Objectives, Action
Strategies, and Lead People in boldface within
were identified at the July 2006 Board planning session with Steve Talley. Other Focus Group Objectives and Action
Strategies were developed aligned with the NRWR 2003-2008 Strategic Plan.
Priority during 2006-07 will be given to boldface items. Others will be pursued as capacity permits.
≈≈≈≈
Table of Contents
Organizational
Development, page 3-4
Program
and Project Development, page 4-5
Focus
Groups and Work Groups (in alphabetic order)
Education, page 5-6
Forestry, page 6
LandCare/Grayson Grassroots, page 7
River Access, page 7-8
River Cleanup, page 8
Stroubles Creek Watershed Initiative,
page 8-9
Water Quantity and Water Quality, page 9
≈≈≈≈
Organizational Development
Lead person: Executive Committee
Board sponsors: all
Support people/agencies: DCR Watershed Field Coordinator?
Funding possibilities: FVNR, VAWA, DCR, EPA, stakeholders
Goal: Establish a viable, functioning New River Watershed Roundtable actively working on non-point source pollution reduction, water quality, and water quantity issues across traditional boundaries.
Objective:
· Establish Board with broad stakeholder representation including local government, business, tourism, environmental groups, regional agencies, etc.
Action Strategies:
o
NRWR is
due to seat a new Board and elect officers in October 2006. A nominating committee or Ron Powers will
appoint nominations at the October meeting.
o Recruit board members (continuing or new) and seat board
o Elect officers, Appoint Executive Committee
o Hold regular meetings and encourage communication on mutual issues
o Identify funding sources available to Roundtable members individually and collaboratively
Objective:
· Communication and Recognition
Action Strategies
·
Solidify
marketing communication
o Lead will be Dale Black
o Get word out in local media about watershed issues, become recognized as a source of info for these.
o Name recognition with publicized events such as River Cleanup
o Recruit PR subcommittee and TAC support
o Maintain and enhance web presence
o
Objective:
· Funding and Support (staff, space, other resources)
·
Capacity
building –full time coordinator and more operational funds
o Suggested by Rick Roth, lead will be Dale Black
·
Secure
each localities’ commitment to NRWR, including financial support
o Suggested by Tim Ott, lead will be Dale
Black
·
Define
our fiscal policy and procedures – develop an operational handbook on how we
handle funds and on our administrative policies.
o Suggested by Cynthia and Charlie Maus, lead will be Cynthia Hancock
o
Action Strategies
o Recruit Technical Advisory Committee members from agencies
o
Activate
TAC – hold meeting as part of Board meetings
§
Lead will
be Ron Powers
o
Recruit Finance and Grants subcommittee and TAC
support
o
Establish
a finance committee and set objectives
o
Suggested by Rick Roth,
lead will be Dale Black
o
o Develop a Business Plan for sustainable operations
Focus group to work on funding opportunities – including a coordinator
to staff this
o Suggested by Mike Smith, lead will be Watershed Field Coordinator with Finance & Grants committee
Program and Project
Development
Lead person: Executive Committee
Board sponsors: all
Support people/agencies: NRVPDC, MRPDC, NRH RC&D, DCR watershed field coordinator?,
Funding possibilities: EPA, DCR, WQIA, developers, DOF, USFWS, USFS,
Goal:
Generate projects to improve watershed stewardship that we
work on together as a way to build strength, connections, and community around
Objective:
· Support rather than duplicate efforts already underway.
Action Strategies:
o Encourage localities to work together, participate in NRWR (Govt. Relations)
o Inventory efforts in the watershed
·
Inventory
watershed efforts – develop a framework for inventory and a resource directory,
demonstration projects and sites
o Lead will be Cynthia Hancock (input from Gary Boring RC&D)
o
o Let project work happen through focus groups, geographic proximity, common interests, issues, and problems, etc. See Focus Group Plans below:
·
Maintain
ExComm relations with focus groups
o Lead will be ExComm
Education Issues Focus Group
Lead person: Llyn Sharp
Board sponsors: Tamim Younos
Support people/agencies: Cynthia Hancock, Skyline SWCD;
Funding possibilities:
“State of the River”
Information Work Group
Lead person: Rick Roth
Board sponsors: Christy Gabbard, Mike Harvey
Support people/agencies: TAC agencies; Mike McLeod DEQ; Llyn Sharp
Funding possibilities: VEE, EPA, CFNRV
Goal: Develop readily-available,
fact-based information about the
Objective:
· Revive the New River Symposium as a way of discovering and generating information and contacts.
Action Strategies:
o
Hold a
§
Suggested
by Llyn Sharp, lead will be RickRoth
o Rick Roth and Rick Van Noy from Radford University are co-chairing a Symposium Steering Committee with plans for May 31-June 2, 2007 meeting.
o Publish Symposium proceedings – web or CD possibilities.
Objective:
· Compile existing data and information
Action Strategies:
o Get help from TAC agencies
o Get help from student projects or interns
o
o Research other “State of the River” reports from other watersheds
o Develop a series of fact sheets and/or brochures by topic, level of detail, and/or audience focus; could be done as student projects
o Make fact sheets/brochures available on the website
Materials and Support for
teachers and others to provide “Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences”
(MWEE) for K-12 youth
Lead person: Llyn Sharp
Board sponsors:
Support people/agencies: Llyn Sharp, Cynthia Hancock
Funding possibilities:
Objective:
·
Teachers will use the
Action Strategies:
o
Provide workshops on watershed and water quality
education that includes local information about
o
Provide support for in-class and outside-class
activities for K-12 students to learn about watersheds and the
o Get help from TAC agencies, University students and faculty
o
Work with
o Outline materials and experiences that are available to teachers, to include workshops, field sites, etc.
o Seek to identify and fill gaps
Forestry Issues Focus Group
Lead person: David Richert
Board sponsors: Mike Skinner, Forestry Representative
Support people/agencies: David Richert, Va DOF
Funding possibilities: DOF, NRCS, NRH RC&D, VCE,
Objective: Hold a forestry workshop
Suggested by David Richert, lead will be David Richert
Action Strategies:
o
LandCare Focus Group/Grayson Grassroots
Lead person: Jerry Moles
Board sponsors: Jerry Moles
Support people/agencies: David Robertson, VT LandCare Center; Danny Boyer, NRCS; Jerry Moles, NRLT
Funding possibilities: USDA, Conservation easement tax credits, VOF,
Goal: Preservation of land and soil and the functions thereof by reducing destructive land uses and promoting land uses to preserve these ecological functions. Landowner based.
Objective: Promote “LandCare” concept as a way to
accomplish these goals
Lead will be Jerry Moles
Objective: Increase productivity and best management of timber and forestlands
o Work with the Forestry Focus Group
o Work with and promote Blue Ridge Forest Co-op
o
Work with
Objective: Increase productivity and best management practices for livestock operations
o feasibility study for local harvest facility
o
River Access Focus Group
Lead person: Mike Harvey
Board sponsors: Mike Harvey
Support people/agencies: Abigail Convery, NRVPDC; NCNR; Ben Borda,
USACOE and NRCP;
Funding possibilities:
Goal: Establish increased, well-spaced, geographically distributed, safe, watershed-friendly, public access to the New River and its tributaries, accessible to various audiences.
Objective: Support and participate in the New River Blueway effort
o Provide information to New River Community Partners (they are the lead on the tri-state project)
o
Monitor
river access issues
§
Lead will
be Mike Harvey
o
Objective: Increase public access to the New River from Claytor Dam to the VA/WV state line, which currently has less public access than other reaches.
o Assist with inventory of current public access sites
o Assist with identification of potential access sites
o Work with other groups to acquire additional public access
River Cleanup Focus Group
Lead person: Mike Smith
Board sponsors: Mike Smith, David Bernard
Support people/agencies: Donnie Turner, Carroll County Tourism Authority; Charlie Whittle, volunteer registrar; Wythe Conservation Network; NRT State Park staff
Funding possibilities: sponsorships, DCR Adopt-a-Stream
Goal: New River will be an attractive tourism destination, enhancing local business based on the river’s aesthetic qualities.
Objective:
· Reduce solid waste (litter, junk, tires, etc.) in streams throughout the watershed
Action Strategies:
o Promote the DCR Adopt-a-Stream Program
o
Hold a
basin-wide cleanup to attract attention to the problem and to highlight NRWR as
a leader; Lead: Mike Smith and Charlie Whittle
§ Plan event using Adopt-a-Stream and other national “river cleanup” guidelines. Safety and liability covered this way.
§ Coordinate with DCR Stewardship Virginia effort
§ Coordinate with NCNR and North Carolina basin-wide effort
§ Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006 meet at 9:30 at Foster Falls for the reach from there to Rt 100. Others coordinated locally on other reaches or tributaries.
o Establish planning team for 2007 event
Stroubles Creek Watershed
Initiative
Lead person: up to them
Board sponsors: Tamim Younos
Support people/agencies: DCR, DEQ, Town of Blacksburg Planning and Engineering,
Funding possibilities: EPA proposal to rank BMPs for urban stormwater runoff
Goal: Increase community stewardship of Stroubles Creek and use of the watershed as a learning lab for a variety of audiences. Support the Stroubles Creek TMDL Implementation Plan.
Objective: Accomplish projects in the Stroubles Creek TMDL Implementation Plan.
o Work with VT and TOB to identify funding and match to projects
§ .
Objective: Promote watershed educational uses of Stroubles Creek and awareness of stewardship initiatives.
o Conduct educational activities
§ Blacksburg Watershed Open House Oct 2006 (Matt, Llyn, etc)
§ World Water Monitoring Month events (Llyn, SWCS)
§ Stream Cleanups (VWRRC Student team)
§ Student Research
§ Class visits
o Create Flyers, Posters, and exhibit materials and display at community events
§ Exhibit at “Steppin Out” town festival, Aug 06 (Llyn)
§ Exhibit at Environmental Awareness Week Aug 06 (Llyn)
§ Exhibit at Blacksburg Watershed Open House (Llyn)
§ Exhibit at Earth Week
§ Stroubles Creek TMDL education pamphlet (Mary)
Water Quality and Water Quantity Issues Focus Group
Lead person:
Board sponsors: Della Osbourne, Bennie Quesenberry
Support people/agencies: Mike McLeod, TAC and DEQ; NRV PDC water supply planning staff (Kevin)
Funding possibilities:
Water Quantity emerged at April, 2006 Board Meeting as a concern for all, including Agriculture.
Establish baseline water quality information to prove that the NRWR is
making a difference.
·
Suggested
by Charlie Whittle, lead will be DEQ (possibly McLeod)
Work on water quantity issues – should be proactive and identify issues
to build dialogue about. Review our
policy for quantity issues and review quantity as it relates to quality.
·
Suggested
by Mike Harvey, lead will be Albert Crigger
·
NRVPDC is
funding a water supply coordinator for PD4