Outcomes, proxies and standards: performance-based environmental management approaches within arbitrary (political) boundaries

Trends toward devolution and performance based environmental regulation represent the simultaneous change of two major policy variables. This poses a major challenge to the policy maker and the policy analyst alike. Although there are strong arguments suggesting caution in implementing either of these changes, given that they are happening, there is a very real need to find state level environmental indicators that are credible, representative, independent and comparable. Finding and using such indicators will mean the difference between indeterminate change in and improvement of environmental regulation in the US under the National Environmental Performance Partnership System.