SWCS view

Excerpt

So much environment, so many pressure points, so little time to make it sustainable might well have been the title of a recent gathering I attended of leaders from government, universities, nonprofits, and the private sector. The real title was “Congress on Renewable Natural Resources: Critical Issues and Concepts for the Twenty-First Century”—a mouthful to say. The objective was pretty clear: to determine priority issues and recommend specific approaches for removing impediments to solutions.

My first reaction was, “It's all important. How can we be asked to choose?” Yet each of us make choices everyday.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society is not immune from the same problem of allocating scarce resources among many worthwhile activities. We allocate through budgets, investment of staff time, and creating and implementing a strategic plan. Choosing among issues is harder, and it is difficult for an organization like SWCS that encompasses so many disciplines.

So how do we do it? SWCS has used an issues identification process, with input from members, chapters, and the House of Delegates. At chapter development …