This research will explore the factors influencing the nature of the participation (whether or not they participated and how they participated) of local governmental officials in environmental policy making initiatives sponsored by the EPA. Participation by local governmental officials is not give the same attention in the literature as that of citizens, publics, technical experts, or stakeholders. And yet local governments are often a keystone to successfully implementing and enforcing environmental policies. The project will examine three applications from the National Estuary Program: New Hampshire Estuaries, Casco Bay in Maine and Massachusetts Bays. Maine and Massachusetts cases were selected because they achieved very different levels of participation of local governmental officials and they used similar yet not identical procedural structures. New Hampshire was selected because it is in a much earlier phase of operation, yet it draws upon the lessons learned in the Maine and Massachusetts cases. Factors influencing the decision of local governmental officials to participate in national and regional policy making and implementation efforts will be examined through a direct interview protocol and responses to hypothetical policy scenarios. Once it is better understood how local government officials interpret the messages they receive from decision making bodies, it will be possible to generate prescriptive advice for how to approach and involve this body of people in policy making and implementation efforts.
