projects and reports based on existing data. Their goal is to get employees to start thinking about environmental indicators and how they should be used in planning, review, and monitoring activities.

*State environmental protection agency is one of 16 states in FY 1996 that has expressed an intent to enter into the National Environmental Performance Partnership System using environmental indicators and performance measures.


Wyoming
(Dennis Hemmer, Director)

Robert Gumtow
Water Quality Division
WY Department of Environmental Quality
Herschler Building, 4th Floor West
122 W 25th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7098
(307) 777-5973 fax

GOALS:

INDICATORS: Wyoming does not have a formal environmental indicator development process at this time. However, they are moving away from the use of chemical assessment water quality to biological components to measure environmental change.