Lucy Blake
"A Regional Business Approach to Sustainability"
Thursday, May 17, 2001, 12:30 PM
Lucy Blake is the president of the Sierra Business Council (SBC). She melds her experience in politics and environmental protection to develop novel approaches to conservation in the Sierra Nevada region. The SBC is recognized nationally as an example of how communities can integrate social, economic, and environmental concerns in mutually supportive ways. Blake has sought to break down the polarization between economic growth and environmental stewardship by demonstrating the interests of local businesses in ecological protection. She has convinced hundreds of business owners in the Sierra Nevada region to act in concert to protect the region’s environmental resources.
Drawing from eight years of experience as the director of the California League of Conservation Voters, Blake founded the SBC in 1994. The organization is based on the principle that business and environmental interests are more often in concert than in conflict, particularly in geographic areas where economic sustainability depends on environmental quality. Under Blake’s guidance, the SBC published the Sierra Nevada Wealth Index; it describes the interdependence of social, economic, and environmental health in the community’s well-being. Planning for Prosperity, a set of principles for land use planning in rural communities was also published by the SBC, and received the Daniel Burnham Award from the American Planning Association. Blake’s organizational strategy has been to encourage local business owners to identify their development needs and take the lead in implementing outcomes.
Blake is the president of the Sierra Business Council. She received a B.A. (1981) in history from Brown University. She served as the executive director of the California League of Conservation Voters (1984-1992). She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Natural Resources Defense Council (1988-1992) and the Mary A. Crocker Trust (1984-present).
LECTURE SUMMARY
Lucy began by saying that she was sharing her story with some trepidation and in a spirit of collegial exchange in light of Oregon's track record of integrating environmental and economic issues.
Lucy formed the Sierra Business Council in response to the conflicts she saw in the region, as population tripled from the 1970s to the 1990s, and as residents struggled to come to terms with governance and control of development. She wanted to know what people were doing about development pressures - population, tourism, new businesses, natural resource use - at local, state and federal levels.
She decided that one had to look at the whole community development equation - economy, environment, and community. And she saw that one sector would clearly have the most credibility in taking a holistic view: business. But were there any businesses who were interested in these questions, and if so, how many? It turned out there were plenty. After three months of interviews and 5000 miles on her odometer, 75 of 88 businesses she spoke with reacted positively to the concept of a business council focusing on the big picture.
With a core group of twelve businesses, the Sierra Business Council was born, with the mission of securing "the economic and environmental health of the Sierra Nevada region for this and future generations." After eighteen months and four hundred twelve-hour days, the council had grown to "only 300" businesses, not enough for Lucy. She was assured this was remarkable.
About this time SBC conducted a poll of regional businesses asking them which of these two statements they agreed with:
a. All the attention to the environment is hurting the economy; having a healthy economy should come first.
b. We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment.
Ten percent of businesses agreed with the first statement and 90% with the second.
The Sierra Business Council set about with a few thoughtful programs to take stock of the region's capital through the Sierra Nevada Wealth Index, to develop community-based principles for development (resulting in "Planning for Prosperity"), and to increase the capacity of local people to cope with development challenges through the Sierra Leadership Seminar.
SBC also developed partnerships with the local community in Inyo County, Placer County and June Lake, learning to bend its timing to that of local communities, rather than forcing its own schedule onto its partners. And learning that leadership and citizens may be out of synch, and that in many communities, "conservation" tendencies actually can push development in a conservation direction, as in June Lake.
Most Sierra counties, like it or not, are moving away from resource extraction, agriculture, or one-dimensional tourism, and toward a diverse mix of businesses. But most Sierra counties still lag the state in economic indicators. This is an overriding concern as most local leaders don't want more people and don't want a lot more development. So what do you do?
SBC's answer is the forthcoming "Investing for Prosperity" which details twelve investment objectives, each backed up by case studies from all over the country. The report helps rural communities to avoid approving development that is not in their long-term interest, and to invest public capital to enhance community wealth in the long run. One metaphor Lucy used was the "economic garden" in which rural communities are usually better off growing their economies from within, rather than recruiting their way out of a problem with a quick fix.
Lucy wrapped up with seven reflections on her seven years with SBC.
1) The message matters. Look for unexpected allies, and not always the predictable messenger delivering the predictable message.
2) Language matters. Stay away from jargon and buzzwords. Speak in plain English.
3) Using "boxes," stereotypes, and labels - shorthand for our own ignorance and fears - gets in the way.
4) Building trust is a long-term investment.
5) Partnerships and collaborative efforts are remarkably difficult and effective (again Lucy was talking about alliances with "unexpected partners" not just with those who already think like you do.)
6) Address real human needs and the rest will come easier. For SBC, this meant their efforts had to make sense from an economic perspective.
7) Look for the best in people, have fun, cultivate hope - cynicism and despair are our great enemies.
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