We decided which media to use to consult the diverse rural stakeholders and interest groups, and what questions to answer during the consultation phase. We also divided writing tasks to address the preliminary proposal outline. In 1998, we will seek input from the rural communities on how best to serve the diversity of objectives involved in the Agro-Oceanic Nutrient Flux problem. We will seek this input by organizing one or more public forums in which principal scientists will present short, concise, informational presentations, posing the various options and procedures available. Reactions, ideas, questions and approaches will be sought from participants, and this input will be used to plan the proposed Center.
Consultation can take place in several different ways.
We can establish sites near the border of all states ringing Iowa allowing participants full access to the forum with little travel time. A large fraction of the populations of these eight states is within a few hours drive of an ICN site in Iowa. An internet website will be created and maintained during the planning stages to receive as much creative input as possible. After the consultation phase, the principal scientists of the Center will meet again to revisit the proposal outline. Subcommittees will be reoriented and reassigned as necessary to correspond with the input of stakeholders and interest groups.