The document summarizes the Right-of-Way Stewardship Council (ROWSC) accreditation program, which independently accredits utility vegetation management programs. The ROWSC program recognizes excellence in Integrated Vegetation Management and is defined by 10 principles and 32 criteria related to policy, planning, and procedures. Accredited programs benefit from cost savings, recognition, and improved stakeholder relations. The ROWSC has a board of directors from non-profits, academia, industry, and government and conducts independent third-party audits of utility vegetation management programs.
Presented at the IASC 2014 European conference, this paper explores how institutional design and social-ecological perspectives can inform governance of catchments. It focuses on ‘Catchment-Based Approach (CaBA) in England - and stems from the EU Water Framework Directive.
Presented by Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS Theme Leader, at CG Contact Point Meeting in Bonn, 9 June 2011.
Homepage: www.ccafs.cgiar.org
Theme 3 page: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/our-work/research-themes/pro-poor-mitigation
Harmonization of the Dryland Systems CRP across regions to foster a global scale research program through common themes, methodologies and research tools was touched upon at the Launch meeting in Amman in May, 2013 by Dr. William Payne of ICARDA. Dr. Payne outlined the dangers of uncoordinated research as less scientific and a missed opportunity for truly impactful systems work.
Common SRT1 outcomes included:
• Improved access to and adoption of appropriate technology and technical advice by smallholder farmers
• Higher levels of empowerment for youth and women in community decision making
• Stronger institutions to serve the rural poor and greater government awareness about system and livelihood interdependencies
• Broad stakeholder participation in the research and development cycle through innovation platforms
Common SRT2/3 outcomes included:
• Higher plant and livestock productivity and profitability
• Improved rural employment
• Greater biomass availability for animal and cropping systems
• Better access to markets and financial services by farmers
• High value product markets made accessible to farmers
• More effective buffering and system resilience
• Increased food security and nutrition
• Higher levels of biodiversity and lower levels of land degradation
• Farmers manage natural resources more sustainably
• Improved postharvest and processing technology communicated and value added options increased
Common SRT 4 outcomes included:
• A widely agreed upon framework to define and measure vulnerability for the purpose of informing policy and programming
• Tradeoff analysis to establish the optimal mix of land use and cropping systems
• Dryland Systems CRP to inform other CRPs
• Improved options for mixed production systems are communicated to smallholders
• Better understanding of systems characteristics, opportunities and constraints
• Effective communication of CRP findings to all stakeholders
Crosscutting Themes and Programmatic Tools include:
• Monitoring and evaluation of impact pathways
• Gender
• Youth
• Capacity Development
• Modelling
• Communication, information management and knowledge sharing
• Geoinformatics
• Research Support Systems
A research methods support system for CRP Dryland Systems is being set up through the Statistical Services Centre at University of Reading.
An overview of various research projects since 1995 relating to motivations and behaviour of Farmers who are involved in Environmental Management schemes - such as stewardship.
Presented at the IASC 2014 European conference, this paper explores how institutional design and social-ecological perspectives can inform governance of catchments. It focuses on ‘Catchment-Based Approach (CaBA) in England - and stems from the EU Water Framework Directive.
Presented by Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS Theme Leader, at CG Contact Point Meeting in Bonn, 9 June 2011.
Homepage: www.ccafs.cgiar.org
Theme 3 page: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/our-work/research-themes/pro-poor-mitigation
Harmonization of the Dryland Systems CRP across regions to foster a global scale research program through common themes, methodologies and research tools was touched upon at the Launch meeting in Amman in May, 2013 by Dr. William Payne of ICARDA. Dr. Payne outlined the dangers of uncoordinated research as less scientific and a missed opportunity for truly impactful systems work.
Common SRT1 outcomes included:
• Improved access to and adoption of appropriate technology and technical advice by smallholder farmers
• Higher levels of empowerment for youth and women in community decision making
• Stronger institutions to serve the rural poor and greater government awareness about system and livelihood interdependencies
• Broad stakeholder participation in the research and development cycle through innovation platforms
Common SRT2/3 outcomes included:
• Higher plant and livestock productivity and profitability
• Improved rural employment
• Greater biomass availability for animal and cropping systems
• Better access to markets and financial services by farmers
• High value product markets made accessible to farmers
• More effective buffering and system resilience
• Increased food security and nutrition
• Higher levels of biodiversity and lower levels of land degradation
• Farmers manage natural resources more sustainably
• Improved postharvest and processing technology communicated and value added options increased
Common SRT 4 outcomes included:
• A widely agreed upon framework to define and measure vulnerability for the purpose of informing policy and programming
• Tradeoff analysis to establish the optimal mix of land use and cropping systems
• Dryland Systems CRP to inform other CRPs
• Improved options for mixed production systems are communicated to smallholders
• Better understanding of systems characteristics, opportunities and constraints
• Effective communication of CRP findings to all stakeholders
Crosscutting Themes and Programmatic Tools include:
• Monitoring and evaluation of impact pathways
• Gender
• Youth
• Capacity Development
• Modelling
• Communication, information management and knowledge sharing
• Geoinformatics
• Research Support Systems
A research methods support system for CRP Dryland Systems is being set up through the Statistical Services Centre at University of Reading.
An overview of various research projects since 1995 relating to motivations and behaviour of Farmers who are involved in Environmental Management schemes - such as stewardship.
Details practices to improve crop productivity and soil carbon storage and the associated socio-economic barriers and opportunities. Delivered at the SRUC 2013 Conference #SRUCSustain in Edinburgh which focussed on 'Sustainable Intensification' in farming.
In this webinar, experts shared tools and research relevant to fashion companies seeking to address their environmental impacts.
Learn more: https://www.wri.org/events/2019/07/accelerated-ambition-wri-resources-apparel-companies
Presented by IWMI's Miriam Otoo at a stakeholder workshop on 'Opportunities for sustainable municipal solid waste management services in Batticaloa District, in Sri Lanka, on September 23, 2016.
Dr. William Payne delivered a presentation on the highlights of the CRO on Dryland Systems at the Launch meeting in Amman in mid-May.
The Dry Areas of the world represent fragile ecosystems, which is to say areas with physical water scarcity, rapid natural resource degradation, groundwater depletion and drought. The prominent features of these, “dryland systems” are that they cover 41% of the earths surface, are home to 2.5 billion people – and the majority of the world’s poor, they have a youth skewed age distribution and 93% of the malnourished people in the world live in them. Consequently, the Dryland Systems CRP will target the poor and highly vulnerable populations of dry areas in developing countries and the agricultural systems on which they depend.
System level outcomes to be addressed by the CG system through CRP1.1 include reduced rural poverty, improved food security, better nutrition and health and the sustainable management of natural resources. Specific outputs have been set for each of the strategic research themes.
Target area selection criteria for SRT2 and SRT3 were chosen during the inception phase. They include the length of the growing period, distribution of poverty, malnutrition, aridity index, environmental risk, land degradation, market access and population density. The CRP will operate at multiple scales and in multiple disciplines from the microbial level to the watershed with 5 crosscutting themes; youth, gender, biodiversity, nutrition and capacity building.
Partnership is a crucial part of he conceptual framework, it is critical to outscaling and impact, it sets research priorities and action sites and partners are an explicit part of overall governance.
Integrating Environmental and Social Safeguards in Subnational REDD+ Planning...CIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation was delivered at the third Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2016, in Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines.
The five sub-thematic streams at APFW 2016 included:
Pathways to prosperity: Future trade and markets
Tackling climate change: challenges and opportunities
Serving society: forestry and people
New institutions, new governance
Our green future: green investment and growing our natural assets
Day 1 Session 2 TRIPS WASDS Presentation by Bill Payne - This presentation gives an overview of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Agricultural Systems, setting out the conceptual research framework, CGIAR Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs), and cross-cutting themes
Delivered at Cornell University by Dr. Louise Buck, on April 25th, 2018 as part of the International Programs-CALS Seminar Series: Perspectives in International Agriculture, Nutrition and Development.
These guidelines have been prepared for local councils seeking to achieve best practice in roadside environmental management through the use of Roadside Vegetation Management Plans (RVMPs). However, the guidelines will also be of relevance to managers of other linear reserves which, by nature of their shape and issues, have similar management requirements.
This guide outlines the fourth stage in developing a RVMP - planning.
Payment for Ecosystem Services Pilot Implementation in Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biospher...CIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation was given on the “Regional workshop on Payment for Environmental Services” on November 19 2014 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The overall aim of the workshop was to enhance the understanding and capacity of policy makers, PES practioners, and researcher communities on the topic of payments for ecosystem services and ecosystem-based approaches and also to increase dialogue between them on latest lessons learned and recommendations for effective, efficient and equitable implementation of PES.
From 27-29 October 2014, WLE, in cooperation with the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRI) and the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry (FTA), held a workshop on Institutions for Ecosystems Services in Washington DC.
The goals of the workshop were to:
-Encourage sharing and discussion on research methods and tools to study the links between institutions and ecosystem services
-Synthesize lessons about institutional arrangements needed to ensure that ecosystem services projects are able to deliver benefits to local resource users and produce local, regional, and national global environmental benefits
-Identify policies and program interventions that can strengthen these institutions
-Outline priorities for future research, policy, and project implementation, particularly of relevance for PIM, WLE, and FTA programs
National coordination of consistent NRM data and information to inform land u...Richard Thackway
Land use and planning utilizes varied natural resource datasets obtained from diverse sources; national, state, regional, local and site levels. The Australia Government plays a major role in coordinating the collection, compilation, analysis and publication of nationally consistent environmental datasets. These national compilations have proven critical to supporting informed land use decision making at national, state and regional levels. This Australia Government role, acknowledges that the state and territory governments under the Australian constitution are responsible for day-to-day land use and land management. Coordinating the efficient national collection, compilation and supply of agreed data for different purposes involves developing agreed environmental guidelines and standards as well as legal instruments. The Australian Government and its agencies also perform a major role as a broker in the establishment, development and maintenance of mutual benefit partnerships between collaborating land management and research institutions. Good examples of efficient and effective coordinating arrangements are usually supported through publicly funded NRM programs which enable the data owner /supplier to add value to existing data infrastructure programs to meet an agreed national data standard.
Details practices to improve crop productivity and soil carbon storage and the associated socio-economic barriers and opportunities. Delivered at the SRUC 2013 Conference #SRUCSustain in Edinburgh which focussed on 'Sustainable Intensification' in farming.
In this webinar, experts shared tools and research relevant to fashion companies seeking to address their environmental impacts.
Learn more: https://www.wri.org/events/2019/07/accelerated-ambition-wri-resources-apparel-companies
Presented by IWMI's Miriam Otoo at a stakeholder workshop on 'Opportunities for sustainable municipal solid waste management services in Batticaloa District, in Sri Lanka, on September 23, 2016.
Dr. William Payne delivered a presentation on the highlights of the CRO on Dryland Systems at the Launch meeting in Amman in mid-May.
The Dry Areas of the world represent fragile ecosystems, which is to say areas with physical water scarcity, rapid natural resource degradation, groundwater depletion and drought. The prominent features of these, “dryland systems” are that they cover 41% of the earths surface, are home to 2.5 billion people – and the majority of the world’s poor, they have a youth skewed age distribution and 93% of the malnourished people in the world live in them. Consequently, the Dryland Systems CRP will target the poor and highly vulnerable populations of dry areas in developing countries and the agricultural systems on which they depend.
System level outcomes to be addressed by the CG system through CRP1.1 include reduced rural poverty, improved food security, better nutrition and health and the sustainable management of natural resources. Specific outputs have been set for each of the strategic research themes.
Target area selection criteria for SRT2 and SRT3 were chosen during the inception phase. They include the length of the growing period, distribution of poverty, malnutrition, aridity index, environmental risk, land degradation, market access and population density. The CRP will operate at multiple scales and in multiple disciplines from the microbial level to the watershed with 5 crosscutting themes; youth, gender, biodiversity, nutrition and capacity building.
Partnership is a crucial part of he conceptual framework, it is critical to outscaling and impact, it sets research priorities and action sites and partners are an explicit part of overall governance.
Integrating Environmental and Social Safeguards in Subnational REDD+ Planning...CIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation was delivered at the third Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2016, in Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines.
The five sub-thematic streams at APFW 2016 included:
Pathways to prosperity: Future trade and markets
Tackling climate change: challenges and opportunities
Serving society: forestry and people
New institutions, new governance
Our green future: green investment and growing our natural assets
Day 1 Session 2 TRIPS WASDS Presentation by Bill Payne - This presentation gives an overview of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Agricultural Systems, setting out the conceptual research framework, CGIAR Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs), and cross-cutting themes
Delivered at Cornell University by Dr. Louise Buck, on April 25th, 2018 as part of the International Programs-CALS Seminar Series: Perspectives in International Agriculture, Nutrition and Development.
These guidelines have been prepared for local councils seeking to achieve best practice in roadside environmental management through the use of Roadside Vegetation Management Plans (RVMPs). However, the guidelines will also be of relevance to managers of other linear reserves which, by nature of their shape and issues, have similar management requirements.
This guide outlines the fourth stage in developing a RVMP - planning.
Payment for Ecosystem Services Pilot Implementation in Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biospher...CIFOR-ICRAF
This presentation was given on the “Regional workshop on Payment for Environmental Services” on November 19 2014 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The overall aim of the workshop was to enhance the understanding and capacity of policy makers, PES practioners, and researcher communities on the topic of payments for ecosystem services and ecosystem-based approaches and also to increase dialogue between them on latest lessons learned and recommendations for effective, efficient and equitable implementation of PES.
From 27-29 October 2014, WLE, in cooperation with the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRI) and the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry (FTA), held a workshop on Institutions for Ecosystems Services in Washington DC.
The goals of the workshop were to:
-Encourage sharing and discussion on research methods and tools to study the links between institutions and ecosystem services
-Synthesize lessons about institutional arrangements needed to ensure that ecosystem services projects are able to deliver benefits to local resource users and produce local, regional, and national global environmental benefits
-Identify policies and program interventions that can strengthen these institutions
-Outline priorities for future research, policy, and project implementation, particularly of relevance for PIM, WLE, and FTA programs
National coordination of consistent NRM data and information to inform land u...Richard Thackway
Land use and planning utilizes varied natural resource datasets obtained from diverse sources; national, state, regional, local and site levels. The Australia Government plays a major role in coordinating the collection, compilation, analysis and publication of nationally consistent environmental datasets. These national compilations have proven critical to supporting informed land use decision making at national, state and regional levels. This Australia Government role, acknowledges that the state and territory governments under the Australian constitution are responsible for day-to-day land use and land management. Coordinating the efficient national collection, compilation and supply of agreed data for different purposes involves developing agreed environmental guidelines and standards as well as legal instruments. The Australian Government and its agencies also perform a major role as a broker in the establishment, development and maintenance of mutual benefit partnerships between collaborating land management and research institutions. Good examples of efficient and effective coordinating arrangements are usually supported through publicly funded NRM programs which enable the data owner /supplier to add value to existing data infrastructure programs to meet an agreed national data standard.
Keynote presention to the 10th International Flatfish Symposium- addressing challenges for scientists when moving into the aren of the ecosystem approach tofisheries management
A presentation given at the WLE Ganges Focal Region writeshop in 2014 on the Ecosystem Services and Resilience Framework (ESR). Put together and presented by Sarah Jones of Bioversity International.
Similar to Addressing System Reliability and Ecological Concerns with Right-of-Way Stewardship Management (20)
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
2. Why Utility ROW Accreditation?
Probably the most effective tool is better communication between the
public and transmission owners, both in terms of the reason for
and timing of ROW work, the methods to be used (and why the
utility has chosen a particular method), and the rights and
responsibilities of the utility and homeowner. Lack of
communication causes landowner frustration over the loss of trees,
which are not always replaced by the utility. Moreover, as I
mentioned earlier, many landowners are unaware of the existence
of a utility ROW agreement for their property.
…FERC Chair – Wellinghoff
- EL&P Interview
3. In a Nut Shell
“The intent of the ROWSC initiative is
to create a validation program that
recognizes excellence in Integrated
Vegetation Management on the
North American Transmission Grid”
…Derek Vannice Chairman ROWSC
4. North American
transmission system in
total, including those
lines that operate at 35
kV and above is
estimated at over
450,000 miles.
How big a land area are we
talking about?
The Electric Power
Research Institute
(EPRI) has estimated
the total land area being
managed as
transmission corridors
encompasses 8.6
million acres.
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
5. The ROWSC Program independently accredits vegetation
management programs for exemplary and sustainable
performance of Integrated Vegetation Management
Value for IVM Practitioners
– Direct and indirect cost savings - using a systems approach to cost effective
vegetation management
– Company recognition as a steward
Value for Agencies
– Fosters confidence that IVM practitioners will meet their objectives
– Improves relations with state & federal agencies & stakeholder groups
– Assures compliance with regulation & reduces need for new regulation
Value for Public
– Positive relations by engaging stakeholders throughout the IVM process
– Stakeholders are notified and better understand impact
– Societal and community impacts are considered in IVM policies
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
6. ROWSC Program
Unique Partnerships – Board of Directors
– Non- Governmental Organizations
– Wildlife Habitat Council, The Nature Conservancy, Pollinator
Partnership
– Academia
– Cornell University, SUNY ESF
– UVM Industry
– T-ROW Asset Owner/Manager, UVM Contractor, Consultants and
Suppliers
– Industry Organization
– EPRI, EEI
– Government/Regulator
– EPA
– Public at Large
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
7. ROWSC Program Endorsements
“The Wildlife Habitat Council is excited
to participate in the ROW Steward
initiative to support the inclusion of
sustainability concepts into land
management on a land-based
system with such potential.”
Josiane Bonneau Director, Field Programs
Wildlife Habitat Council
“The Environmental Protection
Agency supports the industry’s idea
of a credible third party certification
program for utility rights-of-way
based on Integrated Vegetation
Management (IVM) principles and
standards, which provide a means
of reducing the need for pesticides
and greater natural species diversity
along rights of way and better
control of invasive species”
Frank Ellis, Chief of the Environmental
Stewardship Branch
USEPA
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
8. Technical Advisory
**Affiliations:
Committee**
BioCompliance Consulting, Inc.
PacifiCorp.
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Dow AgroSciences
Environmental Consultants, Inc.
Purdue University
NY Power Authority
Duquesne Light
IVM Partners
Audubon International
Bonneville Power Admnistration
ROWSC
Board***
***Affiliations:
ROWSC Board
& Committees
Wildlife Habitat Council
The Nature Conservancy
Pollinator Partnership
Cornell University
Progressive Solutions
CN Utility
DuPont
EPA
EPRI
Pacific Gas & Electric
Exelon
FirstEnergy
SUNY ESF
BioCompliance Consulting, Inc
UAA
Audit Committee*
*Affiliations:
Program Administrator
Dovetail Partners, Inc
SUNY ESF
National Grid USA
Pacific Gas & Electric
Environmental Consultants, Inc.
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
9. ROWSC Principles
ROW Steward Program is defined by 10 principles and
32 criteria
Includes principles and criteria on policy, planning and
procedures for Integrated Vegetation Management
systems
Transmission owners are assessed by a third-party
audit team with expertise in ROWs and IVM
Program formalizes relationship among phases of
management to prevent, monitor and control
vegetation conditions
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
10. ROWSC Principles
Compliance with Law,
Standards &
BMP’s
Adaptive Management
& Monitoring
Site Specific
Implementation
of Treatments
Tenure & Use Rights
&
Responsibilities
Account for
Economic &
Ecological Effects
of Treatments
Understand
Pest &
Eco System Dynamics
Community &
Worker Relations
Set Management Objectives
&
Tolerance Levels
Compile Broad
Array of
Treatment Types
Management
Planning
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
11. ROWSC Principles
Compliance with the Law
– The vegetation management program and maintenance practices
respect all national, state, and local laws and regulations
– Workers are legally documented and eligible to be employed
Tenure Use Rights and Responsibilities
– Clear evidence of easements, deed, licenses
– Appropriate mechanisms in place and employed to resolve
disputes to ensure that proper maintenance activities can occur
– Unauthorized uses of the right-of-way is discouraged
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
12. ROWSC Principles
Community Relations and Worker’s Rights
– Stakeholders are:
– provided annual summary of IVM planned activities
– informed of the environmental and aesthetic effects and their
concerns are considered
– apprised of ROW Stewardship and IVM Benefits
– Communities adjacent to ROW vegetation maintenance activities are
provided with educational opportunities related to IVM
– ROW work offered in ways that create high quality job opportunities
– ROW Program Personnel and Contractor demonstrate commitment
to the ROW Steward program and associated IVM principles and
criteria
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
13. ROWSC Principles
Management Planning
– The ROW Manager has
– an established Vegetation Management Plan (VMP)
– tactical maintenance plans that take into account local considerations
– Plan is periodically revised to incorporate:
– results of monitoring and new scientific and technical information
– to respond to changing environmental, social, and economic
circumstances
– Annual summary of vegetation maintenance made available to the
public
– Workers are trained and well-qualified to ensure proper
implementation of vegetation management plans
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
14. ROWSC Principles
Understanding Pests & Ecosystem Dynamics
– Vegetation Managers are knowledgeable about:
–
–
–
–
the managed ecosystem
basic biology
ecology of plant communities
Other organisms occupying and using ROW system and environment
– Vegetation Managers and IVM Personnel:
– Support research and development activities
– Provided with opportunities to improve skills and knowledge through
education and training
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
15. ROWSC Principles
Setting Management Objectives & Tolerance Levels
– Planning includes & considers social impacts of VM activities
– Tolerance levels are established for incompatible species
– Significant social & community impacts are considered in policies,
demonstrated willingness to adjust policies based on impact
Compilation of Broad Array of Treatment Techniques
– Consider wide variety of methods
– Progressively evaluate treatments & add/change where effective
– Equipment, tools, technology are up to date to ensure
implementation of vegetation management practices
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
16. ROWSC Principles
Accounting for Economic & Ecological Effects of Treatments
– Economically viable, taking into account full environmental, social
and operational costs
– Use of selective methods to promote low growing stable plant
community
Site Specific Implementation of Treatments
– Land management units for different treatments
– Written prescriptions for vegetation management units
– Current surveys used to write prescriptions
Adaptive Management & Monitoring – QA & QC
– Periodic monitoring to assess outcomes
– Results of monitoring are incorporated into refined VMP to meet
objectives
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
17. Value Impact – ROWSC Program
Independently accredited Integrated Vegetation
Management programs that are recognized for exemplary
and sustainable performance across the North American
transmission grid
Direct benefits to the IVM program through adoption of
best practices
Regulatory Benefit – Assures compliance and may head
off new regulation
Active engagement with stakeholders
Customer and public education and outreach
Environmental stewardship
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
18. Next Steps – ROWSC Program
ROW Stewardship Council - 2013
Editor's Notes
There are approximately 160,000 miles of transmission line operating at 230-765 kilovolts (kV), which make up the bulk power grid regulated by FERC
The ROW Environmental Steward Program offers value to all Stakeholders such as:
Value for IVM Practitioners
-Direct and Indirect Cost Savings Using Systems Approach to Cost Effective Vegetation Management
-Company Recognition as an Environmental Steward
Value for Agencies
-Fosters Confidence that IVM Practitioners Will Meet Their Objectives
-Improves Relations With State & Federal Agencies & Stakeholder Groups
-Assures Compliance with Regulation & Reduces Need for New Regulation
Value for Public
-Positive Relations by Engaging Stakeholders throughout the IVM Process
-Stakeholders are Notified and Understand Impact
-Societal and Community Impacts are Considered in IVM Policies
Unique Partnerships – Steering Committee
The ROW Steward Council steering committee is comprised of representatives from all stakeholder interests
Non-Governmental Environmental Organizations, Academia, UVM Industry, Government Regulators and the Public at Larg
ROW Environmental Steward Program
The ROW Steward Council is comprised of several committees including the ROW Steward Council, Audit Committee, Technical Advisory Committee and a Program Administrator.
It has a wide array of diverse professional experts and interests represented to assure the program independently accredits vegetation management programs for exemplary and sustainable performance of Integrated Vegetation Management and that the Council Obtains it’s mission “To benefit society and the environment by promoting sustainable resource management principles and practices on rights-of-way.”
Utilities manage vegetation on over many transmission miles
North American transmission system in total, including those lines that operate at 35 kV and above is estimated at over 450,000 miles.
160,000 miles of transmission line operating at 230-765 kilovolts (kV),
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has estimated the total land area being managed as transmission corridors encompasses 8.6 million acres.
Transmission owners are assessed using principles and criteria by a third-party audit team
A field assessment will be conducted over 5 days
Additional Pre & Post-audit of Policy, Planning and Procedure Documents
4 days of Report Writing
ROW Environmental Steward Principles
Core to the ROW Environmental Stewardship accreditation are the Principles that ROW vegetation management programs must have to be considered exemplary and sustainable in the performance of Integrated Vegetation Management
The principles that demonstrate responsible management are:
Compliance with Law, Standards and Best Management Practices
Community & Worker Relations
Tenure & Use Rights & Responsibilities
Management Planning
At an operational level, IVM can be considered as a system composed of six steps that formalizes the relationships among phases of management to prevent, monitor and control undesirable plants and plant communities.
These are key principles are:
Understanding pest and ecosystem dynamics
Setting management objectives and tolerance levels
Compiling broad array treatment types
Accounting for economic and ecological effects of treatments
Site-specifics implementation of treatments
Adaptive management and monitoring
Compliance with the Law
The vegetation management program and maintenance practices respect all national, state, and local laws and regulations
All workers are legally documented and eligible to be employed
Tenure Use Rights and Responsibilities
The ROW Asset Manager has clear evidence of long-term right of use of the land that are documented – easements, deed, licenses
Appropriate mechanisms in place and employed to resolve disputes over land use rights to ensure that proper maintenance activities can occur
Unauthorized uses of the right-of-way is discouraged
Summary of IVM planned activities is provided annually to general public
Stakeholders affected by proposed IVM operations are informed of the environmental and aesthetic effects and their concerns are considered in management planning and operations
Stakeholders apprised of ROW Stewardship and IVM Benefits
Communities adjacent to ROW vegetation maintenance activities are provided with educational opportunities related to IVM
ROW work offered in ways that create high quality job opportunities
ROW Asset Manager, the Vegetation Manager and the Contractor demonstrate a long-term commitment to adhere to the ROW Steward program and associated IVM principles and criteria
The ROW Asset Manager has an established formal written strategic Vegetation Management Plan (VMP), with supporting documentation, in place that guides IVM program decisions
The ROW Asset Manager has in place tactical project maintenance plans that are developed annually that take into account local considerations
Strategic and tactical management plans are periodically revised to incorporate the results of monitoring of new scientific and technical information, as well as to respond to changing environmental, social, and economic circumstances
A summary of vegetation maintenance activities is produced annually and made available to the general public
IVM workers are competent to ensure proper implementation of vegetation management plans
Vegetation Managers are knowledgeable about the managed ecosystem, respective to the basic biology and ecology of plant communities and other organisms occupying and using the ROW system, and the environment in which they occur
Supports research and development activities to provide additional insights, and for enhancing understanding and knowledge of the ecology of the managed ROW ecosystem
Provides Vegetation Managers and IVM workers opportunities to improve skills and knowledge through education and training
Setting Management Objectives & Tolerance Levels
Planning includes & considers Societal impacts of VM activities
Tolerance levels are established for incompatible species
Significant Societal & Community impacts are considered in policies, demonstrated willingness to adjust policies based on impact
Compilation of Broad Array of Treatment Techniques
Consider wide variety of methods
Progressively evaluate treatments & add where effective to establish low stable plant community
Equipment, tools, technology are up to date to ensure implementation of vegetation management practices
Accounting for Economic & Ecological Effects of Treatments
Economically viable taking into account full environmental, social and operational costs
Use of selective methods to promote low growing stable plant community
Site Specific Implementation of Treatments
Land management units for different treatments
Written prescriptions for vegetation management units
Current surveys used to write prescriptions
Adaptive Management & Monitoring – QA & QC
Periodic monitoring to assess outcomes
Results of monitoring are incorporated into refined VMP to meet objectives
The value impacts of the ROW Environmental Steward Program are:
Independently accredited Integrated Vegetation Management Programs that are recognized for exemplary and sustainable performance across the North American transmission grid
Direct benefits to the IVM program through adoption of best practices
Regulatory Benefit – Assures compliance and may head off new regulation
Active engagement with stakeholders
Customer and public education and outreach
Environmental stewardship
The value impacts of the ROW Environmental Steward Program are:
Independently accredited Integrated Vegetation Management Programs that are recognized for exemplary and sustainable performance across the North American transmission grid
Direct benefits to the IVM program through adoption of best practices
Regulatory Benefit – Assures compliance and may head off new regulation
Active engagement with stakeholders
Customer and public education and outreach
Environmental stewardship