Sacred Sites
Situation
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack directed the Forest Service (USFS) to work with the Department of Agriculture's Office of Tribal Relations (USDA OTR) to review existing laws, regulations and policies, and examine their effectiveness in protecting American Indian and Alaska Native sacred sites located on National Forest System lands. Secretary Vilsack asked the Forest Service to consult with Tribal leaders to determine how the Agency can do a better job addressing sacred site issues while simultaneously balancing pursuit of the Agency's mission to deliver forest goods and services for current and future generations. The Forest Service and USDA OTR have to produce a final report and recommendations for sacred site policy changes to the Secretary by early 2012.
Process
The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR) selected Triangle Associates to serve as the national facilitator/coordinator for this effort. Triangle provides neutral process design and strategic advice; coordination and facilitation of national tribal listening sessions, national weekly calls with all USFS regions, weekly USDA/USFS Core Staff Team calls, and regular Executive Team communications; and analysis and summarization of tribal consultation and public comment.
Status
To date, Triangle has facilitated the development of a draft report to the Secretary, which tribes across the country have been reviewing and providing feedback on. The Core Staff Team is currently working to revise the report based on feedback, and the final report of recommendations will be delivered to the Secretary in February or March 2012.
Triangle has a proven track record of successfully facilitating complex and politically charged public policy
issues. 
The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR) selected Triangle Associates to serve as national facilitator/coordinator to assist in the review of existing policies and their effectiveness in protecting American Indian and Alaska Native sacred sites. 
The EPA hired Triangle Associates to conduct a situation assessment with interested parties (states, industry, public utilities, environmental laboratories, and the environmental community) to determine if a collaborative process could be productive.
Triangle was hired by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to facilitate a pilot process including the EPA, the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of southeast Idaho to build a working relationship for water quality standards development...
Triangle was selected to provide public meeting planning, facilitation and mediation of the Lake Ozette Steering Committee to assist this diverse group in the development of a recovery plan for endangered Lake Ozette sockeye salmon.
Triangle was hired by the City of Kirkland to facilitate a workshop and develop an online toolkit for homeowners who live alongside Juanita Creek. The Juanita Creek Watershed is highly urbanized and as a result is degraded. Triangle also involved students at Juanita Elementary who presented what they learned about the do's and don'ts of streamside living at the workshop.