Success Stories
Below are a few short examples of the work that CWA has done in bringing stakeholders together to take potentially divisive, confrontational situations and find creative solutions that are acceptable to all of the parties. While the CWA partners live in Dane County, Wisconsin, both have worked all across the US, so the success stories below come from near and far.
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Highway construction - social needs, local impacts
Highways are always controversial; we, as a society need them, but the impacts are not evenly spread across society, rather individual landowners and specific communities are impacted. In the recent and on-going expansion of Highway 51 north, as the construction project unfolded, it was clear that what looked good on the professional drawings was not always going to be optimal for individuals and communities. CWA has worked closely with the local village, the local sheriff's department, the Department of Transportation and impacted property owners and business operators, to modify details of the project to improve public safety, and to minimize and mitigate direct impacts to residents, businesses and communities. This work is on-going as the highway upgrade is a multi-year process.
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Natural gas infrastructure development – energy needs, environmental impacts
A major natural gas transmission company proposed to build a new 155 mile long, 24 inch diameter, high pressure natural gas line. The original routing, essentially a straight line, went through hundreds of properties including one US Department of the Interior National Natural Landmark, the Zurich Bog. Initially the conservators of the bog were adamantly opposed to the pipeline being installed through this nationally recognized ecosystem. However, CWA worked with the conservators for months examining the bog, considering alternative routing, and exploring potential construction and post-construction mitigation. Ultimately an agreement was struck such that the pipeline company took special precautions during construction, agreed to fund multi-year graduate level post-construction research on the disrupted portion of the bog, and agreed to improve the bog’s interpretive facilities.
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Siting new facilities – diversifying tax bases and creating jobs while retaining local values
CWA has represented both communities and private sector developers in siting new facilities. Many communities are looking for controlled growth that is compatible with their goals and lifestyles, while developers are looking for welcoming communities; despite the apparent good fit, there are often conflicts. CWA has crafted site mediation plans, long term tax stabilization agreements, community benefit packages, right-of-way contracts, conservation easements, and local partnership between companies and local colleges.
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