The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through a series of statewide listening sessions that start this week and an online public survey, wants to learn about its customers’ experiences with the agency and ways it can improve future interactions.

Staff with the Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach have scheduled regional listening sessions to help the department identify the types of assistance residents need and to generate ideas for better customer service. Listening sessions, scheduled in each of the department’s seven regional-office coverage areas, will consist of a roundtable discussion of about 40 invited guests who are DENR customers and stakeholders. These participants include members of the regulated community, local government, environmental-advocacy groups, consultants and representatives of agriculture, small business and trade associations.

“We want to hear directly from the public during these sessions and focus on solutions,” said DENR Secretary Dee Freeman. “We are responding to Gov. Perdue’s call for an efficient and effective state government that will support job creation by looking for cost-effective ways to accomplish our mission of protecting and conserving the state’s environment and natural resources, while also meeting our customers’ needs.”

The schedule for the listening sessions is:

• Today, Sept. 20, Wilmington;
• Thursday, Washington;
• Sept. 27, Fayetteville;
• Sept. 29, Raleigh;
• Oct. 4, Mooresville;
• Oct. 6, Winston-Salem;
• Oct. 11, Asheville.

DENR has developed an online survey to ensure that all customers have an opportunity to provide customer-service focused feedback. The survey has been designed to focus on customer experiences at DENR and ideas for improvement. The data will be used as baseline information to allow the department to measure improvement in the future. To complete the survey, please visit DENR’s website (www.ncdenr.gov) and click on the graphic on the top left of the page that reads “How can we serve you better?”

DENR’s Environmental Assistance Center, staffed by the Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach, provides a single point of contact for customers. This center focuses on the needs of those customers who are frequently affected by environmental rules but lack the expertise and money needed to hire someone to guide them through the regulatory, permitting and compliance process. More information about the center can be found online at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/deao/ea/eac. Learn more about the listening sessions by contacting Julie Woosley at 919-715-6509.