ABSTRACT
During the late 1960s the parallel development of two ideas coincided with reaching a milestone in environmental consciousness. One idea was that decision making in the political arena was concentrated in the hands of a few, and that a more equitable means of decision making required a "grass-roots" approach involving the individuals who would be affected by the decisions. The other idea was that decisions which could affect the quality of the human environment should be preceded by a careful analysis of their likely consequences. In seeking to broaden public involvement, agencies would be prudent to consider the effects of growth in ethnic minorities, and its' effect on their planning efforts. Examining Census Bureau projections suggests ethnic minorities will become an increasingly powerful constituency. By 2025,60 percent of the United States population growth could be the result of growth in minorities, most notably Hispanics.
