The Office of Hydropower Licensing (OHL) administers the non-Federal hydropower program for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). An OHL alternate licensing process, involving an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment (APEA) or third party contractor prepared environmental impact statement, expands participation of the federal and state resource agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public in the FERC licensing process and provides them an opportunity to resolve conflicts among developmental and environmental resource interests and accommodate the interests of the participants. After studies are complete, successful teams develop communication patterns that result in cooperative approaches to problem solving. This cooperative approach happens most often when trust is established among team members. The outcome is often a settlement among the team members. This settlement is then proposed as the preferred licensing alternative. When the process is successful, the result is more local control and ownership of the licensing decision, and ongoing local participation during the term of the license. The Commission's commitment to the alternative licensing approach is spelled out in its Order 596, issued October 29, 1997.