ICF Environment Public Outreach

Public Outreach

ICF International provides public outreach, comment, communication, and stakeholder engagement strategies to increase transparency and ensure regulatory compliance for projects that impact the environment.

 

 

Public outreach and comment are essential in environmental regulatory compliance. ICF public outreach experts understand that public expectations go beyond simply fulfilling the basic regulations of the environmental documentation process. In some cases, we may come in before the environmental review process has even begun in order to lay the communications groundwork for a project—identifying issues, establishing messages, and creating a presence in the community.

ICF actively engages stakeholders in the overall environmental communication planning process and works one-on-one with clients to understand their unique goals. Together we develop a short- and long-term public outreach strategy that incorporates the most appropriate tactics. 

As we work with a community, ICF can easily tap into our extensive array of integrated communications and outreach services, bringing in topic-specific experts where needed for:

  • Strategic communication planning
  • Public involvement and community outreach
  • Website and collateral material design
  • Social marketing
  • Media relations
  • Facilitation
  • Event planning
 

Featured Resources

  • Strategic communication planning—ICF works closely with clients to assess the situation, reach mutually agreed upon objectives, develop a comprehensive communication plan, and provide ongoing strategic counsel to ensure the proactive management of communication issues, and to handle changed conditions in a manner that is timely and effective, yet true to the spirit of the original public outreach plan.
  • Award-winning publications, collateral, and informational materials—ICF identifies the most effective types of informational materials, depending on the audience and the circumstance; selects the most appropriate means for distribution, including developing websites and social media venues; and maintains a sensitivity to audience requirements.
  • Facilitation, mediation, and dispute resolution—ICF understands the nuances of the collaborative process, and we are careful to establish unbiased decision-making processes and provide objective facilitation to maintain momentum and participant commitment, including formulating ground rules and establishing committees and subcommittees.
  • Community assessment and situation analysis—ICF works with clients to develop a profile of stakeholder communities and conducts thorough interviews with key members, a media audit, focus groups, and telephone opinion surveys.
  • Multicultural outreach—ICF develops communication programs and materials that are both culturally and linguistically relevant to these audiences and works with representative organizations to develop the best communication vehicles and messages.
  • Media relations—ICF has established an excellent reputation and strong contacts with print, radio, television, and specialty news outlets throughout the U.S and spends time educating reporters and editors on the issues to obtain fair, accurate, and comprehensive coverage of our client’s projects, as well as supportive editorial endorsements.
  • Crisis management and risk communication planning—ICF develops contingency plans to anticipate potential problems and prepare in advance for pro-active communication with the news media and community at large in the event of a crisis, in order to react swiftly and effectively when necessary.
  • California Department of Fish and Game
  • California Department of Water Resources
  • California Energy Commission
  • California Resources Agency
  • Dublin San Ramon Services District
  • East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD)
  • Eglin Air Force Base
  • Ione Band of Miwok Indians
  • Joint Powers Authorities:
    • DERWA
    • Freeport Regional Water Authority
  • Local Municipalities
  • Pacific Gas and Electric
  • Sacramento and Folsom Departments of Transportation
  • Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency
  • San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
  • State and Local Departments of Transportation
  • Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
  • Terra-Gen Power, LLC
  • U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
    • Army Corps of Engineers
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
  • U.S. National Park Service (NPS)
  • Project

    Sacramento River Bank Protection Project (SRBPP)

    ICF developed and is implementing the associated public outreach activities as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for SRBPP.

  • Project

    School Facilities Planning and Siting Summit

    ICF coordinated, designed, and facilitated a day-long summit that brought together more than 80 participants from a variety of backgrounds including state agencies, school districts, local and regional governments, elected officials, consultants, and building industry and construction associations.

  • Project

    Freeport Regional Water Project EIR/EIS

    ICF prepared all the environmental permits and conducted a comprehensive public outreach program for this large water delivery project (river intake, pipelines, and water treatment plant) to take delivery of water from the American River.

  • Project

    Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lower Colorado River Shortage Criteria

    ICF assisted Reclamation in preparing an EIS for proposed Lower Colorado River Shortage Guidelines and coordinated reservoir management strategies to address operations of Lakes Powell and Mead, particularly under low reservoir conditions.

  • Project

    SR 302 Corridor Study - Elgin Clifton Road to SR 16 Public Involvement

    ICF helped complete a pre-environmental study for improvement of SR 302, between SR 3 and SR 16, an important east-west link between Key Peninsula communities and Gig Harbor, Tacoma, and other parts of Washington.

  • Project

    Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project

    ICF provides Terra-Gen with strategic communication guidance for the Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project in the Mojave Desert region of California, which consists of up to 320 turbines and is capable of generating up to 800 MW of clean energy.

  • Project

    Legacy Parkway Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)

    ICF designed and oversaw implementation of a public outreach and participation plan to comply with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and ICF’s development of the project’s SEIS. ICF facilitated partnering sessions and coordinated with UDOT public information staff on media strategies.

  • Project

    Statewide Stakeholder Outreach Program for SAFETEA-LU

    ICF implemented a statewide information program to support Caltrans' efforts in preparing its application to participate in the pilot program Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

  • Project

    Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan

    ICF is working with the County of Santa Clara; the Cities of San Jose, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill; the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; and the Santa Clara Valley Water District to prepare the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan.

  • Project

    Comprehensive Plan 10-Year Update EIS Public Involvement

    ICF assisted Snohomish County with public involvement and outreach services for the Snohomish County Comprehensive Plan 10-Year Update Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

  • Project

    Bay Delta Conservation Plan Outreach Program

    ICF provides public outreach and facilitation support for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, an ambitious and controversial effort to help recover at-risk species and their habitats in the delta in a way that also will provide for sufficient and reliable water supplies for 25 million Californians.

Contact Info

Email:
info [at] icfi [dot] com

Phone:
+1.703.934.3603 or +1.800.532.4783

Address:
9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031-1207 USA

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