Local opinion: Arizonans must be Informed, active to protect unique place

“Arizona’s silent deserts are a testament to nature’s resilience and beauty,” conservationist Rachel Carson wrote. Indeed, this glorious state must be resilient in the face of our prolonged drought, extreme heat, growing wildfires and flash flooding. The recent devastation by wildfire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon brings this home to all of us in Arizona.

Here is the good news: Our research shows that when the public speaks up, it encourages government to make better decisions that protect our shared home and reduce unnecessary environmental impacts of new projects on the landscape.

As we demonstrate in our paper recently published in Environmental Review Letters, citizen input has a vital role in protecting land from environmental harm in projects that require federal permitting. We reviewed more than 100 environmental impact statements spanning 22 years. We found that ideas and suggestions from the public led federal agencies to make substantive changes to nearly two-thirds of the projects under review.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) provides those opportunities for public engagement and stands as a remarkable testament to the American democratic rule of law. NEPA enables scientific review as well as input from stakeholders, all in the interest of making informed decisions. We undertook our NEPA study to assess the claims of critics across the political spectrum who purport that these public discussions are ineffective time-wasters that do not lead to significant change. The evidence says otherwise.

One current policy trend is to limit time for public comment under NEPA in the interest of speed. Time limits are not the only way to boost efficiency. Investments in agency permitting offices and improved interagency coordination have helped environmental review timelines fall by 28% in recent years. We have also worked on projects to better manage and review mountains of information produced in NEPA reviews to avoid duplication of effort, and to better inform decisions. Time limitations on public comment do present a challenge to neighbors, environmentalists and scientific experts who care about what gets built, and just as importantly, how it gets built. But the challenge can be met. Going forward, citizen participation will have to be quickly organized around proposed projects to remain a powerful force in the process. Here are some things you can do:

One of the best strategies for speed is preparation. Get informed and involved in protecting the resources, habitats or localities you care about right now. Track potential projects — be they unjustified developments or needed energy infrastructure, transportation corridors, or water reclamation projects. Project proponents, public agencies, your neighbors and the public need to know early on about the potential hazards of such projects and how they might be avoided or mitigated. Joining community groups or coalitions is a great way to educate yourself and to prepare for mobilization if further mobilization is warranted.

Let news outlets and social media know that you care. The competition for the attention of a shrinking pool of working journalists is fierce – and there’s no shortage of news out there. When readers, listeners and viewers tell news outlets that environmental coverage should be a priority, it will become one. Share your concerns and informed opinions.

And most importantly, get out there. If you value Arizona’s natural heritage and scenic wonder, get out there, enjoy it, and learn more about it. Learn about what places and features you hold most dear. Learn about the complex challenges of managing and conserving those landscapes, watersheds and dark skies. And what future changes — natural and man-made- are on the horizon. Engage with your natural world, and it will strengthen your resolve to help strengthen its resilience.

There is far too much fatalism in our public life. Forms of civic engagement, from volunteerism to contacting one’s legislators, have been falling for decades. This is a tragedy, because we have proof that when citizens get active they can make change. Arizona indeed offers many testaments to resilience and beauty. The humans who make our homes here must protect them.

The authors are speaking as private individuals and are not representing the viewpoints of the University of Arizona.