Planning, Public Policy and Management Capstone and Terminal Projects

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https://hdl.handle.net/1794/17

This collection includes theses and terminal projects written by graduate students in the University of Oregon's Dept. of Planning, Public Policy & Management and predecessor programs.

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Open Access
Public Transportation and Social Sustainability: Investigating the Use of Indicators to Evaluate Social Sustainability in Public Transportation Systems
(Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management, University of Oregon, 2022) Irsfeld, Brendan J.
For the last 30 years, countries across the world have grappled with how to advance people’s quality of life given increasing risks to daily life posed by a changing climate. Among our understanding of the drivers of climate change, the transportation sector in particular exists as a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions and must be reformed to achieve a sustainable society. In recent years, a renewed interest in promoting sustainable transportation has driven sizeable government expenditures, notably as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in the United States. Recognizing the urgency with which large sums of public funds are allocated toward transforming the U.S. transportation system, it is important to possess a means of evaluating if such investments produce the desired outcomes. This project examines one component of sustainability evaluation in the context of public transportation systems. Public transportation is an essential service for millions of individuals on a daily basis to access employment, education, healthcare, basic amenities, and social interactions. However, in striving to make transportation systems sustainable, policymakers and researchers alike often focus their attention on the environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. The social aspect of sustainability and how to evaluate it is much less researched. I examine the literature published about social sustainability and the proposed approaches to assessing it in public transportation systems. Using a mixed-methods approach, I employ a science mapping analysis to build a visualization of different indicators meant to measure characteristics of social sustainability within public transportation. From this map, I perform a content analysis to distinguish indicators that are clear in their prescribed measurement and analyze the structure of how indicators relate to themes. This analysis assesses how useful current evaluation methods for identifying social sustainability in systems are for today’s transit providers and researchers. Based on the analysis, I find that social sustainability is especially complex, compromised of over a dozen themes that each possess a number of associated indicators. Although some indicators prescribe a clear measurement, many others lack specificity in what the indicator measures or how to carry out that measurement and can vary in meaning based on the geographic scale selected for assessment. Furthermore, existing models evaluating social sustainability in transportation often fail to assess aspects of the transportation system that most affect vulnerable populations, including people living with disabilities. From these findings, I argue that a comprehensive review of existing indicators to provide clear measurements and develop new indicators to account for gaps in assessment of social sustainability is needed to give policymakers and researchers a functional tool for ensuring that sustainability plans address each of the major pillars: environmental, economic, and social. Ensuring balance between these priorities will ensure large investments to reform public transportation systems do not achieve sustainability through environmental and economic objectives at the expense of social outcomes.
Open Access
Wetland conservation easements and planning: old problems, new solutions? : a case study in Veneta, Oregon
(Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management, University of Oregon, 1998) Rosskam, Carol Susan
This case study evaluates whether a Wetland Conservation Easement is the best tool to assure wetland protection in Veneta, Oregon. To research the issues, an extensive literature review was conducted, and ten personal interviews were completed with a variety of people who work with, or are interested in wetlands. In addition, one interview was completed with an electronic mail response. Based on the findings of this study, Wetland Conservation Easements should be implemented in the Veneta area as they would facilitate wetland protection there and provide numerous benefits to the stakeholders that are involved.
Open Access
THE LTD CONNECTOR: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mobility-On-Demand in Cottage Grove, Oregon
(Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management, University of Oregon, 2022) Card, Jeramy
This report analyzes and evaluates Lane Transit District’s (LTD) microtransit pilot program the LTD Connector in Cottage Grove, Oregon. It seeks to determine how effective the service is, the impacts it has on the community, and LTD’s existing fix route transit service. Overall performance measures are evaluated against existing projects and traditional demand responsive transportation measures.
Open Access
The Formation of Regional Climate Collaboratives in the US
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Thomas, Curtis; Margerum
Climate change is disrupting urban regions throughout the United States and has resulted in the loss of life and property. The immediate and long-term threats have compelled local governments to act, especially given the lack of state and federal support in the United States. Local jurisdictions, private entities, non-profits, and academic institutions have formed regional collaboratives to take on efforts of adaption and mitigation. Regional coordination is difficult because of diverse stakeholders that have different levels of power and frame their issues in different forms. Even though there are complexities, collaborations have formed voluntarily within several regions in the US. The specific purpose of this research is to understand and describe how regional climate collaboratives convened, and what motivated the key players to join the effort, as well as how they side stepped early barriers. This research included a deeper dive of eight case studies in the United States in order understand the regional context and origin story, as well as the structural components in order to find cross-collaborative themes. Three case studies were in Florida, four in California, and one was in the Kansas City metropolitan area. While the collaboratives and individually complex, this research revealed best practices that can be iterated by future regional efforts. First, potential organizations or members should be identified, then invited to create the network in order to see what cards are in your hand. Then, the members have to frame the issue to present common ground. Finally, as the collaborative is formalizing, the leaders should pick an administrator and funding strategy that reflect the goals of the collaborative. In the US, regional climate collaboratives are the most optimistic chance to empower local jurisdictions and bring about the projects and policies to protect against the risk from climate change.
Open Access
Location Affordability: Practices, Challenges, and Patterns in Oregon Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Theofield, RJ; Lewis
A growing body of research suggests that using measures of location affordability rather than traditional housing-based measures improves our understanding of the cost-related challenges households face. Prompted by this advancement and new federal requirements for performance-based planning and programming, several of the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have begun incorporating location affordability into their long-range transportation plans (LRTPs) to better guide policy and evaluate outcomes. My research explores the role that location affordability can serve in the long-range planning practices of Oregon MPOs and offers policy recommendations. It focuses on the state of Oregon’s ten MPOs, who serve populations ranging from 57,000 to 1.5 million, and their long-range transportation plans (LRTPs). To conduct this research, I used a mixed-method approach, relying primarily on a content analysis of LRTPs and spatial analysis of housing-transportation costs as a percent of household income in MPOs. This study demonstrates the extent of the location affordability challenge facing various household types, analyzes its spatial patterns to explore neighborhood disparities, and evaluates how Oregon MPOs have incorporated location affordability and associated concepts into LRTPs. Results suggest that location affordability is largely absent from Oregon MPO LRTPs, and that future plan updates should include guidance statements and performance measures focused on improving location affordability for moderate-income and median-income households and be targeted at specific neighborhoods within the region.
Open Access
Industrial Zoning and Employment Density: A Missed Connection?
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Rohan, Catherine; Parker
This study explores the density and composition of employment within industrial zones in a sample of Oregon cities. Employment densities are particularly important in Oregon because they are used in the calculation of land needs, ultimately influencing urban growth boundary expansions. This study uses the mapping and analysis software ArcGIS to explore employment density; combining tax lot, zoning, and geo-located Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data. This study finds that median employment densities are relatively consistent across cities of different sizes, despite differences in employment sector composition. This study also quantifies employment density by employment sectors, again finding that median employment densities are relatively consistent, with a few exceptions. When employment is categorized as either industrial or commercial, this study finds that considerable commercial employment exists on industrial lands. Lastly, this study reviews economic opportunities analyses for the five study cities, noting the variety of methods jurisdictions use to calculate employment densities, and ultimately land needs. Based on these findings, this study concludes that Oregon industrial planning land use laws are working as intended and that jurisdictions do take advantage of the multiple methodologies allowed to them for conducting land needs assessments. Furthermore, cities should be cognizant of how non-industrial uses on industrial lands may influence land needs assessments as well as the undue influence singular, large employers may have on sector composition and overall employment density. Lastly, cities may want to reconsider the methodology they use in estimating land needs as continued mixing of uses in industrial zones may make accurate estimations more difficult.
Open Access
Building More Inclusive Boards & Committees: Immigrant Participation in Government Decision-making
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Rausch, Leah; Melendez
Local government agencies engage the public in decision-making to increase their understanding of local issues, make better decisions, and build trust along the way. One common tactic for sustained engagement are “citizen” advisory boards and committees. This research is a part of a broader effort, led by Professor José W. Meléndez, to inventory a cross-section of these boards and committees in Oregon to better understand the current state of representation. The research team documented the incorporation of immigrants in local and state government boards and interviewed nearly 50 first- and second-generation immigrants. The research addresses three questions: 1) What are the different levels of board decision-making available across the state? 2) What is the state of immigrant representation within these roles? And 3) What barriers do immigrants face in accessing decision-making roles? My research targets three types of boards that influence decision-making across the state. Immigrant participants represent a variety of local and statewide groups across 1) school district boards, which serve as governing bodies with broad decision-making authority; 2) budget committees, which are statutory and work directly with local elected officials; and 3) transportation advisory bodies with more limited influence. Through the analysis of 15 interviews across these three types of bodies, I answer a final research question: how can government institutions expand and support the inclusion of immigrants in decision-making roles? This report shares findings and suggested strategies to increase inclusiveness on government boards and committees.
Open Access
Planning Urban Indigenous History: Cultural Competency and Housing in Portland, OR
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Middleton, Genevieve; John Arroyo
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to the U.S. Census 71% of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) live in urban areas. Portland, Oregon – one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Pacific Northwest -- comprises the fifth densest AIAN off-reservation population in the U.S (Urban Indian Health Institute, 2020). Indigenous planning and design scholars recognize that Indigenous peoples continue to be one of the most marginalized, subjugated, poor, and overall vulnerable communities. Additional support is necessary to ensure how urban housing can meet their cultural, social, and quality of life needs, outside of sovereign nation territories. In 2020, Nesika Illahee, the nation’s first off-reservation affordable urban AIAN housing project was opened in Portland, Oregon with support from Indian Housing Block Grant funds and rental preferences that establish housing options dedicated to the American Indian Alaska Native population. This research report seeks to understand the processes, policies, and design decisions used to collaborate with a politically sovereign nation and Native American advocacy organizations to ensure a successful and model AIAN-oriented housing project. Conversations and interviews were conducted with the primary policymakers, advocates, and designers of the development project to grasp how culturally appropriate Native approaches were used throughout the timeline of development. The result of this descriptive phenomenological research, combined with content analysis of key documentation, lead to primary findings oriented around policy, processes, and design. Policy findings found that the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians’ sub-recipient relationship of the IHBG created a blanket option of AIAN preferencing on all units, establishing a sovereign political relationship for preferencing and not race based. Process findings illustrated that development protocol that use decolonial communication practices that reflect and plan for Tribal Council timelines and iterations honor the Indigenous sovereignty. Design findings recognized the importance of creating a ‘Native place’ through architecture and placemaking while also offering locational assets and resources for supporting Native families. These findings show the collective considerations of the Nesika Ilahee project’s reach toward an aesthetic, resource assets, and engaged planning process that facilitate Native envisioning.
Open Access
Barriers to Active Transportation Among Female-Identifying Students at the University of Oregon
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Menard, Miranda; Menard
Communities in the United States are pushing to improve the sustainability of their transportation systems by replacing automobile travel with active transportation. (Schneider, 2013). Identifying and addressing the many challenges in safety, equity and accessibility of active transportation is required to encourage more users of active transport in communities, college campus communities included. The University of Oregon, like many campuses wants to promote and increase active transportation. This is due to congestion, high demand for parking and pressures on environmental impacts. The barriers female-identifying UO students—and university students more broadly—face to active transportation needs to be explored more thoroughly for the UO. This paper identifies the barriers female students at the UO face to active transportation and offers recommendations for how to mitigate these barriers. I ask two related research questions: 1) What are the barriers that female students at the University of Oregon encounter with active transportation? And 2) what can be done to mitigate these barriers?
Open Access
Stormwater Management in the Ash Creek Watershed
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Meinke, Scottie; Nolte, Marianne; Margerum
Urban stormwater poses several threats to natural watersheds: the higher flow rate of urban stormwater can erode streambanks and destroy natural vegetation and habitat. Higher temperatures can disrupt the chemistry of the stream and has a negative impact on salmon. And contaminants, such as sediment, bacteria, nutrients, and heavy metals lower the quality of the water. These water quality issues are becoming more apparent in three communities in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The municipalities of Dallas, Monmouth, and Independence are experiencing increased growth and development, and the Luckiamute Watershed Council is concerned about impacts to the Ash Creek Watershed, which lies within the Luckimaute Watershed. This study is meant to help the Luckiamute Watershed Council by identifying and analyzing stormwater management policies and practices in Dallas, Monmouth, and Independence. This study compares the comprehensive plans, stormwater management plans, and development codes in each city and identifies areas of alignment amongst all three cities. This study also analyses Stayton, Oregon; Wilsonville, Oregon; and Lenexa, Kansas to explore the ways that other communities have implemented stormwater management practices that reduce the sediment, pollution, bacteria, and excess flow that degrades watersheds. Finally, this study makes recommendations about how the LWC might create partnerships with Dallas, Monmouth, and Independence; and prioritize strategies that better protect the watershed and improve water quality.
Open Access
Opportunity Zones in Oregon
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Matonte, James; Parker
In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed resulting in one of the largest tax code overhauls since the 1980s (Economic Innovation Group, 2018). This piece of legislation lowered all marginal tax rates, as well as attempted to simplify the tax code. While an historic piece of legislation in its own right, a litany of additional provisions and programs were embedded within this 1,000 plus page bill. One of these provisions is the six-page long Opportunity Zones tax incentive. Opportunity Zones are an incentive to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities across the United States through varying levels of tax incentives for investors (Economic Innovation Group, 2018). This report examines Opportunity Zones in Oregon and explores how public and private entities within the state have approached this legislation. This report synthesizes the perceptions and experiences of public and private entities, as well as the federal government and out-of-state jurisdiction approaches to utilizing Opportunity Zones. By implementing a survey and shadowing the creation of a workforce housing development company in Oregon, this report analyzes the use of Opportunity Zones in Oregon. This report finds that for Opportunity Zones to produce positive social impact, significant public planning, public and private partnerships, community engagement, and the mindset of community improvement over maximized financial returns, must be exercised.
Open Access
The Legacy of a Rustbelt City: Addressing Vacancy in Rochester New York
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Luckin, Zachary; Yang
Economic decline has plagued the American Rustbelt for over 60 years, resulting in significant population loss and an abundance of vacant and abandoned properties. These properties are known to be a detriment to communities, negatively impacting property values and quality of life, and fueling a vicious cycle of decline. Rochester, New York is no exception to this. The city has experienced prolonged issues of vacancy following major economic restructuring and suburbanization. With chronically low incomes and persisting spatial patterns of racial and socioeconomic segregation, Rochester’s vulnerable residents are disproportionately left to suffer with the effects of vacancy and the new and existing social issues it exacerbates. While the City of Rochester has made recent progress in addressing vacancy, the benefits of many of their policies and programs are not equally felt by all residents, with those most in-need receiving less assistance. These programs are mostly applied in Rochester’s stronger market areas and have eligibility requirements that are not attainable for many residents, catering to neighborhoods that have higher incomes and less diversity. In an attempt to develop more equitable and effective solutions, recommendations are provided that work to improve existing efforts and propose new ones that are tailored to the needs and barriers faced by the City’s vulnerable residents. By moving away from market-based strategies, this research offers a comprehensive, human-centered approach to addressing vacancy that engages residents and improves quality of life.
Open Access
Comprehensive Planning on Oregon's Southern Coast
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Hoagland, Emerson; Yang
This professional project originated from the need of various coastal communities to engage in updating their outdated comprehensive plans. These planning processes will involve technical, legal, and practical decisions that can be time-consuming and cumbersome to small, rural, communities with limited staff and financial resources. The goal of this project is to aid these coastal jurisdictions in their planning efforts by creating a guide that will detail the steps necessary to create updated comprehensive plans, identify particular challenges these communities face in the planning process, as well as provide recommendations on next steps for how to bring their comprehensive planning practices into the contemporary era. To do this the report will explore the concepts of conventional and contemporary planning as they exist in the planning literature. These concepts will then be considered in the context of the Oregon Statewide Planning System which governs comprehensive planning in the state. Finally, select cases will be reviewed using content analysis techniques to determine how they perform from both a conventional and contemporary perspective.
Open Access
Downtown Eugene Business Development Patterns
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Gamble, Alyssa; Lewis
Downtown Eugene has experienced significant development changes over the past decade and there is a concern that businesses are selecting locations outside of the downtown space due to challenges or community challenges. This study seeks to address three questions: 1. Where are businesses developing relative to the downtown core? 2. What factors contribute to business owners choosing periphery locations for their business? 3. How can the City of Eugene attract new businesses to the downtown? This study uses GIS, interviews, and case studies to better understand the development patterns of downtown, the experiences of local business owners operating in this space, and strategies from other communities to support continued downtown growth and development. Outcomes from this research answer the overarching question of whether development is occurring in the periphery instead of the core. The research also presents recommendations to the city of Eugene to support downtown business development into the future using models from other communities and context from the business owner’s experience.
Open Access
Changing American Shopping Mall into Mixed-Use Developments
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Doyne, Rachel; Parker
For decades, the promise of a new shopping mall was a catalyst for economic growth, often a driver of suburban housing development and a symbol of modernity. Today, consumer habits have changed. The suburban location and traditional retail tenants that defined shopping malls are less desirable. Shifts in retail behavior, accompanied by a resurgence of downtown districts and an increased demand for urban housing, has led to community planning strategies that emphasize compact development and mixes of retail and residential land-uses. The convergence of these changes and ideas is represented by mall-to-mixed-use developments. These part-mall, part-community projects are being proposed by private developers and approved by public officials as the way to breathe new life into dying malls, reactivate a valuable geographic location and introduce new benefits and revenues to the community. The questions become how to balance the community’s objectives with the developer’s need to earn a profit, and what public planning mechanisms contribute to this ideal outcome? Using content analysis to compare five case studies, this report finds characteristics that are common in mixed-use developments, explores the tension between the developer’s objectives and the community’s expectations, and describes how policies and incentives can influence housing and community collaboration in mall-to-mixed-use developments.
Open Access
Developing a Multi-Use Trail System in Reedley, California: A Prefeasibility Study
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Chilingerian, Jenna; Lewis
This prefeasibility study has been conducted in partnership with the City of Reedley and builds on the City’s ongoing efforts to (1) determine the feasibility of expanding its existing multi-use trail corridor, the Reedley Parkway, and (2) successively develop the Reedley Parkway Master Plan. The aim of the prefeasibility study is to serve as a preliminary planning step that informs the City’s future analysis and planning efforts. To meet these objectives, this project consisted of a mixed-methods approach including advisory meetings, fieldwork, GIS and map analysis, content analysis, and interviews. Specifically, this report identifies and summarizes existing conditions for trail development in Reedley; a planning and decision-making framework for trail development; assessment and analysis of the potential Parkway expansion; and, Reedley-specific implementation recommendations and next steps.
Open Access
Efficiency and Equity: Transportation Access in Fort Smith, Arkansas
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Kohnke, Jennifer; Arroyo
The City of Fort Smith is a small urban area (population 86,122) in far western Arkansas. Like many cities everywhere in the U.S., Fort Smith has a rapidly growing aging population; there are also a significant number of residents who have disabilities which makes mobility a challenge. Fort Smith is not designed compactly and is typical of mid-century suburban sprawl. Senior citizens and those with mobility issues are forced to drive themselves or rely on friends or neighbors for basic transportation needs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and extent of access to the public transportation system in Fort Smith, called Fort Smith Transit, for these two populations: senior citizens and the disabled. A content analysis study is performed of transportation documents and GIS ArcMaps created from U.S. Census data to show the relationship between these populations and access to the Fort Smith Transit system. Documents reference the concept of transit equity repeatedly and refer to serving the disabled or those with physical mobility challenges so there is awareness of the need to serve this population. Findings from content analysis and GIS mapping show that city residents are moving eastward within the city limits. Senior citizens and the disabled who live closer to downtown are well served by transit but Fort Smith Transit has not yet caught up with service needs for residents moving eastward. Additionally, some newly built city services lie far outside a quarter-mile buffer zone surrounding all current bus routes. Findings indicate that representatives of the disabled community have been involved in local decision-making boards but continued strides are needed to directly involve this historically disenfranchised population. Several recommendations urge Fort Smith Transit to expand its bus routes further east to address the population needs. One land use option is for Fort Smith to upzone the northeast side of the city along the Arkansas River to allow multi-family housing construction including townhomes, condominiums, and senior living centers in what is currently single-family housing zones. Fort Smith Transit and the City of Fort Smith have several options in order to address the growing needs of area senior citizens and disabled residents.
Open Access
CULTIVATING HOSPITALITY AGRITOURISM: Exploring Farm-Stays in Rural Oregon
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2019) Shinners, Dana; Lewis, Rebecca
Oregon's Statewide Planning Program, first established in 1973, protects farmland from urban development through Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB) and Exclusive Farm Use zoning (EFU). These stringent land use laws also erect barriers for farmers trying to make a living in the low-margin, high-risk field. Oregon agricultural land and small farmers are vulnerable to commercial farms and non-farm uses. The average age of farmers is increasing, and young people face challenges to entering the field, like limited access to land, capital, and training. Agritourism offers an opportunity to counteract downward trends for entrepreneurial land owners. A small subsect of the agritourism industry is farm-stays – or overnight accommodations on a working farm. This report takes into account the interrelated context described above and asks three questions around farm-stays as a component of agritourism in Oregon: How are farm-stays currently allowed under state regulations? What are the potential benefits and negative impacts of farm-stays? How might policy makers harness the positive opportunities around hospitality-agritourism while maintaining the Statewide Planning Program? Results of this research highlight the potential positive economic benefits for rural communities and farmers as a result of hosting farm-stays. Social benefits, such as education and increased appreciation for farming, also arose as an outcome of farm-stays. Additional research is needed in order to inform an agritourism policy-framework that reflects Oregon's unique context. Policy should both support farmland preservation and farm succession.
Open Access
Willingness to Pay: A Contingent Valuation Study in the McKenzie River Watershed
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2019) Schurr, Andrew; Parker, Bob
Drinking water is a resource that touches all aspects of a community. It crosses nearly all boundaries and affects everyone with a tap. Quality, clean, water is an important piece of any community puzzle. But what happens upstream before we turn on the faucet? Protecting drinking water sources requires conservation and stewardship actions that extend beyond the municipal boundary or the treatment plant. Watershed protection activities funded through Payment for Ecosystems Services programs are an increasingly common mechanism for drinking water source protection. Willingness to Pay via Contingent Valuation is studied in order to determine funds collection systems and support among the affected population. This study examines the effects of the threat perception of climate change and wildfire, feelings about collaboration and communication, and levels of institutional trust on Willingness to Pay for Drinking Water Source Protection programs in the McKenzie River Watershed. The study sample population was comprised of ratepaying customers of the local public utility the Eugene Water & Electric Board in the City of Eugene, Oregon.
Open Access
Protecting Pollinators: The Role of State Managed Pollinator Protection Plans in Reducing Toxic Honey Bee Pesticide Exposure
(Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2019) Sabo, Kristen; Lewis, Rebecca
This paper researches State Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s) as a collaborative platform outside of the legal system that addresses pesticide use in direct regard to pollinator health. The paper introduces the concept and role of MP3s, and the analysis helps contextualize MP3s importance in the larger framework of pesticide regulation. Importantly, this research will describe MP3s as an important communication and cooperation tool within the regulatory framework; while not legally binding, these plans facilitate the difficult conversations between the predominant actors in the state who have a dedicated relationship to pollinators. Therefore, these findings can benefit any state that seeks to create coordination and collaboration between stakeholders, mainly between Growers/ Pesticide Users and Beekeepers/ Environmentalists, to view how other states have created a platform for coordination and crafted language to appease all parties while ultimately advocating for better protection of pollinator health against toxic pesticides.