Bureau of Reclamation Planning: Environmental Factors

The Bureau of Reclamation is a Federal agency responsible for planning and implementing multipurpose water resources development in the 17 western states. The results are reported of a research project that focused on the indentification of the practices and procedures through which planners have been the most effective in increasing the consideration given to environmental concerns. Past research was used to form testable hypotheses that relate the influence of environmental information on the outcomes of bureau planning investigations. Data for hypothesis testing was gathered through in-depth interviews with Bureau planning leaders and environmental specialists on 29 recent planning investigations. Results indicate statistically significant correlations between the influence of environmental information on planning outcomes.