What was the format of the scoping meetings?
The scoping meetings provided a forum for the public to meet sanctuary staff, discuss ongoing programs, and provide comments to sanctuary staff. They were not decision-making meetings. Meetings generally followed a similar format, but they were flexible enough to accommodate the number of people in attendance and the physical constraints of each location. At the beginning of each scoping meeting, sanctuary staff provided all the participants with a summary of MPR and the scoping meeting format, and they answered any questions. Following the introduction, the group broke up into discussion groups consisting of about eight to ten people. A group leader helped facilitate the discussion and ensured everyone had the opportunity to talk and provide comments. Each group also had a recorder who wrote each of the comments on a projected computer screen so the group could watch their comments being recorded.
