Public meetings, tours and training
In March and April of 2000, PSE launched the licensing process with four public information meetings in Mount Vernon and Concrete – not far from the site of the electric and gas utility's two dams and powerhouses on the Baker River in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Participants received information about the project as it exists today – including generation capabilities, recreational opportunities, fish and other habitat enhancement measures and flood control provisions. In addition, PSE discussed the benefits of using FERC's Alternative Licensing Procedures to facilitate a collaborative relicensing process, and began soliciting stakeholders' interests and concerns. In July, there was a fifth public meeting. In total, more than 160 organizations were initially notified of the opportunity for involvement. And from this initial relicensing launch, PSE's stakeholder list grew to more than 500 individuals by 2004, while more than 400 meetings occurred.
In addition, nearly 100 members of the public visited the Baker Project on a special tour day in July, and shortly after more than 60 individuals attended one of several two-day training workshop emphasizing a process called RESOLVE. RESOLVE was to become a critical element of conflict-resolution and consensus-building, as these training participants went on to commit countless hours to the project over the next four years. In addition, a professional facilitator organized and ran nearly all working group and Solution Team meetings, which allowed the PSE team leaders to actively participate rather than focus on conducting meetings.
PSE hosted more Baker Project tours in 2002. Two VIP site visits targeted public officials, and a public tour was conducted as part of two public scoping meetings held in May. PSE and FERC held the scoping meetings to solicit verbal comments and viewpoints about potential project impacts. In conjunction with the meetings, PSE and FERC jointly prepared a draft Scoping Document 1, which identified environmental issues associated with the Baker River Project including water quality and impacts to fish and wildlife. At the meetings, about 25 individuals and organizations offered spoken or written comment on the Scoping Document and the Initial Consultation Document, to which FERC later responded with a Scoping Document 2. The second scoping document, issued in May 2003, served as the basis for the project's Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment.