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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
             Mv&vrun tW
             Engaging Stakeholders
             in Your Watershed
             2nd edition

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             United States
             Environmental Protection
             Agency
Engaging Stakeholders
   in Your Watershed
           2nd edition
            May 2013
         EPA 841-B-11-001
This publication Is printed on recycled paper with soy-based Inks.

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Engaging Stakeholders
in  Your Watershed
2nd edition
May 2013
EPA 841-B-11-001

United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Nonpoint Source Control Branch (4503T)
Washington, DC 20460
This publication is an update of the original publication prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., under contract 68-C-
99-249 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and printed by Terrene Institute in 2000. It is a com-
panion guide to Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns produced by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and available through EPA's Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox
(wvwv. epa.gov/nps/toolbox].

For copies of this guide, contact:
      National Service Center for Environmental Publications
      Phone:1-800-490-9198
      Fax: 513-489-8695
      Website: www.epa.gov/ncep/hom
      or visit EPA's Nonpoint Source website at www.epa.gov/nps

EPA does not endorse any product, service or enterprise. Any mention of a product, publication, report, entity
or enterprise is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by
EPA or the U.S. government.

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Contents

Introduction: The Importance of Stakeholders in Watershed Protection	1
   Purpose of this guide	2
   What's inside?	3
   Why involve stakeholders?	3
   Each stakeholder group is unique!	5
Section 1: Stakeholders and Watershed Management	7
   Using a watershed approach	;	7
   Involving the stakeholder group throughout the watershed planning process	70
Section 2: Getting Started	17
   Identifying driving forces	77
   Defining internal goals and objectives	79
   Developing a framework for stakeholder involvement	27
Section 3: Building Your Stakeholder Group	25
   Researching key interest groups	26
   Conducting outreach to recruit stakeholders	37
   Inviting the stakeholders to participate	34
   Hosting productive meetings	35
   Conducting the first meeting	38
   Building a stakeholder operating plan.	42
   Using outreach to engage and educate stakeholders	42
Section 4: Keeping the Ball Rolling	45
   Top 72 tips to move the process forward	45
   Using technology to share and collaborate	49
   Making decisions by consensus	57
   Resolving conflict	57
   Using stakeholders for community outreach	60
Section 5: Beyond the Stakeholder Group	65
   Responsibility of government agencies	65
   Establishing independent watershed management groups	66
   Types of organizations	67
   Securing funding	69
   A final thought	72
Section 6: Resources	73
   Stakeholder involvement and communication	73
   Facilitation and meeting management	77
   Other resources and websites	77
Appendix: Building Blocks of Outreach	81
   Step 7: Define the driving forces, goals and objectives	82
   Step 2: Identify and analyze the target audience	82
   Step 3: Create the message	83
   Step 4: Package the message	84
   Step 5; Distribute the message	85
   Step 6: Evaluate the outreach campaign	86

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                                                                                      Introduction
Introduction:
The  Importance of
Stakeholders in Watershed
Protection
What's in the Introduction?

• Purpose of this guide
• What's inside?
• Why involve stakeholders?
• Each stakeholder group is unique!
Government agencies are eager to work with partners to help restore
and protect America's watersheds. National environmental groups
acknowledge the power of activating and motivating people and
institutions. The business community has begun to embrace open,
inclusive, performance-based environmental management systems
to save money and improve performance. No matter what you call
it—cooperative resource management, civic environmentalism, a
watershed partnership, place-based  management, or environmental
democracy—involving stakeholders  in protecting natural resources is
here to stay. Local residents are tired of talk and want action.

Stakeholder involvement in watershed issues has gained momen-
tum in recent years because of the nature of water quality problems
in our country. Forty years ago, most water quality problems were
linked to discharges from factories and wastewater treatment plants.
Today, however, about 40 percent of our nation's waters do not meet
their water quality goals because of  runoff from streets,  farms, mines,
yards, parking lots and other nonpoint sources of pollution. Solving
these problems requires the commitment and participation of stake-
holders throughout our communities.

Stakeholder involvement is more than just holding a public hearing
or seeking public comment on a new regulation. Effective stake-
holder involvement provides a method for identifying public con-
cerns and values, developing consensus among affected parties, and
producing efficient and effective solutions through an open, inclusive
process. Managing that process requires some attention to the logis-
tics and synergies of creating and operating a team of diverse people
pursuing a common goal.
Successful watershed management
    involves—and benefits—everyone.
A stakeholder is a person for group) who
is responsible (or making or implementing
a management action, who w/7) be
significantly affected by the action, or who
can aid or prevent its implementation. For
the purposes of this guide, engaging and
involving stakeholders means recruiting
stakeholder group members and using their
strengths and knowledge through an active
stakeholder committee, group or board.

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Introduction
    Coalfield "bucket brigade"
    helping streams in
    Pennsylvania

    The Little Toby Creek watershed in
    Pennsylvania benefits from "bucket
    brigade" remediation projects that
    add granular limestone to streams
    heavily impacted by acid drainage from
    abandoned coal mines.  The limestone
    adds alkalinity as it tumbles downstream
    and dissolves, reducing acidity and raising
    stream pH to healthier levels. The projects
    are both low-tech remediation activities
    and social outings, and they achieve results
    that provide an important sense of making
    a difference m the watershed.
                                               Purpose of this guide
   Stakeholder involvement enhances
   communication, cooperation and
   shared responsibility.
This guide is intended for federal, state, tribal and local agency per-
sonnel, as well as nongovernmental organizations, that are involved
in watershed management activities and are building a stakeholder
group. The guide can also help private organizations interested in
recruiting stakeholders and  involving stakeholders in local or regional
watershed efforts.

Stakeholder groups are formal or informal assemblies that represent a
variety of interests and points of view within a watershed. Although not
every single interested party needs to be a member of the board (it's
important to keep the size of the group manageable and efficient), you
should make sure all the key groups in the watershed are represented.
For example, there might be three farmer organizations in a watershed,
but it  might not be necessary to include representatives from all three
in the stakeholder group. Instead, the participation of one, well-
respected farmer from the community might be adequate.

Section 2 describes how to  identify the driving forces and goals
within your watershed  and  how to organize and build the stakehold-
er group. After identifying the key members that should participate
in the stakeholder group, you need to get them to make an initial
participation commitment. Once they've made this commitment, the
group members need to be engaged and their interest and enthusi-
asm sustained. They must be provided with the pertinent materials
needed to spread your watershed messages to your constituents and
beyond. An organized and well-run outreach plan will make these
tasks more productive and easier to implement. Outreach  informa-
tion pertaining to generating interest, engaging stakeholders, and
properly equipping them is presented throughout this guide.

The purpose of this guide is to provide the  tools needed to effectively
engage stakeholder groups and use such groups to communicate
with others to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions
through community support and cooperative action. This stakeholder
guide serves as a companion to EPA's Getting in Step: A Guide for
Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns which is available at
wwv.epa.gov/nps/too/box. The outreach guide provides advice on
how watershed groups, local governments, and others can maximize
the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to reduce nonpoint
source pollution and protect the lakes, rivers, streams, and coasts.
The appendix at the end of this stakeholder guide provides a summa-
ry of the six steps for developing and conducting outreach campaigns
(which are covered in detail in the outreach guide).

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                                                                                                introduction
\A/hat's inside?
This guide is meant to provide real-world information that you can
apply to your situation. It has six sections. Each section builds on the
previous one, but you may skip around to any topic. References to
related information are indicated with a cg=.

The last section includes resource information, case studies, web-
sites, and other how-to guides related to watershed protection. Case
studies are included throughout the guide to highlight success stories
that may help you move forward in your own watershed. Wherever
possible, a contact and website are provided.

\A/hy involve stakeholders?
If you're responsible for developing and implementing a watershed
management program, you  need support from relevant stakehold-
ers—those who will make decisions, those who will be affected by
them, and those who can stop the process if they disagree.
    Giving disadvantaged communities a voice in watershed planning in California
    Nearly 70% of the cities and communities in the Santa
    Ana watershed in Southern California,are considered
    disadvantaged or contain disadvantaged communities as
    defined by the state. That translates into more than one-
    fourth of the watershed population. When the Santa Ana
    Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) set out to develop
    its 2009 Integrated Watershed Plan (www.sawpa.org/
    owow/the-plan/), it became apparent that to fulfill the
    goal of direct involvement of the environmental justice
    community, it would be necessary-to go,to communities
    in disadvantaged census tracts and engage the residents
    directly. Several environmental justice issues in watershed,
    including the following, were identified early in the process;

    •  Localized groundwater contamination from industrial
       operations and leaking septic systems was present.
    *  Small water companies in low-income communities
       lack the resources to upgrade their infrastructure and
       provide up-to-date treatment technologies for waste.
    •  Language barriers, a reliance on word-of-mouth ^f
       communication, and low educational levels limit the
       ability to provide reliable, factual information that
       is easy to understand by members of disadvantaged
       communities.
 SAWPA knew that these issues would be important
 to address in the watershed pian. However, to get
 an even tetter understanding of the concerns of the
 residents of minority or low-income communities, the
 Authority .conducted a series of one-on-one interviews
 and community group meetings (in English and Spanish)
 over a period of two months in 2008. In these sessions,
* SAWPA learned that there is widespread fear among these
 communities that their drinking water is contaminated.
 In fact, residents of these communities are so fearful of
 the quality of their water that they consistently buy large,
 expensive bottles of water for drinking and cooking,

 Therefore, In addition to addressing previously known  -
 environmental justice concerns, SAyVBA learned through
 this inclusive process that it also needs to address issues
 involving the perception of unsafe water where water
 supplies are clearly safe for public consumption so that
 families can make informed decisions. Spending scarce
 funds to protect themselves from  a perceived risk is a key
 environmental justice issue.

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Introduction
                                                Over the past 30 years, watershed managers have found a lot
                                                to like about involving interested parties in their work. Involving
                                                stakeholders
                                                •  Builds trust and support for the process and outcome
                                                •  Shares the responsibility for decisions or actions
                                                •  Creates solutions more likely to be adopted
                                                •  Leads to better, more cost-effective solutions
                                                •  Forges stronger working relationships
                                                •  Enhances communication and coordination of resources
                                                •  Helps to ensure that any environmental justice concerns are iden-
                                                   tified at an early stage

                                                It's important to note that public involvement processes can greatly
                                                enhance watershed management efforts, but they can't override laws
                                                and regulations enacted by elected officials and public agencies. In
                                                fact, stakeholder group processes are used most often to support and
                                                complement legally  required actions such as achieving water quality
                                                standards, protecting drinking water supplies, restoring habitat, and
                                                generally making the nation's waters fishable and swimmable.

                                                Another important aspect of stakeholder involvement is utility. If
                                                you convene a group and don't somehow include their input in the
                                                process or product,  they'll likely wonder why they wasted their time.
                                                Make sure that  stakeholders' contributions are recognized and are
                                                used in some manner to achieve the goals of the watershed program,
                                                and that stakeholders are informed about how their participation has
                                                affected the outcomes.

                                                In addition, a robust stakeholder involvement program can help to
                                                identify any potential environmental justice concerns that might be
                                                present in the watershed. Including representatives from minority or
                                                low-income communities in the stakeholder group can help you to
                                                identify any such concerns early in the planning process. Then the
                                                watershed plan can include addressing situations in which certain
                                                groups are disproportionately  affected by water quality problems.

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                                                                                                 Introduction
Each stakeholder group is unique!
This guide provides tools and tips for working effectively with stake-
holders, but it is important to recognize that there is no "one-size-
fits-air' approach. Each stakeholder group is unique, and its makeup
and operation will depend on several factors—the driving forces of
the effort, the agencies' internal goals, the geographic scale, the time
frame needed for decision-making, the available budget, the willing-
ness and availability of key stakeholders, the authority and respon-
sibility to effect change and implement decisions, and the political
climate. Before a stakeholder group is formed, all of these factors
must be considered to determine the best way to proceed.

Sometimes, after you  have completed an internal assessment of
the driving forces and issues, you might determine that convening
a stakeholder group is not the best approach to achieve your goals.
It might make more sense to form a small technical workgroup and
                     "There is no "one size fits all"
                                        approach.
   Too much too soon on the Santa Ynez?

   Dense stands of willows along the banks of the Santa Ynez
   River in California's Lompoc Valley impede stormwater
   flows from vegetable and flower farms, causing flooding
   and erosion of the riverbanks. In 7994, a group of
   politicians, planners, and farmers approached the
   California Coastal Conservancy for help. The Conservancy
   enlisted the well-respected Land Trust for Santa
   Barbara County, and launched a program to establish a
   watershed-wide plan to control flooding and deal with
   other possible issues.
   The Land Trust hired a project manager and professional
   facilitator and convened a stakeholder group composed
   of property, rights advocates, environmentalists, farmers,
   and resource agency representatives to begin developing
   the plan. Almost immediately, political currents, mistrust,
   and confusion threatened to derail the initiative. Some
   landowners perceived the effort to move beyond the
   willow issue to address other concerns in the watershed
   as a direct attack on land and water rights. The lack of
   motivation and a strong foundation—common issues,
   trust, broad support, acute problems requiring immediate
   attention-—caused the process to unravel soon after it
   began.
   People were confused by and suspicious of the attempt
   to develop a comprehensive basin plan just to address
    the willow problem. "Why are you doing this?" was a
common refrain throughout the first few months. The
Conservancy and Land Trust believed that support for
a basin plan existed, but that belief was based on early
interviews with flood-impacted farmers and others
who did not necessarily represent other important
stakeholders in the watershed. As the process unfolded,
mistrust and suspicion grew. People wanted to know
why a plan was being developed if it was not required,
and they questioned the authority of the Land Trust and
Conservancy to "force" a plan on local residents.
Less than a year after the planning committee was
convened, it was disbanded because of an inability
to agree on the scope and objectives of the process.
Organizers noted that "a truly comprehensive approach
to resource management must be allowed to evolve at its
own pace, especially where most of the resources are on
private land."
"The fatal flaw on the Santa Vnez was rushing the process
and te/li'ng landowners, water districts and specia/ interest
groups that they were going to collaboratively develop a
watershed plan," said Carolyn Barr, project director for the
Land Trust. "We did not take the time to understand their
interests and fears, and we tried to impose a process that
was not appropriate for the place and time."
(Excerpted from California Coast & Ocean, summer 7 936)

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Introduction
    Public participation leads to
    better TMDL

    Stakeholders sometimes know more about
    what is happening in their watersheds
    than do state agencies, as was the case for
    Lake Yazoo in Mississippi,  In June 2004 the
    Mississippi Department of Environmental
    Quality prepared a Total Maximum Daily
    Load (JMDL) for Lake Yazoo using the
    only available data at the time, which
    was from 7979. The data described the
    lake as contaminated with phenols and
    hydrocarbons, noting that there were
    no nonpoint sources of pollution. Many
    stakeholders were concerned that the TMDL
    would not be an effective tool in cleaning
    up Lake Yazoo because it was based on
    such outdated data. In fact, two public
    commenters were aware of a ship-building
    yard in the watershed that had not been
    accounted for, and brought this information
    to light. During the public comment period
    for the TMDL, these issues were raised and
    the state added the stormwater permits
    issued for the area  to the TMDL as potential
    pollution sources. As a direct result of public
    comments, the language of Lake Yazoo's
    TMDL now reflects the fact that nonpoint
    sources of pollution are "unknown" rather
    than "zero."
    Source: www.rivernetwork.org
proceed with your work, especially if the project is small and involves
only a few outside parties.

Launching a full-blown basin planning and management program to
address a limited set of issues can backfire if the situation is not ripo
for a broad-based, cooperative approach. Building awareness and
trust, conducting educational activities, engaging stakeholders, and
convening a planning group take commitment, time and resources.
Forcing the process can complicate things, as the case study on the
Santa Ynez River demonstrates (see page 5).

On the other hand, important partners and even potential critics
should be included to make sure their concerns and interests are
addressed early in the process.

There are common elements to be considered when working with
stakeholders. This guide provides tips and tools to increase the effec-
tiveness of your efforts to involve and engage stakeholders in protect-
ing water quality.
                                                 Let's get to work!

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                                                                                         Section 1
Section 1:
Stakeholders and
Watershed  Management
Whatever the reason for conducting watershed management activi-
ties, stakeholders can help. Inclusive processes increase awareness
and understanding of issues and challenges, generate more data,
help determine priorities, increase support for remediation pro-
grams, and generally enhance the likelihood of success. Stakeholder
processes often provide the reality check for scientific efforts: They
seek to synthesize ecological, technical, social, cultural, political and
economic concerns through a process that helps to define what's
actually doable.

The move toward integrated, holistic watershed management has
meant that more attention must be paid to factors beyond the water
body itself—how land is used, what type of vegetative or other
cover it has, and how it is managed. Such an approach requires the
involvement of landowners, developers, farmers, urban governments,
homeowners, recreational groups and other constituents  in the
watershed if real progress is desired.

Using a watershed approach
Organizations in both the public and private sectors have enthusiasti-
cally embraced a watershed approach to protect and preserve the
quality of surface water and groundwater. This approach  has devel-
oped rapidly over the past 20 years at the federal, state and local
levels. Many states now manage their water resources through river
basin programs that consider all impacts in a drainage area rather
than discrete programs to address point and nonpoint sources of
pollution.
What's in Section 1 ?

• Using a watershed approach
• Involving stakeholders throughout
  the planning process
• Where are we now and where do
  we want to go?
• How do we get there?
• How will we know that we've
  arrived?
          All types of stakeholders
                should be involved.
Public support and sufficient participation
are essential for project success. A high rate
of participation is key in voluntary projects
because nonpoint sources of pollution are
widespread.

—North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

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Section 1
    f\ cyclical, iterative process
    continues to improve the
    management plan.
A watershed approach is particularly helpful in addressing tribal,
federal, state and local responsibilities under various Clean Water Act
programs. For example, the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) pro-
gram requires cleanup p ans for waters that don't meet the minimum
water quality criteria associated with the designated use of the water
body, such as swimming or fishing. Development of a TMDL involves
identifying the pollutant(s) that exceed water quality criteria, assess-
ing the sources (point and nonpoint) of those pollutants and develop-
ing target reduction levels. The next logical steps are to develop and
carry out an implementation plan with selected actions designed to
lower pollutant loads so the water body meets the minimum water
quality criteria.

EPA requires that states subject TMDL pollutant loads and reduc-
tion target calculations to public review and recommends public
participation to implement load allocations for nonpoint sources. For
example, a TMDL for sediment might include an analysis of sedi-
ment loads from construction sites, timber harvest activities, row crop
farming, and stream bank erosion caused by increased flows. These
analyses—and any plan to address sediment loads—would  benefit
greatly from the involvement of construction contractors, loggers,
farmers and stormwater managers in the affected watershed. Their
intimate knowledge of the activities and land management practices
contributing to sediment loads and their participation in developing
remediation actions designed to reduce them significantly enhances
the scientific and technical validity of the loading analysis and
increases the likelihood that appropriate control measures will be
implemented.

Clean Water Act regulations to prevent the degradation of cleaner
waters also require public participation.  Under Title 40 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 131.12, antidegradation pro-
grams must include a policy for ensuring that waters which meet or
surpass minimum water quality criteria are protected from degrada-
tion and  must  also include a method for implementing that policy.
Public participation and intergovernmental coordination  are specifi-
cally required  when considering proposals (e.g., National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits,  section 404 permits)
that would lower the quality of waters already meeting the criteria for
their designated uses. Engaging and involving the public in refining
and implementing antidegradation policies can help to increase the
efficiency and  effectiveness of a state antidegradation program. For
 8

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                                                                                                     Section  1
example, West Virginia's antidegradation implementation procedure
allows for public notice and comment regarding reviews, findings,
and decisions and outlines a nomination process for "any interested
party" to request higher protection levels for state water bodies.

In addition to Clean Water Act requirements for public participation,
other federal and state laws have specific public notice and involve-
ment requirements. For example, the Safe Drinking Water Act, which
provides for the control of contaminants in public water systems,
requires adequate public notices, public comment periods and pub-
lic hearings for major permit modifications, revocations, reissuances
and terminations. Other laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, also have similar public
involvement requirements. For more  information on the public par-
ticipation activities required for environmental permitting decisions,
refer to Public Involvement in Environmental Permits (http://www.epa.
gov/osw/hazard/tsd/permit/epmt/publicguide.pdf). That publication
also contains details on how to conduct public meetings and hear-
ings, produce public notices, respond to comments and much more.

Clearly, engaging and involving stakeholders benefits both  regulatory
and non-regulatory actions to restore and protect America's waters.
Synthesizing perspectives, policies, priorities and resources through
a watershed approach blends science, technology and statutory
responsibilities with social, economic and cultural considerations.

In 2008 EPA released the Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans
to Restore and Protect Our Waters (Watershed Handbook), which
provides comprehensive information  on all aspects of watershed
planning. The next several pages of this guide describe the watershed
planning process and highlight key areas where stakeholder involve-
ment is critical in the process. All watershed planning  efforts follow a
similar path from identifying the problems to, ultimately, implement-
ing actions to achieve the established goals. Many groups find that
informal scoping and information collection prior to plan develop-
ment provides valuable input during the early phase of planning.
Scoping activities include pre-planning data review and discussions
with stakeholders that can help to define the planning area, identify
other stakeholders, and help to solicit opinions  and advice on how to
proceed before launching into the plan development  process.
You can download EPA's Handbook for
Developing Watershed Plans to Restore
and Protect Our Waters at www.epa.gov/
nps/watershed_handbook.

Another great resource is EPA's Watershed
Plan Builder—an online tool at http://java.
epa.gov/wsplanner that walks you through
a series of pages where you can input
information about your watershed. The end
product is a customized outline that can be
used to develop a watershed management
plan.


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 lection 7
   Goth the knowledge and needs of
   stakeholders provide a yardstick
   to measure solutions.
 Steps in the watershed planning process
 In the Watershed Handbook, the watershed planning process is pre-
 sented in the following major steps:
 1.  Build partnerships.

 2.  Characterize the watershed to identify problems.
 3.  Set goals and identify solutions.
 4.  Design an implementation program.
 5.  Implement the watershed plan.

 6.  Measure progress and make adjustments.

 Stakeholder involvement is not conducted in a parallel course with
 watershed management but rather is woven throughout to strengthen
 the end result. Keep in mind that the overall process is iterative or
 cyclical, not linear, so it can be  initiated at any phase. Recognize
 also that you might not conduct every activity in each phase. Some
 activities can be skipped with sufficient justification. It helps to know,
 however, what you're skipping and why in case those issues need to
 be addressed during later iterations of the cycle.


 Involving the  stakeholder group throughout
 the  watershed planning process
 The stakeholder group needs to be involved at each stage of the
 watershed planning process. Their knowledge of local social, eco-
 nomic, political and ecological conditions provides  the yardstick
 against which proposed solutions must be measured. Also, the goals,
 problems and remediation strategies generated by stakeholders clari-
 fy what's desirable and achievable. Weaving stakeholder input, legal
 requirements, and  resource protection strategies into an integrated
 tapestry  for managing surface water and groundwater  resources is
what the watershed approach is all about.

The following questions will lead you through the watershed
approach, highlighting where stakeholders are critical to the
outcome:
 •  Where are we now and where do we want to go?
 •  How do we get there?
 •  How will we know that we've arrived?
10

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                                                                                                   Section  7
1. Where are we now and where do we want to go?
Asking this question helps to guide your assessment of current condi-
tions and define the problems you want to address, which typically
include meeting water quality standards for waters that are impaired,
improving the quality of threatened waters, and protecting high
quality waters. Stakeholders need to be brought in at this phase to
review waterbody use designations, numeric and narrative water
quality criteria, and consider other issues that might warrant atten-
tion. For example, stakeholders might be aware of localized flooding,
old dump sites, popular recreational areas, and other aspects of the
watershed not captured in monitoring or other reports. They can also
help to identify social and environmental concerns in the watershed,
assist with gathering data, initiate public outreach, build support for
the planning effort, and create a vision for the future.

At this stage, it is important to carefully  consider the composition
of your stakeholder group, to ensure maximum effectiveness. For
example, if the watershed under study is mostly agricultural, involv-
ing farmers and/or the local conservation district will help to engage
an important constituency early in the process. Stakeholders might
need some orientation regarding water  quality standards, watershed
assessment, identification of impairments and threats, and relevant
management practices. Some stakeholders might be a bit reluctant to
participate at first. However, as the process unfolds they can provide
key input on how to approach challenges identified in the watershed
assessment or scoping study. Agricultural producers also represent
an important constituency that can often help to leverage resources
needed later for BMP cost share funding and implementation.

Be as strategic as possible when developing your initial stakeholder
group. If issues are likely to be controversial,  involving a small group
of key people in some small, early discussions can help to identify
important issues, barriers, opportunities, and resources vital to the
success of the planning effort. As the planning process proceeds,
additional stakeholders can be brought in as  needed, to supplement
the core group.

2. How do we get there?
This question identifies specific activities that will be conducted to
achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the previous phase.
The stakeholder group will assist with identifying the strategies to
be implemented, often taking the lead on the actions. Stakeholders
can also support funding opportunities  for sustaining the watershed
efforts in the future through grants, in-kind services, education and
outreach.

Planning and implementation—The issue is not whether to plan but
rather how to develop plans that lead to action. The most effective
plans contain a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions and
ecological, social, economic, cultural and political issues. However,
they focus mostly on identifying, prioritizing and targeting problems
Watershed planning checklist
Where are we now and where do we
want to go?
Q Include the geographic extent of" the
   watershed covered by the plan.
Q Identify the measurable water quality
   goals, including the appropriate water
   quality standards and designated uses.
Q Identify the causes Shd sources that
   need to be controlled to achieve the
   water quality standards.         ,   <
Q Estimate the pollutant loads entering   ,
   the water body.
Q Determine the pollutant had  *•
   reductions needed to meet the water
   quality goals.
 Watershed planning checklist
 How do we get there?
 Q  Identify critical areas in which
    management measures are needed.
 Q  Identify the management measures that
    need to be implemented to achieve the
  *, load reductions. *, •  x •*.<•<.   ~ '.* ....
 Q  Prepare an information/education,.',  "
    component (hat identifies the,
" \educatfon and outreach Activities \  T
    needed to implement the watershed ,
   .management plan,*  ;• : '  *'' * :r *
 Q  develop a schecfu/e for implementing -
'' '               ''     ''"    '
. Q tSpeqfywhatste,pstyilibe tefcerv, arid:
j i bvvv|jorry4  ''      '
 ,
 -  • .frjfpm^atfqri and ec/ycatfpjj ^iviti^, ('.;• ,;.,
  .  and monitoring.  "-'  ;=,     .'  '    '     ,
'••  -  /   •  •";,  -  • ,  i '-' -   * -'''*> .   •'
 -Q Identify th&$ource$ and
 , - , implement the management measures. .
                                                                                                           11

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Section 7
    Watershed planning checklist
    How do we know that we've arrived?
    Q  Develop interim, measurable
       milestones for determining whether
       management measures are being
       Implemented.
    Q  Develop a set of criteria. indicators) to
      ' determine whether loading reductions
     ';, are being achieved- and progress is  .
       being made toward attaining (or
       maintaining) water quality $t£ndardss
    Q  Develop a monitoring component
       to determine whether the plan is  . •    .
       , being implemented appropriately and
       whether progress toward attainment
       or maintenance of applicable water
     ,  quality standards is being achieved.  -.
    Q  Develop an evaluation framework;
and generating possible solutions based on real-world conditions.
Watershed plans must be understandable to the public and lead to
strategic actions that improve water quality and habitat. The plans
should be viewed as management tools rather than merely as techni-
cal studies.

The issue of scale—The scale of the planning/management program
greatly influences how it will unfold. Efforts to manage smaller water-
sheds (less than  100 square miles) can be as complicated as programs
in large basins. The scale chosen usually depends on the land and
water issues of concern. If the issue is forest management and the
basin is mostly rural, a large  basin may be effectively managed by a
single partnership. On the other hand, urban regions facing indus-
trial, residential  and  commercial impacts might have to be addressed
at a much smaller watershed level.

Attempts to manage watersheds that are too large can fail because
communication and stakeholder interaction can be difficult and
interests may diverge over a broad region. The scale  chosen should
be based on a common-sense analysis of the people, issues, and
activities in the watershed under study. Of course, when smaller
management units are indicated, some attempt should  be made
to coordinate with other watershed groups that share the basin.
Interaction among these groups must be handled carefully and on a
case-specific basis. Efforts to create an umbrella management pro-
gram with representation from each smaller unit can cause tension,
especially if the overarching program attempts to dictate policy or
process to its constituent groups. A loose, flexible arrangement that
focuses on communication and cooperation rather than structure and
process is often  the best approach  for umbrella organizations that
serve to aggregate separate,  independent watershed groups.

3. How will we know that we've arrived?
A key step to watershed protection is determining when you have
achieved your goals and objectives. This involves developing appropri-
ate indicators to evaluate the progress of the watershed efforts, as well
as conducting monitoring to  measure improvements in the watershed.
Stakeholders should  be involved in developing the indicators to be
used and also can assist with monitoring efforts through volunteer
monitoring programs or by acting as watchdogs across the watershed.

Measuring success—Stakeholders and the public want to achieve
success, and that usually means improvements in water quality  or
aquatic habitat. Success also means development of an effective,
sustainable long-term process capable of recruiting new leaders,
participants and resources.

Measuring environmental success is not difficult, though often
improvements occur many years after restoration and new manage-
ment practices are implemented. Indicators should be  quantitative
so that the effectiveness of management practices can be predicted.
 12

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                                                                                               Section  7
Examples of environmental indicators
Description of indicator type      Examples of indicators
Document the extent to which program-
matic, regulatory, and other actions have
been taken
Describe actions or conditions which are
likely to impact surface or groundwater
quality
Measure the extent to which ambient
water quality has changed
Measure direct effects on the health of
humans, fish, other wildlife, habitat, ,'   ,
riparian vegetation, and the economy of
the region
 •  Number of permits reissued with new limits
 •  Number of point sources in substantial noncompliance
 •  Elapsed time from identification of serious discharge violations until
   correction
 •  Number of targeted facilities/properties that have implemented
   BMPs
 •  /Amount of fertilizer sold or used
 •  Number of estuary acres monitored
 •  Number of communities enacting zoning or stormwater
   management ordinances           ,                '
 •  Number of public water systems with source water protection plans
 •  Number of public outreach activities and citizens reached ,

 •  Nutrient loadings from each type of point and nonpoint source
 •  Pollutant loadings to groundwater from  underground injection wells
 •  Stability and condition of riparian vegetation
 •  Percent imperviousness upstream
 •  General erosion rate upstream
 •  /Amount of toxics discharged in excess of permitted levels
 •  Amount of toxics discharged by spills
 •  Number of businesses and households that have altered behaviors
   or processes to reduce pollutants (via survey estimate)  '-.,.-•

 •  Pollutant concentrations in water column, sediments, and
   groundwater                                        .
 •  Frequency, extent, and duration of restriction on water uses—
   drinking, fishing, shellfishing    ...             .,
 •  Percent of stream miles or lake or estuary acres that support each
   designated use                         '        ,         •
 •  Percent of stream miles with impaired or threatened uses^
 •  Number of beach closure days per year
•  Aquatic community metrics, including diversity indices    ,
• ,,Waterborne disease in humans .
•  Size of wetlands or riparian habitat lost, gained, protettedor
   restored   ,                                 ,          ,
••  Size of commercial and recreational fish harvest         :
•  Estimated number of jobs and income due to recreation
                                                                                                       13

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Section 1
    EPA's Watershed Academy
    www.epa.gov/watershedacademy
    The Watershed Academy provides online
    learning modules and Webcasts to teach
    stakeholders how to implement watershed
    approaches and conduct watershed
    planning. The free, self-paced online
    training modules provide a basic and broad
    introduction to the watershed management
    field. The modules are appropriate for a
    wide array of audiences—from  government
    employees to interested citizens. The
    Watershed Academy a/so offers periodic
    Webcast seminars, which can be accessed
    live or downloaded later (see www.epa.gov/
    watershedwebcasts).
Success indicators should be derived from the goals established by
the partnership, and goals should be SMART—Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Targets can be based on water
quality standards or, where numeric water quality standards do not
exist, on data analysis, literature values or values representative of
conditions supportive of water body uses.

Although a variety of environmental indicators can be used, some
might not be relevant to stakeholders or the public. The Green
Mountain Institute defines indicators as "direct or indirect measures
of some valued component or quality of a defined system used to
assess and communicate the status and trends of the system's health."
The World Wildlife Fund calls indicators "tools to simplify, measure
and communicate complex events or trends."

Communicating environmental conditions—The ability of indicators
to communicate defines their relevance. Stakeholders may glaze over
at graphs of dissolved oxygen trends, sediment transport, or substrate
embeddedness, but they might exhibit keen interest in a simplified,
consolidated fish health index. Public agencies are increasingly adopt-
ing indices that incorporate a suite of indicators to more effectively
communicate environmental conditions. For example, the state of
Florida issues periodic bioassessment ecosystem summaries known as
ecosummaries. The ecosummaries contain brief overviews of assess-
ment, stressor and trend data, along with a consolidated speedometer-
type graphic (a bug-o-meter) that gauges conditions ranging  from poor
(red) to good (green). The Tennessee Valley Authority uses a  simple bar
graph template that represents the ecological  health of reservoirs over
time as poor, fair, or good. A simple table includes the most  recent
year's ratings (poor, fair or good) for individual ecological health indica-
tors such as temperature, sediment and dissolved oxygen.

Technical teams that design and conduct monitoring and assessment
programs should consult with stakeholders to determine what kinds
of indicators or groups of indicators are understandable and use-
ful. Innovative approaches, such as using transparent plastic cups
of muddy agricultural  runoff to visualize the  need for rice farmers
to control sediment pollution from flooded fields, can bring about
greater awareness and adoption of BMPs.
                                                    Indicators for the Chesapeake Bay

                                                    The Chesapeake Bay Program tracks a considerable number  ,
                                                    of environmental indicators^ Including those associated with,
                                                    nutrients, living resources, toxics ancfprogrammatfc activities.,
                                                    A comprehensive list df these indicators and other /nformatton
                                                   , regarding their level,in the; reporting hierarchy, categorization, .and
                                                    use is available on the Web at wvvwchesapeafcebay.hefAracfc/gu/des.
 14

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                                                                                                   Section 1
Regardless of the indicator scheme adopted, showing stakeholders
how chemical, physical and biological parameters are used or incor-
porated into indices helps develop an appreciation for scientific and
technical principles and processes. Linking indicators to water quality
and habitat conditions further aids this effort, and it is an important
consideration in any assessment and monitoring program.

4. Repeating the cycle: Where do we want to go next?
Because watershed management is cyclical, you're never really
done. Management is dynamic: Conditions,  priorities, resources, and
capabilities can all change over time. Repeating the cycle provides an
opportunity to update assessments, priorities, goals and management
strategies and address issues that were not dealt with during previ-
ous iterations because of resource constraints or other reasons. The
process of moving cyclically through the planning and  management
steps and making constant adjustments is called adaptive manage-
ment. This approach allows consideration and use of innovative and
even experimental strategies and avoids the narrow-minded pursuit
of activities just because they're in "The Plan."

Section 2 focuses on the nuts and bolts of starting a stakeholder involve-
ment process and defining how the participant group will operate.
                  Innovation and experimentation
                        help stakeholders improve
                            watershed conditions.
   Stakeholders collaborate to restore the Corsica River watershed
   77ie 3 7.5-square-mile Corsica Rrver watershed in eastern  .
   Maryland drains both agricultural and residential areas
   and ultimately flows into the northern Chesapeake Bay.
   Numerous pollutants have degraded the river (or years. The
   state of Maryland declared it impaired for sediment (1996),
   nutrients (1996), polychhrinated biphenyls (2002), fecal
   coliform (1996, in restricted shellfish areas), and impacts  •
   on biological communities (2002 and 2004, in non-tidal
   areas); In September 2005 high nutrient levels fueled a", .•
   large algae bloom that eventually killed 50,000 fish,  V •
   Stakeholders joined forces in 2003 to address pollution
   problems. Representatives from the town "ofCentfeville
   teamed with citizens, community groups arid technical. ,
   staff from the Maryland Department, of Natural Resources.
   (DNR) to develop a Watershed Restoration. Action ,   .   '•
   Strategy (WRAS) in 2004,This h!ghly.kctlaimedwatershed
  • plan outlines the steps required fo restore mtfprotect  ,-  ,
   the Corsica tiiver. The Corsica RivefWRA^identified,  . {
   numerousactions that/if f'mp?£m'enietf> .wouftf restow*' •;"
   . the Corsica and address the exfsfing toia/ maximum • -". ,1  ;
   daily loadCTMDU requirements. The strategics Include
  planting cover crops and riparian buffers; controlling
  urban stormwater; educating the public; upgrading
*« septic systems; incorporating low-impact development
  strategies; and restoring oyster populations, submerged
 .aquatic vegetation and wetlands. The WRAS also
 ^identified code and regulatory chatiges that the Town of
  Centreville and Queen Anne's County could implement
  to protect the watershed in the future. '  * •    ;;  ,  '

 ' Numerous federa1,state and local pannes* are helping* ;
.  to implement the WRASt including the Maryland   '- ;
  DNR, Maryland Department of trie JShv/mnment "  v > '
  fMDSJ; Queen Anne's County? tne'-Townof^nfavill% ""
•  tf?£0y^er1?e£<>^ry^^                         _'
  Corsica Rwet-Consefvancy, funding to Support trie  • ,   '
  '^
.... Maryland's Bay Rese6ratidb*R/n<3, J^e^C^,
  mrtneVlrifp, tfieKfatfdnaf ffsf) antf W|te foundation, .
 ,-' and the- &i&apeakej&ay 'frust? To y/ew ihe strategy/ys)t .
 :vsw.dnr.siate.md:us/irc/docs/Q001 3839.pdf.,'  , ;•'-
                                                                                                            15

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                                                                                                 Section 2
Section 2:
Getting Started
In this section you will learn to identify the driving forces that prompt-
ed your watershed management effort, determine your organization's
goals and objectives, and outline how the stakeholders will comple-
ment and support your overall program. Keep in mind that once the
stakeholder group convenes, the goals and objectives you first identi-
fied will be modified to include their issues. Taking the time to discuss
any inconsistencies in goals and to reach consensus on how to proceed
is the most important aspect of the stakeholder process.
Identifying driving -forces
When initiating a stakeholder group involvement program, you must
first identify the driving forces behind your effort. This will help you
determine the scope and level of participation throughout the rest of
the process. For example, many programs under the Clean Water Act
require or strongly recommend stakeholder involvement to imple-
ment efforts related to source water protection, coastal zone man-
agement, protection of estuaries, TMDLs, and water quality criteria
and standards. The permitting process for wastewater discharges,
              What's in Section 2?

              •  Identifying driving forces
              •  Defining organizational goals and
                objectives
              •  Developing a framework for
                stakeholder involvement
                    What are the driving forces?
   Citizens successful in keeping local lake from becoming a stormwater detention basin
   The City of St. Peter, Minnesota, began dumping its
   stormwater directly into nearby Lake Hallett in the mid-
   1960s. The city moved to officially designate Lake Hallett
   as a stormwater detention basin and purchased the      ,
   lake in 7998. If designated as a city-owned stormwater
   detention basinf the Jake would not be subject to water
   quality protection. The City's efforts alarmed local
   'residents* In 7999 concerned citizens formed the Lake
   Hallett Association (LHA) to end the stormwater dumping.
   The group discovered that the Minnesota Department
   of Natural Resources (MDNR) had assigned the lake
   an official lake identification number, making the lake
   a public water of Minnesota, which the city could not
 legally purchase. LHA increased public awareness of lake
 Hallett by talking to people, hosting educational booths
 at events, writing letters to the, local newspaper editor,  ,
 ancf encouraging people to use and appreciate the lake,
. Sot/i t/ie MDNRand Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
 worked with t/ie city for several years to resolve the issue.
 By 2007 the city Had finally closed its stormwater pipe
 and built a new stormwater detention basin to capture   .
 and treat the city's stormwater. The, new basin, however,
 is,designed to overflow intpLake Hallett, so the LHA
 continues to work with local and state officials to protect
 the lake from pol/ut/pn.,     .
                                                                                                        17

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Section 2
                                                stormwater management, and combined sewer overflow control also
                                                requires public input and involvement, as do activities conducted
                                                under state and federal nonpoint source pollution programs and the
                                                Endangered Species Act.

                                                Why stakeholder groups form
                                                The driving force for initiating a stakeholder involvement effort often
                                                centers around a specific issue such as water quality violations in a
                                                stream segment, an  NPDES permit upgrade to expand wastewater
                                                treatment capacity, or the need to reduce loadings of a specific pol-
                                                lutant into a water body.

                                                Development of a TMDL or a cleanup plan for waters not meet-
                                                ing minimum criteria also spawns the creation of many watershed
                                                groups. When TMDLs address nonpoint sources of pollution, stake-
                                                holder participation is  even more helpful. Stakeholder involvement
                                                is also extremely valuable in reviewing the relevant water quality
                                                criteria and water body use designation for appropriateness, identi-
                                                fying likely sources of problem pollutants, developing strategies for
                                                reducing pollutant loads, and  implementing the selected strategies.
    Why stakeholder groups form

    •  To strengthen TMDL Implementation. TMDL
       guidance from EPA notes that "adequate public
       participation should be a part of the [impaired
       waters] listing process to make sure that all water-
       quality limited waters are identified." In addition,
       the guidance encourages strong state and local
       involvement in the TMDL development process:
       "States and involved local communities should
       participate in determining which pollution sources
       should bear the treatment or control burden needed
       to reach allowable loadings.  By Involving the local
       communities in declsion-hnaking, £PA expects that a
       higher probability of successful TMDL implementation
       will result"       •   ,
    •  To inform project Implementation. Any watershed
       plan funded with incremental Clean Water Act section
       31 d funds must meet the nine elements spelled
       out in EPA's Guidelines for Award of Section 319
       Nonpoint Source Grants to States and Territories, orte
       of which is.to.develop an information and education
       component to enhance public understanding and
       encourage stakeholder participation in 'designing and
       implementing the watershed plan.
•  To follow recommended guidance. EPA's Guidelines
   for Ecological Risk Assessment outline a process for
   risk assessment that includes engaging stakeholders
   and interested parties to help ensure that assessment
   information is robust and inclusive.
•  To comply with new legislative requirements.
   The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water
   Act require stakeholder involvement in developing
   programs to protect rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wellhead
   recharge zones and other sources of drinking water.

•  To respond to federal decisions. The Black Bear
   Conservation Coalition was .formed when-the U.S, ;;,
   Fish and Wildlife Service announced its decision to-
,   list the Louisiana black bear as-threatened under the
   guidelines of ih$ Endangered Spedes^ct:
   Www.6facc.org,  ,. .-,-,  ;: . , :.'    ]   .    ••<•'.•<"-
      * *'        ''';"''   " '  '*'","
•  To address conflict over specific Issues. The
   Apalachicola-dhattatioochee'Fllht (ACf) Stakeholders
   group formed when, asmaffgr^up of people who five,
   workandvs$ the-water resources in the ACf Basin
   came togethertd Identify ways to resolve conflicts  ]
   over management pf the water resources In tfie area
   and develop equitable solutions arftong stakeholders
   that balance economic^ eco/og/ca/ and social values.
 18

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                                                                                                   Section 2
Watershed residents and land managers usually have a richer knowl-
edge of potential pollutant foading activities than do other stakehold-
ers, as well as a better perspective of what's likely to work in terms
of remediation. For example, the Rouge River Wet Weather Demon-
stration Project tapped area residents' knowledge of possible  waste
disposal sites and found dozens of small, leaking landfills that were
not registered in state or local databases. The Center for Watershed
Protection and other technical support organizations report that
targeted workshops with homeowners on how to reduce residential
stormwater impacts associated with home, yard and garden practices
are more effective than brochures or media campaigns that don't
feature workshops.

In many cases, direct engagement with groups  to address a specific
issue provides the basis for forming a stakeholder group. In other
cases, stakeholder involvement is driven by a desire to develop
proactive  responses to potential future threats.  These stakeholder
programs  are often the most challenging because the driving force is
more subtle, making it tough to motivate action—especially if there is
no specific time frame for accomplishing activities such  as acquiring
a permit or complying with a regulation. These issues might include
managing the long-term growth of a region in an environmentally
sensitive manner, exploring options for sharing water resources
among localities, or preserving the cultural heritage of a region.

Regardless of the reason for watershed planning and management
initiatives, there are clearly significant legal, logical and logistical rea-
sons to engage and involve the public and other agency stakeholders.
Identifying the driving forces for including stakeholders is an important
step in designing the stakeholder involvement program because it will
define the scope and  level of participation throughout the process.

Defining organizational goals  and objectives
Once you've determined why you're undertaking a watershed  plan-
ning or management initiative, it's important to examine your orga-
nization's goals and objectives regarding the project. Addressing this
issue before involving stakeholders will help you determine which
stakeholders need to be involved based on your goals and objectives.
Internal goals might overlap somewhat with the driving forces, but they
usually go beyond mere compliance with legal or logistical require-
ments. The following are typical programmatic goals:
•  Characterize and resolve an existing problem (e.g., flooding,
   water quality violations).
•  Clarify the scope and magnitude of a perceived problem.
•  Deal with impacts from future agricultural, industrial, commercial
   or residential development.
•  Protect important recreational or habitat resources.
Goal of the Umatilla River
Fisheries Restoration Program

The Umatilla ft'ver fisheries Restoration
Program is a collaborative effort between •
the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation (which have treaty rights
to the river,), federal agencies, the Oregon
Department offish and Wildlife, and the
local community The goal of the Program
is to restore approximately 3T,500 salmon
and steelhead to the river. Between 7993
and 7993, program partners completed
a multi-phase project that diverts water
from the Columbia Kiverf where there
is no shortage of water, and delivers it~
to three of the five irrigation districts in.
the Umatilla Basin. Other projects have
included instrearn flow enhancement,
structural passage improvements, hatchery
actions, tributary habitat enhancement,
and monitoring and evaluation. Before
comriktioncf.The dfoejskm project in :  , -
7999, oflfy 7,000 to 3,000 salmon and  , ,
steeJhead returned to the river. Between
2000 and 2006i, the return numbers
ranged from 72,648 to 36,392.   .<
                                                                                                          19

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Section 2
                                               Internal management goals such as the following also need to be
                                               considered:
                                               •  Efficiently coordinate the deployment of public agency resources.

                                               •  Generate awareness and interest in resolving potential problems.

                                               •  Build trust in the sponsoring organization and its partners.

                                               •  Create support for funding and implementing selected manage-
                                                  ment practices.

                                               After you outline the general goals you hope to achieve, you must
                                               identify specific objectives to accomplish them. For example, if one of
                                               your goals is  to alleviate flooding in the county, your objectives might
                                               be to conduct an inventory of drainage areas, to perform hydrodynam-
                                               ic modeling, and to implement a stormwater education program.

                                               Remember that agency programmatic and management goals are
                                               only a subset of the overall aims of the planning/management process.
                                               Stakeholders will bring to the table their own set of goals and objec-
                                               tives, which will be  incorporated into the overall project goals.
    Sample driving forces, goals, and objectives for a watershed management effort
    What are the driving forces for the watershed
    management effort in Starshader County?
    •  Need for a TMDL to address excessive sediment loads
       in the 303(d)-listed Salmon River.
    •  Angler demands for cleaner water and better habitat
       to support recreational fisheries.
    •  Localized flooding caused by faster runoff from urban
       areas,                ,

    What are the goals of the watershed
    management plan?
    •  increase awareness about water quality issues in
     '  Starshader County.   ,        •   ',  •    •
    •  Develop, and implement a TMDL for sediment in the
       Salmon River.*       .""'!'
    •  Restore fish habitat and water quality to improve the
       fishery.      •',,'' 4   '„ I
    •  Reduce flooding impacts by addressing flows and/or.
       floodplain development        ,
What are the key objectives?
•  Identify, engage and involve relevant stakeholders.
•  Characterize land uses and land management
   practices in the watershed.
•  Assess land use/management practices on fish habitat.
•  Identify activities and/or areas that significantly
   contribute to sediment loading.   ,        • '<   /
•  Identify land use/management practices that might
   exacerb'ate flooding.               >•/'.'
•  Assess cyclically flooded properties to determine
   impacts and possible options,        ,        ,   .  ,
•  Develop management strategies targeted at reducing
   flooding impactSt,$ediment and Habitat>fJegradation,
•  Identify resources to implement the selected
   management strategies:          '   ";   /      '
•  Evaluate the success of implemented actions; adapt as
• •.  necessary.  I-'   •••••'"••,.„» '  '   "  :> -.  .'."'•  .'
20

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                                                                                                   Section 2
Developing a framework for stakeholder
involvement
After assessing the driving forces and identifying your internal goals
and objectives for the project, you should be able to (1) determine
whether stakeholder involvement is needed and (2) define the level
of involvement.  This is the time to start outlining a structure for the
stakeholder group, possible roles and responsibilities, and decision-
making methods. Keep in mind that this is just a preliminary frame-
work. The stakeholders will comment and provide their own input
on how they think they should operate (^presented  in Section 3).
When developing a stakeholder involvement framework, you must
answer questions such as
•  How will the group be structured? (e.g., fully empowered man-
   agement entity, advisory body, subset of the management com-
   mittee, ad hoc group)
•  How "quiet" or "loud" does your stakeholder process need to be?

•  How will decisions be made? (e.g., majority vote, consensus,
   input received but decisions made by  responsible party)
•  What is the membership of the group? (e.g., one representative
   from each locality or interest group, cross-section of the water-
   shed residents, open to all interested persons)
•  What are the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders? (e.g.,
   provide input into scope of efforts, outreach, select management
   options, represent larger constituencies, review and comment on
   reports)

The rest of this section reviews these questions to help you decide
which approach best fits your circumstances.

Organizational structure
Watershed stakeholder groups range from informal,  ad hoc groups to
highly organized and well-funded nonprofit corporations. Some are
comprised mostly of government agencies, with a sprinkling of inter-
est group and citizen representation. Most adopt a mission statement
or vision (e.g., "to protect, conserve, manage, and restore land and
water resources  through a cooperative/consensus process designed to
meet the needs of present and future generations").

Some stakeholder groups focus on a single aspect of the  resource
(e.g., fisheries, aesthetics), whereas others adopt a holistic or ecosys-
tem approach. Watershed groups are very much driven by the inter-
ests, capabilities and contacts of participants. Because stakeholder
groups often emerge in response to problems, they  might be highly
focused on those concerns initially. Gentle guidance can help expand
a stakeholder group's mission over time to encompass a broader,
more holistic approach, if necessary, but it is best to let this matura-
tion process evolve at its own pace.
Massachusetts' collaborative
approach to restore wetlands

Stakeholders created the Massachusetts
Wetlands Restoration and Banking
Program in the mid-1990s to support
comprehensive wetland restoration
efforts across Massachusetts. In 2005,
representatives agreed to change the name
to the Partnership to Restore Massachusetts
Aquatic Habitats, broaden the program
to include all types of aquatic habitats,
and expand the membership to all state
programs involved in aquatic habitat
restoration. Partners consist of state and
federal restoration and regulatory programs
and corporate and nonprofit conservation
groups. Participating partners communicate
regularly to discuss all aspects of habitat
restoration, including science, policy,
planning, permitting, funding, monitoring
and project implementation. The active
collaboration enables partners to more
efficiently match funding opportunities
with project needs and work together to
address common issues.

     &roups might focus on a single
        aspect ... or fake a holistic
                           approach.
                                                                                                          21

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Section 2
    Watershed partnerships
    take timel

    Professor Paul Sabatier and his watershed
    partnership research team at the University
    of California-Davis found that it takes
    time—frequently about 48 months—
    to achieve major milestones such as
    formal agreements and implementation
    of restoration, education or monitoring
    projects. Stakeholders in general perceive
    that their partnerships have been most
    effective at addressing local problems,
    even serious ones. On the other hand,
    they perceive that partnerships have
    occasionally aggravated problems involving
    the economy, regulation and threats to
    property rights. Indeed, Sabatier and his
    team found that partnerships apparently
    have the most positive impact on the most
    serious problems in the watershed. This
    finding contradicts the fear that consensus-
    based processes often avoid important
    issues and generate ineffectual agreements.
       —Stakeholder Partnerships as Collaborative
       Policymaking: Evaluation Criteria Applied to
        Watershed Management in California and
                       Washington, UC Davis
    Stakeholders in a group usually
    bring different backgrounds.
    interests, and Stakeholders
    agendas.
Although it might seem desirable to merge resource planning and
management groups in the same basin into a comprehensive structure,
many of these small, focused organizations value their independence
and might resist efforts to force them into a larger group. Coordination
and communication are the best approaches to build cooperation.
Keeping interest groups informed of larger planning and management
efforts and seeking their input and expertise at every opportunity can
create an effective, efficient management program without the burden
of rigid, overarching structural and procedural components.

Working with manageably sized stakeholder groups
There are several ways to balance the need for inclusion  of multiple
stakeholders with the desire for working with a group that's not too
large. Committees of 25 or more people can present logistical and
other problems and make it impossible to offer adequate time for
participation by all  members. Active stakeholders for the  Santa Clara
Basin Watershed Management Initiative include municipal govern-
ment representatives responsible for publicly owned treatment works
and stormwater permittees, EPA, environmental groups, the Santa
Clara Valley Water District, and the Guadalupe-Coyote Resource
Conservation District. A core group of stakeholders was convened in
1996 to serve as an  advisory board to established decision-making
bodies and local communities. The core group oversees the Santa
Clara Basin Watershed Management  Initiative and supports imple-
mentation of its Watershed Action Plan, developed in 2003. As of
2010, active subgroups are working on watershed education and
outreach, land use, product stewardship and a zero litter initiative.

Membership
Membership in watershed organizations is also highly variable. Some
are composed  of like-minded people who share a concern for a spe-
cific resource facing a highly focused threat (e.g., a lakeshore home-
owners association  dealing with elevated  nutrient levels). Others are
more like "textbook" stakeholder partnerships, consisting of people
with  very different backgrounds, perspectives, values, interests and
agendas. In both cases, however, membership is often based simply
on interest, commitment and energy. Of course, when the basin
is large and the issues are many, it is often desirable to establish a
representative  board or committee to make decisions. This process is
subjective by nature, but it must be based on  honest efforts to ensure
that all stakeholder perspectives are represented.

The stakeholder group should include experts from more than one
discipline, people from different sectors of the community,  and
people who might see the watershed issues or concerns in different
ways. There is  no formula for who has to be in the group. In fact,
some studies have indicated that both broad and narrow groups can
be effective,  depending on the situation. (Refer to "One Size  Does
Not Fit All: Matching Breadth of Stakeholder Participation to Water-
shed Croup Accomplishments" by Tomas M. Koontz and Elizabeth
Moore Johnson, published in Pofcy Sciences  (June 2004).)
22

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                                                                                                 Section 2
Often the biggest challenge when selecting stakeholders is to achieve
a balanced representation among the various interests so that people
don't feel that the deck is stacked against them. c^= Section 3 goes
into detail on how to identify key audiences in the community and
select stakeholder representatives for participation in your effort.

"Quiet" versus "loud" stakeholder involvement
In cases where watershed  problems are very focused and involve
very few landowners/managers, it might be more appropriate to work
quietly with a small set of select stakeholders over a long time frame
rather than trying to conduct a very public outreach and stakeholder
involvement effort. A "loud" stakeholder involvement effort could
potentially alienate stakeholders that don't want attention brought
to them or could be embarrassed about the watershed problems
that have been identified on their land. When problems are specific
enough to be addressed by one or two landowners, they are often
more likely to be addressed by those landowners when they are
approached and worked with one on one.

Decision-making methods
There are many approaches for considering input from stakeholders
in final management decisions. Managers can gather input infor-
mally from individual stakeholders or interest groups to increase their
understanding of stakeholders' perspectives and make a decision
without ever convening a meeting. Conversely, the sponsoring orga-
nization can  hand over significant authority to a formally organized
stakeholder committee and agree to abide by whatever decisions it
makes. Regardless of the approach, the process and its impact on the
resulting product must be clearly stated at the outset. This enables
decision makers to establish clear boundaries for  the involvement
of others, lets people know what to expect and what is expected of
them, and helps build support for the final decision. Generally speak-
ing, as the level of involvement in the decision-making increases, so
does the level of commitment to the outcome.

Soliciting formal or informal input without sharing real authority is
commonly practiced in natural resource management programs.
Sharing of authority was relatively rare  in the past, but it is becom-
ing more common under the watershed planning and management
approaches developing today. Giving stakeholders a real voice in
making decisions might cause some discomfort at first,  but this
approach generates far more interest, involvement and commitment
from participants and gives them a real stake in the outcome.

Most partnerships seek consensus on decisions, but a common con-
cern  to this approach is that it leads to  lowest-common-denominator
(rather than better) decisions or to discussions that avoid contentious
or critical issues. cg^See Section 4  for specific guidance on making
decisions by consensus.
          Try f o achieve a balanced
                    representation.
Do we always need
consensus?

Don't jump to the conclusion that
consensus is needed for every decision.
in some cases, it is more appropriate
to gather mput from the stakeholders
and then make a decision.,The factors
to consider when selecting a decision-   ,
making method include time available, the
importance of the decision, the information
needed to make the decision, the ability of
the group to make thededsion, and the
information required to make a decision.
And remember,  consensus is a decision
everyone can live wftft/not necessarily a  ,
decision eagerly supported by all.
                                                                                                        23

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Section 2
    Ecosystem management
    through role reversal

    Illinois Partners for Conservation (formerly
    Conservation 2000) includes a component
    for managing targeted ecosystems that
    turns the traditional agency-led approach
    on its head. Local stakeholder partnerships
    have primary oversight over nearly all
    aspects of the projects and are authorized
    to call in state agency resources as
    needed. The role reversal removes state
    agencies from the often-difficult task
    of resolving conflicts among various
    interests and gives the resulting consensus
    recommendations validity untarnished
    by charges that the management strategy
    represents only what "the state" wants to-
    do. For more information, visit http://dnr.
    state.il.us/orep/pfc.
    Checklist for your stakeholder
    framework:
    Q  What are the driving forces behind this
       effort?             ,
    Q  What are our agency 's/organ/zat/dn's
     ,  internal goals?
    Q  How w/7/we ach/eve those goa/s?
    Q  Do we need stakeholder /nvo/vement?
       If so,fiow much?   -  ••"• '  '  •
    Q  What will be the structure of the      '
       group?            '.,--•
    Q  What will be the membership of the,
       group?                        '
              f         •  ',,'*    * -  "   c
    Q  How will decisions be made?
   Q  What are some of the proposed roles
       and responsibilities of the stakeholders?
Roles and responsibilities
Outlining proposed roles and responsibilities for the stakeholder
group will help clarify expectations, reduce conflict, and encourage a
smooth group process. There are two major areas for involvement—
process and content.

The person responsible for managing the process is usually a facilita-
tor. Using an outside facilitator  (third-party person not connected
directly to the sponsoring agency or other stakeholders at the table)
is usually best. The facilitator should  be perceived as a neutral party
who will not contribute his or her ideas to the group.  The facilitator
should be objective and maintain a broad perspective, but should
also challenge assumptions, act as a catalyst, generate optimism,
and help the group connect with similar efforts. It's important to
make sure that the stakeholders feel comfortable with the facilitator.
Occasionally, even if the facilitator is truly neutral, some members of
the group might perceive that their concerns are not being given due
consideration. If this is the case, it may be best to reassess the fit of
the facilitator to the group.

Stakeholders usually participate in  determining the scope of the
effort. This is why it is important to outline some possible roles and
activities for the stakeholders. This is just a first cut at  proposed roles
and responsibilities. Once the stakeholders convene, they will have
an opportunity to make changes.

Possible roles and responsibilities for stakeholders include the following:
•  Clarify overall project goals  and objectives.
•  Ensure all relevant interests  are adequately  represented.
•  Provide input on watershed problems.
•  Help develop evaluation criteria for analyzing management
   options.
•  Provide input on the preferred  management strategies.
•  Provide review and comments on TMDL reports or watershed
   plans.
•  Help conduct community education and outreach throughout the
   process.

Once you have developed a preliminary framework for your stake-
holder  group, you're ready to move on to conducting outreach and
identifying the stakeholder participants.
24

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                                                                                           Section 3
Section 3:
Building Your  Stakeholder
Group
So far, you have ...
S Determined that you need stakeholder involvement for your
   project and that no existing group can accommodate your overall
   effort
i/ Identified the driving forces that led you to this point (e.g., viola-
   tion of water quality standards, new regulations, potential threats
   to the resource)
S Outlined your initial programmatic and management goals for the
   project
•
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Section 3
    Community cultural
    assessment

    EPA's Community Culture and the
    Environment: A Guide to Understanding
    a Sense of Place provides examples,
    worksheets and a variety of methods
    for developing a detailed picture of a
    particular community. You can get a copy
    of the guide (document # EPA 842-B-01-
    003) from the National Service Center for
    Environmental Publications at 1-800-490-
    9198 or by sending an e-mait to nscep@
    bps-lmit.com. It's also available for viewing
    on the Web at www.epa.gov/nscep.
    Tip:

    If your primary stakeholders belong to
    an organization that meets regularly,
    consider starting the process by attending
    their meetings. Providing information
    and initiating a dialogue on their turf
    can help get the ball rolling in a relaxed,
    nonthreatening environment. As other
    stakeholders become involved, the group
    can decide whether to start separate
    meetings or continue piggybacking.
Researching key interest groups
Before building your stakeholder group, spend some time research-
ing the key interest groups in your community. If the community
will be responsible for implementing the management strategies
developed, it is vital that a cross section of the community participate
in the process. When looking at key interest groups for watershed
involvement, we tend to draw from the same groups—local elected
officials, environmental organizations, and agency personnel. Key
interest groups are not just power brokers like the mayor, the head of
the Chamber of Commerce, or the president of the  PTA. Remember
that stakeholders are not only those who influence a decision but
also those who are affected by it (positively or negatively) and those
who can aid  or prevent  its implementation.

We also tend to select the people who ask to participate, but rely-
ing exclusively on this approach may exclude key constituencies that
may be reluctant to come to the table. By researching key interest
groups, you might uncover some nontraditional audiences such as
church organizations, the local garden club, or university professors
who have a strong role in the community.

When researching the key issues in a community or watershed,
you will gather information to build a profile. By the end of your
research, you will have defined the following:
•  Primary geographic features, political boundaries and landmarks
   in the area

•  Major organizations  in the community
•  Key activities and where they occur (e.g., school football games,
   agricultural fairs, concert series)

•  Influential persons and opinion  leaders

•  Knowledge of your project issues in the community

•  Methods  of communication in the community
•  Attitudes and perceptions regarding your project issues
•  Barriers that prevent watershed  improvement/ protection efforts
   or have prevented or sidetracked them in the past

Where do you start?
Several resources are available to help you to determine the key
interest groups in the community. As a first cut,  consider researching
local government agencies, local organizations and the local media.
This will give you a foundation on which to  build. As you  talk to
people, ask them where you might find additional information about
the community. See the box on the next page that lists typical depart-
ments in a local government to help you get started identifying who
to ask about key interested groups.
26

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                                                                                                  Section 3
 You should also search EPA's online Adopt Your Watershed database
 of more than 2,600 watershed groups to find groups working in your
 community. The database contains names and  contact information
 for each group,  as well as a description of the types of activities in
 which the group is involved. You can search by ZIP Code, watershed
 name, city, county or state.

 Local government
 The first place to start is likely to be the website for the local govern-
 ment you plan to work with. Most will have centralized pages that
 will help you navigate to the departments or functional units you
 plan to work with. Alternatively, you may find what you need  in the
 blue pages of the local phone book. Identify three or four depart-
 ments to start with. These might include the department of public
 works, department of parks and recreation, the soil and water con-
 servation district offices, the water and sewer authority, the office of
 economic development, and the planning department.

 Local organizations
 Local organizations can provide you with information on the commu-
 nity's interests and makeup. For example, if there are many churches
 in the area, the religious community might be an important key inter-
 est group. The local Chamber of Commerce can provide information
 on the kinds of businesses located in the community, business trends,
 and names of local business leaders. Recreational  organizations can
 tell you about the kinds of activities available (e.g., birding, canoeing
 and rafting) and the numbers of people involved.

 To build a list of local organizations to contact, start with the commu-
 nity newspaper. Look in the  calendar of events section, which shows
 what organizations are active and when they meet, and provides
 contact information. And don't forget to look in  the sports section,
 which might have a listing of upcoming popular local events.

 Another way to find organizations that could be potential stakehold-
 ers is to look up grants given by county or city governments, or local
 utilities for environmental improvement/enhancement projects. Some
 water utilities award grants to organizations that undertake water
 supply education or watershed protection projects.

 Information needed to identify potential stakeholders
 Once you have identified several different groups to contact, you
 need to identify the kind of information that will be valuable in build-
 ing your community profile and identifying potential stakeholders.
There are no set questions to ask because the information you need
will be related to your own internal goals. Some  possible questions
include the following:
 •  What are the problems affecting the watershed, from the commu-
   nity's perspective?

 •  Who has the potential to  help protect the watershed?
 Typical departments in a
 local government (to make
 the right connection)

 Building and Development
 Community Services
 Economic Development
 Emergency Management
 Finance
 Health
 Information Technology
 Land Records and Property Transfers
 Libraries
 Mapping and Geographic Information
 Parks and Recreation
 Planning and Zoning
 Public Works
School Board
Social Services
Soil and Water Conservation
Solid Waste and Recycling
Tourism Board
Water and Sewer Services/Utilities

                  local government.
   organizations, and businesses to
   identify potential stakeholders.
                                                                                                        27

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Section 3
    Possible contacts for identifying
    potential stakeholders

    Federal agencies
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Natural Resources Conservation Service
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    U.S. Department of Transportation
    State agencies
    Department of natural resources
    Environmental agency
    Department offish and game
    Local government
    Public works department
    Conservation districts
    Health department
    Regional agencies
    Councils of government
    Regional planning authorities/commissions
    Regional park authorities
    Interstate commissions
    Regional transportation authorities
    Organizations
    Civic organizations (e.g., League
      of Women Voters,)
    Religious organizations
    Recreational organizations (e.g., Trout
      Unlimited)
    Historical or cultural associations
    Business organizations (e.g., Chamber
      of Commerce)
    Environmental organizations
    Financial institutions
    Homeowner associations
    Political organizations
    Parent-teacher associations
    Regional utilities
    Individuals
    landowners
    Youth
    Seniors
•  What are the political, cultural and economic factors in the
   community?
•  What are the demographics of the community?

•  How is your organization perceived in the community?
•  Who are the influential leaders—religious, civic and business?

How do you get the information?
Once you have identified the types of information you need from
the key interest groups, how do you get the information? You can use
several different tools depending on the makeup of the community
and your available resources (time and money). Any  information you
collect will be useful. A great place to start is the U.S. Census Bureau
website (www.census.gov). Methods for gathering information range
from visual observations to crunching data from research agencies.
You'll probably use a combination of techniques that includes direct
interaction with the community and indirect access through surveys,
databases, and archives.

Indirect methods
Indirect methods to obtain information about potential stakeholders
include surveys, newspaper archives, census data research, geograph-
ic information system data, and other techniques that do not involve
face-to-face contact. The following sections provide  some informa-
tion about these methods. More in-depth information  is provided in
Step 2 of the companion  guide, Celling in Step: A Guide for Con-
dueling Watershed Outreach Campaigns.

Surveys by mail
Mail surveys are an excellent way to obtain baseline  information
about a community. Before conducting a mail survey, make sure
you'll be able to get current mailing addresses. Keep in mind what
information you want to collect, how you will use that information,
and who will tabulate the data. This can save a lot of anguish once
the results come back. From a respondent's perspective,  make the
survey relatively short (and explain up-front how long it will take to
fill it out). State the objective of the survey clearly, make the format
easy to read, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope to
increase the return rate.  If you want to make your results statistically
significant, consult a marketing professional or  college  instructor for
suggestions on random sampling techniques, follow-up prompting
and other issues.

Pros and cons: Mail surveys allow participants to think about their
answers before responding, can reach  large  numbers of people, and
can gather data from people who might not be accessible in per-
son. The disadvantages include printing and mailing costs, staff time
required for tabulation of results, and the potential for low response
rates.
 28

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                                                                                                Section 3
Surveys by phone
Surveys conducted by phone can also provide good information
about your key interest groups. Again, make sure you have access
to current phone numbers and the resources available (phones and
volunteers) to carry out the survey. The success of phone surveys
tends to vary geographically: Rural audiences are more willing than
urban audiences to take the time to answer questions. Standard-
ize the greeting used by all of your volunteers, and practice proper
phone skills. If a person called does not want to participate, thank
the person and move on to the next one. Schedule calls at mixed
times—some during weekends, some during the day, but most during
the early evening (but not at dinnertime).

Pros and cons: Phone surveys allow you to gather data from people
who  might not be accessible in person, let you elicit immediate
responses, and can accommodate many participants. The disadvantag-
es include the need to access correct phone numbers for participants,
lack of time for participants to think about their responses, the level
of resources involved, and exclusion of those who will not respond to
unsolicited calls.

Surveys by e-mail/Web
Done correctly, an e-mail or Web survey offers an anonymous way
to gather information on the community. If you place surveys on
your website,  respondents visiting the site can respond to the survey
through online forms. A website survey will gather responses from
citizens who have access to the Internet. Upload the survey on your
organization's website and draw plenty of attention to it People
visiting your site will have the opportunity to anonymously fill out the
survey  at Uieir own pace.

Pros and cons: E-mail surveys take a short amount of time, are self-
paced, and provide the sender with fast results. Computer issues
can cause  problems,  however, if a server goes down  or the user
has problems  downloading attachments. Web surveys assume that
members of your community visit your website regularly. Keep in
mind, however, that  most visitors to your site might also be aware of
the issues and your efforts. In addition, visitors to your site might not
be the  stakeholders you are seeking, and thus they could skew the
survey  results.

Databases
Many organizations collect information on their constituents and
maintain the information in a database. Such data can  provide you
with  strong demographic information and indicate trends. Local pub-
lic agencies such as planning departments and property tax evalua-
tion agencies can provide information on zoning ordinances, trends
in development, and revenue sources. Soil conservation districts
keep records on land use patterns, size of parcels,  and  farming prac-
tices. The Chamber of Commerce and other trade associations keep
    Phone surveys could he used to
    gather information about your
                      stakeholders.
What you need to know
about potential stakeholders

•  What is their knowledge of watershed
   issues and what are their concerns?
•  What are their attitudes and opinions
   about their community?
»  How cfo they use the resource ?
•  What language and messages motivate
   them}, „. ,
•  .Where do they get their information?
•  Whom do they trust?      .   -   ,' ,
•  What do they, value in their;;
   commun/ty?      , •   •*      . ,   ;
• , What are the key local activities in the
   commumty?                 -
                                                                                                        29

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Section 3
    Yolo County, CA, fanners
    voice concerns about TMDLs

    In response to a presentation made at
    a local Farm Bureau to introduce water
    quality issues and TMDLs, the Yolo County,
    California, Resource Conservation District
    convened a focus group composed of
    area farmers. Their concerns included the
    following:
    •  We don't have time to come to
       meetings,
    •  We don't want a bunch of stakeholders
       that know nothing about farming telling
       us how to farm.
    •  We want to be the only decision
       makers on these projects.
    •  There are issues of private property
       rights.
    •  How are we going to afford to make
       the changes in practices?
    •  We don't want to do something now
       and  then have an agency come to us In
       a few years and tell us what we did is
       wrong and that we have to change it.
    •  We don't feel there is enough scientific
       data in place to tell us what we should
       be doing.

              —Katy Pye, Yolo County Resource
                        Conservation District
track of their constituents and the numbers and types of businesses
located in the community.

Census data are collected every ten years and were last collected
in 2010. Census data are available through the Internet from the
U.S. Bureau of the Census at www.census.gov and from local librar-
ies. If you don't have access to these files or don't have the resources
needed to extract the information, consider asking a college market-
ing class for assistance. Often they are looking for real-world projects,
and they might be willing to conduct a detailed analysis of the target
group at no charge. Step 2 of the companion guide, Getting in Step:
A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns, has more
details on using Census data.

Pros and cons: Databases can provide consolidated demographic
data and can sort the data by different parameters. However, some
databases can be unwieldy to work with, are not current, or require
technical expertise to extract the data. Databases do not provide
qualitative information on behavior patterns or attitudes.

Local newspapers
The local papers can provide a tremendous amount of insight into a
community. This is particularly important for small towns. The sports
page shows you which teams are active in the area, as well as popu-
lar recreational activities. Letters to the editor show you the issues
and concerns of the community, and the events  calendar provides
information on the  local organizations, cultural events and happen-
ings about town.

Direct methods
Direct methods tend to be  more resource-intensive than indirect
methods but provide qualitative information on  attitudes, values and
behavior patterns. Direct interaction also helps you to start building
relationships with potential stakeholders and allows you to pursue
other lines  of questioning that  surveys might omit. Direct meth-
ods include focus groups, community meetings and one-on-one
interviews.

Focus groups
Focus groups provide an opportunity to meet with several members
of the community at once and allow them the chance to expand on
comments  and ideas. The focus group participants may be selected
through surveys,  recommended by a particular organization, or
selected at random. Typically, up to  12 members are asked to par-
ticipate for one or two hours. Be sure to schedule the focus group
at a time and place convenient for the participants. For example,
many people, including government officials of small localities, have
jobs during the day and are available to  meet only after 5:00 p.m.
The focus group should be handled by an outside facilitator to
avoid introducing bias into the results. The group is asked a series of
30

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                                                                                                Section 3
questions, and the answers are recorded on flip charts or video/audio
media. Focus groups also enable you to start building a network of
people you might want to use later to deliver your message.

Pros and Cons: Focus groups can provide insights about the inter-
est group's composition, perceptions and beliefs; provide interac-
tion among participants; and build support for further actions or
outreach. The disadvantages are that the success of a focus group
depends largely on the facilitator, focus groups can accommodate
only a few participants, and the time demand on participants is
considerable. Finally, focus groups might not be  suitable for certain
cultures where peer pressure or deference to others could inhibit
discussion.

Community meetings
Community meetings provide a forum to collect information on a
variety of topics for all members of the  community. The meetings
can be unstructured in an open-house type of format, or they can
be focused  around specific  issues. It's important to remember that
you are still gathering information so you want to allow plenty of
opportunity for the participants to share their thoughts, concerns and
suggestions.

Pros and cons: Once established, community meetings can be
conducted on a regular basis to inform the group about stakeholder
activities, solicit input and maintain communication. Organizing
community meetings is time-consuming, and often you're compet-
ing with other regularly scheduled  meetings (e.g., school board, local
board of supervisors).

What do you do with the information collected?
Once you have a picture of the values and concerns of various inter-
est groups within a community, you can invite potential stakeholder
representatives to participate in your project. Co back again to your
driving forces, goals and objectives to determine  whether your list of
stakeholders represents all the issue areas.

Conducting outreach to recruit stakeholders
Once you have identified your internal goals and objectives, devel-
oped a preliminary stakeholder framework, and researched key
stakeholders that you'd like to involve, it's time  to begin reaching
out to those potential stakeholder group  members with the goal
of recruiting them for the effort. To do this, you need to establish
a  connection between the issues that are important to the stake-
holders and the watershed effort. It is also important to realize
that it often takes time to establish trust and commitment and to
build enthusiasm among group members. If people are expected
to exhibit concern for a water resource and support preservation
or restoration proposals, they must be engaged through a planned,
What do you do when the
landowner says "No"?

While certainly not the only model for
making progress with reluctant landowners,
the following example worked well in an
Amish farming community in Pennsylvania.
One of the first landowners I asked about
streambank fencing said "No." Since we
felt like he was a key stakeholder, we didn't
want to give up.
/ would stop by when I was in the
neighborhood and visit with him. We
talked about everything but fencing. We
were fencing in other areas at the time.
One day / stopped and asked him if
fencing would be okay if I did iL He
wanted to know how / was going to do it,
me being a bureaucrat and all. I told him
not to worry about that part. He finally
agreed, if I did it.
I fenced it with a small grant for materials
and I provided the muscle and sweat. He
has been a good friend ever since and
speaks highly of fencing.
     —frank Lucas, Requea-M/f/ Creek Project,
       Natural Resources Conservation Service
 See the Pequea*Mi!l Creek case study
 in Getting in Step: A Video Guide
 for Conducting Watershed Outreach
 Campaigns at http:/jcfpub.epa.govjnpstbxj
 getinstep.htm!#yideo for more information
 about this, example^
     You might need to use creative
             methods to involve some
                        stakeholders.
                                                                                                         31

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 Section 3
    Using data-gathering techniques to collect stakeholder information

    Goaf: To determine the level of awareness of potential stakeholders and their willingness to participate in watershed
    protection activities, as well as to identify key community attributes
    Methods: Focus groups, surveys by mail, community meetings
    Sample focus group questions
    •  What community organizations do you belong to?
    •  Whom do you go to for advice about rangeland
       management?
    •  What are three things you value about your
       community?  >

    •  How do you spend your leisure time?
    •  for your community, what quality-of-life issues matter
       to you most?
    •  for your community, what env/ronmenta/ issues
       matter to you most ?

    •  Where do you get your information on environmental
       issues?

    •  Mat are some key activities that occur in your
       community that help create a sense of place?
    •  Do you think the water quality in your community is
       improving or declining? Why?

    •  How is the land managed in your community
       (ownership, leased lands, and land-use planning)?

    Sample open house questions
    •  Have you heard about our organization? If yes, from
       whom?
                                s
    •  Can you find where you live, on this map?
    •  Can you name any nearby streams, rivers or lakes?

    •  Which environmental resourced) c/o you think best
       describes your community (e.g,, parks, marinas,
       birdwatching, fishing)?
Sample survey questions
•  What do you think are the biggest problems facing
   your community?
   (a) education
   (b) crime
   (c) water quality
   (d) taxes
   (e) other

•  In your opinion, what is the best use of the Rio Platte?
   (a) irrigation
   (b) habitat for birds and wildlife
   (c) recreation (hunting, fishing, canoeing)
   (d) other

•  Please indicate whether you have a positive or
   negative view about the following groups, or indicate
   if you don't recognize the group.
   (a) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
   (b) Friends of the Rio Platte
   (d) Texas Fish ancf Came Commission
   (e) Trout Unlimited
   (f) , Soil and Water Conservation District
   (g) Northeast Water Supply Association
                                               long-term outreach program (<^=See the appendix for more infor-
                                               mation on developing an outreach program). If you engage mem-
                                               bers at the very beginning, they will have a vested interest in the
                                               group and wish to see it succeed. If. potential stakeholder group
                                               members are brought in late in the process, do not understand their
                                               connection with the group or the issues, or feel that their input and
                                               time are not valued, they will likely move on to other endeavors.
32

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                                                                                                Section 3
In the beginning when you are first interacting with potential
group members, your primary outreach objective is to learn what
your potential stakeholders know about the watershed and the
watershed issues. Because you are gathering information on your
target audience's knowledge and understanding of the watershed,
your primary methods will probably be phone interviews, focus
groups, surveys and small group  meetings. ^See the example in
the box on page 32 for suggestions for gathering information from
stakeholders.

After researching potential stakeholders, it's important to identify the
issues and areas where there are awareness or knowledge gaps, such
as not knowing the name of the watershed or being unaware of the
key pollution probtems. These are the issues for which you'll  need
to conduct educational activities or targeted outreach to educate
stakeholders so that they have the understanding they need to get
them interested in joining the stakeholder group. In addition, you
might need to conduct some outreach around promoting a sense  of
place so that stakeholders understand where they fit in. Creating and
distributing attractive watershed maps that include roads, local land-
marks and other points of interest that your potential group members
will find meaningful is one outreach method that can help generate
awareness about where stakeholders are physically located in the
watershed and their proximity to  local water bodies.

Identify opportunities to make presentations where potential stake-
holder group members regularly meet, and then schedule presenta-
tions at their meetings. Local newspapers might list some of these
regular meetings. Make a point of connecting their important issues
with the watershed effort. What will they stand to gain by support-
ing your group? Also consider asking key individuals for the names of
others who might want to get involved, so that you can continue to
build your network and engage those who are  interested. If public-
ity is a goal, find out who the environmental reporters are  and see if
they would be interested in covering the planning effort.

Even at the beginning stages of the watershed  planning or  imple-
mentation process, you don't want long lag times between when
you meet potential group members and when you provide water-
shed updates. Potential stakeholder group members are likely to
be active in their community and will have competing interests for
their time and attention. After meeting potential members, follow up
with them shortly afterward and offer opportunities to learn more
and to become further engaged.  Webcasts and e-mail updates are
good ways to  reach large numbers of people quickly and to share
pictures. You might also consider using some social media tools, such
as Facebook, to generate and sustain awareness and interest. Keep
in mind that eventually you may  ask some of these people to make a
commitment to be a stakeholder group member and work with you
to develop and implement a watershed plan. Their level of commit-
ment and engagement will be greater than what would be expected
    Outreach efforts inform and
invovle potential stakeholders as
       well as the general public.
                                                                                                        33

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Section 3
         Outreach to recruit stakeholders
         What's happening...

         Awareness - Building the stakeholder
         group
         You Ye just starting your project and you
         need to let people know what the issues
         are and the possible solutions.
         Use focus groups, surveys and one-on-
         one conversations to learn what their
         current level of awareness is and which
         issues are important to them. This can
         make them feel important to the effort
         and more likely to agree to become an
         active member of the stakeholder group.
Possible outreach products/activities

•  Prepare a map of the watershed with political boundaries and streets,
   overlaid.
•  Prepare a 2-page background sheet on the issues and next steps.
•  Develop a list of media contacts.
•  AssemWe a media kit Concluding the map, a background sheet, a
   contact list and three news articles with quotes).
•  Submit articles to local media outlets (newspapers, TV, radio).
•  Make presentations at group meetings, such as local government and
   other key groups with a particular interest in this topic
•  Learn the names of persons you could call to get additional ideas
   of what people know already and what they might need more
   information about before they are able to commit to joining the
   group.
                                               from the public at large. It's important to build a relationship with
                                               this small group of people. Handwritten notes, phone calls and face-
                                               to-face meetings are still very important elements for building these
                                               relationships. Be clear that you want them to be involved, and let
                                               them know that they can turn to you for the answers to questions
                                               they have or for support they might need.


                                               Inviting the stakeholders to participate
                                               Once you've developed a list of stakeholders, send them a written
                                               invitation. To increase the chances of participation, consider tailor-
                                               ing each letter with the reasons why they need to be involved in the
                                               project. For example, if you're  trying to get representation from the
                                               building community, you might want to highlight the fact that no one
                                               from the building community is involved in the watershed planning
                                               process. If someone in the community recommended them, be sure
                                               to include that person's name in the letter.

                                               Follow up your letter with a phone call to answer any questions and
                                               gain a verbal commitment to participate. Be prepared for resistance.
                                               Even getting the stakeholders to agree to attend just one meeting
                                               with no future commitment might be enough to get them interested
                                               and willing to come back. The social aspect of the group,  along with
                                               clear goals and productive meetings, will help to ensure that people
                                               continue to stay involved. Another commitment-building technique
                                               is to ask all the attendees at the first  meeting to sign a group pledge
                                               committing themselves to the process and to making a reasonable
                                               effort to attend stakeholder meetings. The simple act of pledging
34

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                                                                                                 Section 3
publicly (and also in writing) that they will follow through with the
effort is often enough of a motivator to drive people to be consistent
with their follow-through. In addition, if the potential stakeholders
say they can't participate in the kickoff meeting, make sure you send
them any information that comes out of the meeting and ask if there
is someone from their organization who could attend in  their place.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to get key
stakeholders to attend a meeting. This doesn't mean that you can
stop trying. It means you have to use a different technique to keep
them informed and enable them to participate in the decision-mak-
ing process. For example, when working with farmers in  a watershed,
often the best communication tool is one-on-one contact with a
farmer in his field. Use  this opportunity to hear his concerns, explain
the issues,  and  show him why it's important to be involved.

Sometimes stakeholders will say, "Just tell me when a decision is
made." Again, it's up to you to continuously provide them with infor-
mation and allow them to enter the process when they feel  ready.

If you still have gaps in  your stakeholder group in terms of represen-
tation, don't worry. At the first meeting you can ask for suggestions
for additional representation. Stakeholders appreciate being asked
for their input.

Hosting productive meetings
Because one of the primary tools for communication among stake-
holders is "the  meeting," this section presents some tips  to make your
meetings as productive as possible. There are four  major elements to
running a successful meeting:
•  Provide advance notice to participants.
•  Develop a strong agenda.
•  Manage the process during the meeting.
•  Follow through.

Provide advance notice to participants
One way to set your meetings off on the right foot is to provide
plenty of advance notice to participants. This shows respect for their
time, demonstrates good planning skills, and increases the chance of
attendance. If the stakeholder group will meet regularly, try  to estab-
lish a set date so everyone knows, for example, that you will meet on
the third Tuesday of every month.

Advance notice also refers to any materials the stakeholders need
for the upcoming meeting. As part of agenda development, you will
determine what information your stakeholders might need ahead
of time to  make informed decisions at the meeting. Make sure
stakeholders have adequate time before the meeting to  review such
materials.
           Successful meetings start
  with advance planning and advance
                               notice.
  What do stakeholders
 1 expect?    ,, ';j  -v. ^ '   '   ' ,.
        *"        '   t    *          's
       ! -    "*   <         '           '   '
  Researched at thegocialywd '."•-',',
 , fnv/fonm&nta/ Research /mt/tuteln,  ;
  Massachusetts summarized what  V  ,
  par^fc/pants expect of a public involvement
 ' process in a paper publtshedm
,  and Natural  Resources:
  process? power to influence the process
  and its outcomes, access to fhfprmat/o/v
  a structure that promotes constructive
  interaction, facilitation of constructive . ,A
  personal behaviors, adequate analysis, and
  the enabling of future processes.
                                                                                                        35

-------
Section 3
    Guidebook helps deliver
    effective meetings

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration's Coastal Services Center
    released a guidebook called Introduction
    to Planning and Facilitating Effective
    Meetings. Available online at www.csc.
    noaa.gov/publications/effectivejneetings.
    html, the guide explains the role of a
    facilitator and describes how to plan and
    execute meetings that deliver results.
    In addition to covering how to conduct
    effective, productive meetings, it also
    includes tools and techniques for meeting
    facilitation and tips on conducting
    teleconferences, videoconferences and
    webinars.
       o
       o
  o
  o
o
   r\ semicircular arrangement
   allows members of the group
   to see each other.
Develop a strong agenda
The agenda will serve as a road map to accomplish your meeting
objectives. As a general rule, the amount of time spent preparing for a
meeting should be twice that devoted to the meeting itself. Before you
can develop an agenda, you need to answer several questions. Each
of these questions will provide information to help develop a strong
agenda, which, when followed, will help you achieve your objectives.
1. Why are you calling a meeting? Often we call meetings first and
   then figure out what we want to accomplish in them. By first asking
   what you need to accomplish, you might determine that a meeting
   isn't necessary and that you can accomplish your goals some other
   way. Determining the purpose up front will set the stage for the rest
   of the elements that need to be considered. There are several rea-
   sons for calling a meeting. Some of the most common are sharing
   information, solving a problem, making a decision, tracking prog-
   ress, celebrating achievements and evaluating results.
2. What do you hope to accomplish? Determine what you hope to
   leave with at the end of the meeting. Are you looking for agree-
   ment on an issue? Increased awareness of an issue? A list of goals
   for an activity? If you can't clearly outline the desired results,
   chances are you need to go back and focus on the purpose of the
   meeting.
3. Who needs to attend and what are their roles? Based on your
   desired outcomes, determine who needs to be involved in the
   meeting. Nothing is more frustrating than holding a meeting
   and realizing that you can discuss an issue to death, but the one
   person who can make a decision on that issue is not present.
   Determine what the participants' roles will be. Who will lead the
   meeting? Do you need a facilitator? Who will take notes? How
   will decisions be made?
4. What topics need to be discussed to reach the desired out-
   come? Deciding on topics will help determine if materials need
   to be sent out ahead of time so that an informed decision can be
   made. It will also help in allotting time on the agenda for discus-
   sion. You might find that you won't be able to discuss all the
   proposed topics and will have to narrow the list.
5. What are the room layout arrangements?  Room layout is more
   critical to the success of your meeting than you might imagine.
   Considerations include seating arrangements, lighting and place-
   ment of equipment. If the room arrangements are not right, they
   can detract from the content of your meeting. The room layout
   will depend on several factors—the size of your stakeholder
   group, the length of the meeting, and the size of the  meeting
   room. If possible, try to set up the seating so that all members can
   see each other, using a U-shaped or semicircular arrangement.
   Tables in front of the participants create a barrier, but they also
   provide a place for notebooks, cups and so  forth. You want to
   create an environment that will stimulate discussion. Try to match
36

-------
                                                                                                    Section 3
   the room size with the size of the group because some people are
   reluctant to speak in a cavernous room.

Once you have answered the above questions, you can develop an
agenda that is focused on the desired outcomes, allows enough time
for discussion of key issues, and is structured so participants will feel
they have contributed to the desired outcome.

Manage the process
The person responsible for managing the process of a meeting
ensures that the desired outcomes are achieved and the participants
believe they have contributed to the end result. It's not good enough
to reach a decision if the participants don't feel good about the
process.

^Section 4 goes into more detail about managing the process dur-
ing the meeting (such as getting agreement on issues, maintaining
balanced participation and resolving conflicts), but for  now, here are
some tips to follow to start a  meeting off on the right foot.
1. Have the participants introduce themselves. Even if the par-
   ticipants just say their names, speaking out loud breaks down a
   psychological barrier by paving the way to hear from participants
   later. If time permits, you might want the participants to share
   something about their community or themselves  to start building
   relationships.
2. Review the agenda and the desired outcomes.  Make sure every-
   one is clear on the objectives of  the meeting and what you hope
   to accomplish.
3. Review the roles of the participants and how decisions will
   be made. Participants can play various roles in a  meeting—par-
   ticipation, information management, process management and
   decision-making. Make it clear to the participants what their roles
   are. If there is an outside facilitator, the facilitator will introduce
   himself or herself and explain that he or she is there to manage
   the process,  not the content, of the meeting. Explain the decision-
   making methods for reaching an agreement (majority vote, con-
   sensus, or information-gathering with another entity responsible
   for the ultimate decision).

4. Develop ground rules. Setting ground rules at the  beginning of
   a meeting helps to focus the participants on the task at hand and
   provides a structure for the meeting. The facilitator should  use the
   ground rules to guide the meeting and refer to them if they are
   not being followed. Typical ground rules include the following:
  •   Honor time limits.
  •   Speak one at a time.
  •   Refrain from personal attacks.
  •   Maintain confidentiality.
Visioning exercise

An excellent way to begin the stakeholder
process is to conduct a visioning exercise,
in which public agency representatives,
stakeholders and other interested parties
brainstorm on how the resource should
look and function 10 or 20 years from now.
Although vision statements  are necessarily
broad and lack detail, they  are usually
agreeable to nearly all participants and
thus serve as an important  touchstone
later in the process, when discussions over
devilish details require the perspective of a
consensual "bigpicture."
                                                                                                           37

-------
 Section 3
    Vision for the Beech Creek
    Watershed

    The Beach Creek Watershed Association in
    north-central Pennsylvania states its vision
    as follows:
    "The Beech Creek Watershed can be
    restored to the 'original quality of life'
    by undoing the harmful effects of factors
    such as acid mine drainage (AMD),
    chemicals, leachate and siltation. The
    entire Watershed can be "cleaned up" so
    that an  informed, knowledgeable public
    can enjoy a multi-variable land use and
    activities while preserving,  monitoring
    and protecting natural reproduction. This
    should include a sustainable, Class A,
    wild trout fishery, as well as habitat for a
    stronghold of wild birds, mammals, and
    diversified plant life."

       www.beechcreekwatershed.com/index.hlml
 Allow the participants to add additional ground rules they would like
 to see observed.

 5.  Keep time on your side. One of the easiest ways to lose cred-
    ibility with a group is to disregard the time limits established for
    a meeting. If you said the meeting would start at 8:30 but you
    want to wait another 15 minutes for people who are late, you
    are in effect punishing the folks who made an effort to get there
    by 8:30. It also sets a bad precedent: No one will show  up on
    time for the next meeting because they know you'll start late. The
    same is true for ending your meeting. People have other commit-
    ments, and it's presumptuous to assume that you can continue
    past the designated adjournment time. At the very least, you
    should poll the group and ask if people are willing to stay an extra
    15 minutes.

 Follow through
 Once the meeting is over, you're still not done. Remember  what your
 grade school teacher told you about how to write a story: Tell them
 what you're going to say, say it, and then tell them what you said.
 A successful meeting will conclude by summarizing what occurred
 during the meeting, identifying action items based on the discussion,
 assigning people to accomplish those action items, and thanking all
 the participants.

 It is important to review the action items with the participants to
 make sure there is agreement on the next steps. Finally, remember
 that the final element of a successful meeting is producing and  dis-
 tributing a meeting summary. Effective meeting summaries are brief
 and well organized, and they are distributed soon after the  meeting.


 Conducting the first meeting
 The first meeting with the stakeholder group can set the tone for the
 rest of the process, so careful planning is needed to ensure a smooth
 beginning. Before setting the date and time, poll the stakeholders on
 the most convenient day and time for them.  Remember that most
 of your stakeholders have other jobs so they might not want to  meet
 during the day. By asking them first, you are letting them know  that
 this is their group and you are trying to accommodate their  sched-
 ules, not just yours,

Send materials out early
Mail any agenda materials and background information well ahead
of the meeting to allow participants time to review them. E-mail and
website posting are tremendous assets for circulating pre-meeting
 information. In addition,  personal phone calls to members to ensure
they received the information and know how to get to the meeting
 location go a long way in building relationships. Use the phone call
as an opportunity to allow the stakeholders to voice any potential
concerns or needs that you can resolve before the meeting  (I'm a
38

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                                                                                                  Section 3
vegetarian ...Is the building wheelchair-accessible ?... I never got an
agenda ... You spelled my name wrong on the stakeholder list...).

Consider providing 3-ring binders or folders with pockets and the
members' names printed on them at the first meeting. The stake-
holders can use these throughout the project to organize all the
materials distributed.

Include time for social interaction
Include time for socializing. Consider starting the meeting with a
social hour. This immediately puts people at ease and allows them
to meet their fellow stakeholders informally. If the meeting is to be
held during the day, begin with lunch before getting into the agenda
items.

Also, make a point to remember members' names and to use them
during the meeting. It's amazing how just a "Good point, Bob" or
"Justine was talking at the break about..." or "Tom, were you the one
who mentioned ..." can go a long way toward  making people feel
worthwhile and included in the process. As people become familiar
with the names of others at the meeting, they will become more
comfortable and considerate  in their discussions and deliberations.

Prepare an agenda
The agenda for your first meeting will obviously depend on your
overall project objectives. It can be highly structured or simply a
forum for group discussion. Whatever the case, it should be based on
careful planning. In a watershed  management  planning process, the
first meeting could focus on introduction to the issues and review of
the preliminary framework to determine how the group will oper-
ate. Allow plenty of time on the agenda for group discussion to avoid
one-way communication. As the watershed assessment, planning and
management processes unfold, meetings will focus on reviewing past
activities, making plans for  the future, and adjusting the approach as
new information comes in.

Look for what each stakeholder has to offer
During the first meeting it is often useful to ask stakeholders what kinds
of skills and resources they bring to the stakeholder group  and the
watershed planning effort as a whole. A wide range of technical and
"people" skills are needed for most planning efforts, and yours is likely
to require the same. Some stakeholders might have access to datasets,
funding sources or volunteers; others might have specialized technical
expertise or communication vehicles. <^=One way to uncover these
skills and resources is to ask stakeholders to complete a worksheet
like the one shown on page 41, which is taken from EPA's Watershed
Handbook. It might also be  helpful to organize stakeholders into small-
er interest groups or teams to work on specific aspects of the problem.
This approach allows participants to feel more engaged and is likely to
result in a more detailed assessment of problems and solutions.
          time for social activities to
    break the ice and put your group
  members at ease with each other.
 Three simple questions to
 improve the success of a
 meeting

 When planning an important meeting,
 it's essential to consider input from
 stakeholders regarding what they
 expect and what they would like to
 see. Stakeholders are more likely to
 share responsibility for implementation
 and success if they have participated
 in planning the work, assigning tasks,
 and identifying the resources required.
 The sense of ownership that comes
 from participation usually generates
 more cooperation and a sense of shared
 ownership in both the process and the
, product. When preparing for a meeting,
 ask the stakeholders these three simple
 questions;         :
 1.  What are your hopes for this meeting?
 2,, What are your concerns, if any?
 3. . What advice do you have to help make
   •• this meeting successful?,,; /s there .
    anything else I should know about
    the meeting or the issues we 'II be
    discussing?  , . ,v   ,   ,
 Source: Interaction Associates; •
                                                                                                         39

-------
 Section 3
         Example stakeholder involvement issues to address during the watershed
         assessment, planning and management process
         Why are we here, and what is the challenge we're
         facing?
         •  Why do the watershed assessment/plan now?
         •  County's key objectives of this project. Develop a
            plan that:
            -  Supports the intended uses of streams and lakes
            -  Protects water quality and enhances water quality
              where needed
            -  Alleviates flooding as development occurs
            -  Provides for a safe, adequate water supply
            -  Supports wastewater, water withdrawal, and
              stormwater permitting decisions
            -  Increases awareness about causes of water
              quality problems and solutions to protect water
              quality
            ~  Increases the understanding about the linkage
              between land use alternatives and water quality
              and flooding
         •  Discussion: Are there any questions about the
            County's  objectives or the situation that caused the
            project to be initiated? What are other objectives
            and considerations that should guide the assessment
            and evaluation of management options?

         Key milestones in the project
         •  Characterize the watershed.
         •  Conduct scoping analysis of potential models.
         •  Conduct inventory of drainage features.
         •  Conduct field visits with the stakeholder group.
         •  Develop detailed water quality and quantity models.
         •  Identify promising watershed management
           strategies.
         •  Use the models to assess the effectiveness of the
           alternative strategies.
         *  Design and begin implementing a long-term
           monitoring program.
         •  Develop draft management plan.
         •  Committee recommends/endorses management
           plan.
         •  County (and others) adopts management plan.
Stakeholder roles
•  Clarify overall project goals and objectives.
•  Review the scoping-level analysis and
   recommendations for future general options to
   explore.
•  Provide input on proposed water quality and
   quantity indicators and targets.
•  Help develop evaluation criteria for analyzing
   management options.
*  Help screen for promising management options to
   model.
•  Review findings of the modeling analysis and
   provide input on the preferred management
   strategies.
•  Review and provide input on the proposed
   monitoring plan.
*  Review and provide input on the draft
   management plan.
•  Help conduct community education and outreach
   throughout the process.

Discussion questions
•  Do you have questions about any of the specific
   tasks or how they relate to each other?
•  Are there questions about the input we need from
   you and how it will be used?
•  Helping provide community outreach and
   education will be a key activity. What materials
   wou/d be the most helpful for you to take out into
   the community?
•  From your experience, are there other water
   quality issues that the community is concerned
   about that we should address in the plan?
•  Given projected growth, can you think of potential
   future issues that we might need to address related
   to our scope of work?
•  Are there other objectives and considerations
   we should weigh asjve develop and evaluate
   solutions? (Note: These objectives might include
   other planning objectives, cost to utility customers,
   impacts on landowners, equity, etc.)
40

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                                                                                             Section 3
Identifying Stakeholder Skills and "Resources

Name:	
Phone:.

E-mail:
 Skills/resources
 Accounting
If you possess these
skills or have access
 to these resources
Comments
 Graphic design
 Computer support
 Fund-raising
 Public relations
 Technical expertise (e.g., geographic
 information systems, water sampling)
 Facilitation
 Other
 Other
 Contacts with media
 Access to volunteers
 Access to datasets
 Connections to local organizations
 Access to meeting facilities
 Access to equipment (please
 describe)
 Access to field trip locations
 Other
 Other
 Other
Please identify any other skills or resources you bring to the group:
                                                                                                      41

-------
Section 3
    Key elements of stakeholder
    operating plans

    •/ Program goals
    •/ Ground rules
    V' Rotes, responsibilities and decision-
      making methods
    /" Stakeholder goals, objectives and tasks
      to achieve the goals
    v' Products from the stakeho/c/er program
Building a stakeholder operating plan
It's helpful for the stakeholder group to develop an operating plan
to outline the roles, structure, membership and activities that will
be conducted. There are many ways to develop this plan, and the
approach used will depend on the group. A constant challenge to
working with a stakeholder group is providing enough information
to be useful in moving the process forward without undermining the
group's input or giving the impression that decisions have already
been made. It might be helpful to present the preliminary framework
you developed when researching key audiences  (3TSection 2) and
then let the group tailor it to their needs at the first meeting. If your
stakeholders are new to the group process, it's often helpful to give
them something to which they can react.

The operating plan might include the following elements: program
goals, stakeholder goals,  ground rules, roles, responsibilities, decision-
making methods and products. Again, this is only a guide; the plan
will change and evolve as your group progresses.

Using outreach to engage and educate

stakeholders
In addition to being partners  in developing the watershed plan itself,
stakeholders need to be  thought of as one of the audiences that
need to  be continually engaged  and educated throughout the entire
process. Outreach is conducted throughout all phases of the stake-
holder involvement effort to raise awareness of the issues and the
process, educate stakeholders and the community about the issues
of concern, and motivate the community  to take action to identify
and implement solutions. As the awareness of your stakeholders
increases, your outreach efforts will shift to engaging them in  learning
about possible causes and solutions. In addition to moving you along
the continuum to develop a watershed plan, working with stakehold-
ers to learn about and understand watershed problems and identify
potential solutions will help maintain their interest in staying actively
involved in the process. The depth of information that you provide
will increase, and you will begin to address the "why and how"
behind the issues affecting the watershed.

One of the outreach methods you can use is bringing guest speakers
to the stakeholder meetings, such as biologists who have been col-
lecting area macroinvertebrate data, local landowners grappling with
stormwater flooding issues, or others with unique, key perspectives
on watershed issues. The speakers can  help maintain stakeholders'
interest while also educating them on topics they might not otherwise
have known much about.
42

-------
                                                                                                   Section 3
Using clear visuals (charts, graphs, photos and illustrations) is another
outreach method you can use to help explain complex watershed
concepts or data. When creating these educational materials, don't
forget to incorporate the members' interests and concerns. Any out-
reach products you develop need to be meaningful to stakeholders
and must be easy to understand.

Don't forget that outreach is a two-way street. Providing the informa-
tion is only the first step. Did the stakeholders receive it, understand
it and learn from it? When creating outreach materials for stake-
holder group members, include opportunities for feedback, response
and engagement. Because your stakeholder group is likely to be fairly
small (usually 20 people or fewer), one-on-one communication is
much more manageable and more desirable than trying to reach the
whole group at once.
    Outreach to engage and educate stakeholders
    What's happening...                Possible outreach products/activities
    Education - The newly formed group is
    aware of the issues but requires more
    detailed Information about the issues
    and solutions.
    You've researched some key audiences
    in the community and have gathered
    information on their values, attitudes,
    concerns and communication channels.
    You've formed the stakeholder group and
    asked them what outreach products they
    would find useful.
    Now, create outreach products that
    take this stakeholder feedback into
    cons/deration.
Prepare a map of the watershed with political boundaries and streets
overlaid.
Continue to submit articles to various media outlets on the issues of
concern.
Expand the list of media contacts to include other venues of
communication within the community (e.g., periodicals, cable
television stations, community newsletters).
Develop targeted outreach materials, such as fact sheets or flyers that
include messages relevant to specific audiences.
Develop a genera/ slide show on the project showing geographic
scope, major issues of concern and possible sources of pollutants.
Then, take the show on the road to reach your target audience.
Sponsor events such as a canoe trip, watershed festival, -•=-•-•
demonstration project or site tour.
Develop news items that can 6e/nc/udecf m stakeho/der-fe/ated:
puWications.                    '
Prepare a newsletter or e-mail distribution list that can be used for
communication within the stakeholder group and for distribution to
the community.
Develop an online collaboration/ discussion forum.
Invite guest speakers to stakeholder meetings to provide a unique
perspective or watershed data.
Provide technical training or a workshop/presentation to help
stakeholders better understand the science that goes into a watershed
plan. Repeat as necessary.                   ;
                                                                                                            43

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Section 3
                                               Hosting informal dialogues, requesting thoughts on articles provided,
                                               and conducting online surveys (using a website such as www.survey
                                               monkey.com] are a few ideas for collecting responses and feedback
                                               on the information provided. Do the stakeholders understand the
                                               issues explained in the outreach products? Do they understand the
                                               importance? Can they make the connection between the actions and
                                               behaviors in the community and watershed health? Later on in the
                                               watershed planning process, your stakeholder group members will
                                               be a voice for your combined efforts, so it's important that they be
                                               knowledgeable messengers on your behalf.
44

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                                                                                              Section 4
Section 4:
Keeping  the  Ball  Rolling
So far, you have ...
*/ Identified initial goals and objectives
•/ Outlined a stakeholder framework
*/ Conducted outreach activities
•/ Researched key interest groups
•/ Identified and  engaged key stakeholders
•/ Convened the  first meeting
•/ Developed a stakeholder operating plan

Top 72 tips to move the process forward
Although stakeholder processes can be long and involved, there are
some specific tools you can use to smooth out the road ahead and
build trust within the group.

Keeping the momentum going throughout the life of a stakeholder
process can be challenging, to say the least. The two most common
causes of burnout are too many meetings and the feeling that the
process is not progressing or worthwhile. Through careful planning
and common courtesy, you can reduce the chances of participant
burnout and  maintain the energy level of the group.
1.  Involve stakeholders as soon as possible. Many agency person-
   nel are reluctant to bring in stakeholders too early in the process.
   They would rather wait until they have something to "show."
   But the early stage is actually the best time to involve stakehold-
   ers because nothing can derail the process faster than asking for
   input after key decisions have already  been made. As soon as
   you know that you need the involvement of stakeholders, work
   toward involving them as soon as possible. Allowing stakeholders
   to help set the tone and the pace of the effort as it begins helps
   to maximize interest and buy-in.
2.  Be honest. Building on the previous tip, lay all of your cards on
   the table  at the beginning. If you're not really sure how the pro-
   cess  is going to work, tell the group. It's okay not to have all the
What's in Section 4?

• Top 12 tips to move the process
  forward
• Making decisions by consensus
• Resolving conflict
   Keeping the stakeholder process
         moving can be a challenge.
Getting started with
stakeholders

Dave Martin of the Montana Department
of Natural Resources and Conservation
has some simple advice for managers
who are initiating a stakeholder
involvement program. He recommends
attending regularly scheduled meetings
of stakeholder groups (e.g., county
soil and water conservation boards,
environmental organizations, livestock
producer committees, recreation groups),
which provide a comfortable setting for
stakeholders to hear about proposed
watershed planning and management
activities. Martin recommends "talking a
little and listening a lot" when explaining
new water quality or habitat improvement
initiatives to those in attendance.
                                                                                                     45

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Section 4
    Why isn't this going to work?

    Sometimes, if you start a process by asking
    why it's not going to work, you can disarm
    resistant attendees and uncover various
    interests, opinions and attitudes. Once you
    have identified the universe of barriers/
    you can address each one and try to
    find solutions that will move the process
    forward.
    What do you do when
    stakeholders are reluctant to
    accept outside help?

    In Virginia's Muddy Creek watershed,
    the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water
    Conservation District (SVSWCD) and state
    and federal agencies identified ways to find
    common ground to help reduce bacteria
    and nitrate pollution. The local Old Order
    Mennonite community's religious beliefs
    preclude farmers from accepting government
    financial assistance to implement best
    management practices (BMPs). However,
    the Mennonite community strongly values
    healthy land and water resources and is willing
    to accept technical assistance. In 2007, the
    SVSWCD used Clean Water Act sect/on 379
    funding to hire two full-time staff members
    to work directly with these farmers and
    others in the watershed for the next  7 years.
    With the SVSWCD's technical support,
    the farmers in the Mennonite community
    voluntarily implemented numerous BMPs
    such as excluding livestock from streams and
    building numerous manure storage units.
    The Muddy Creek outreach project ended
    in 2008; however, it led to significant water
    quality improvements. The creek met water
    quality standards for nitrate beginning in 2002
    and was removed from the impaired waters
    list in 2010. Although bacteria levels had
    not consistently met standards as of 2010,
    violation rates in Muddy Creek had dropped
    by approximately 24 percent.
    answers, but it's not okay to mislead the group. This is particu-
    larly important where decision-making methods are concerned.
    If the group won't have any decision-making authority, tell them
    so up front. This will  help reinforce to the group that there is no
    hidden agenda.
3.  Listen. Listening is not as easy as it sounds. Often we're so
    focused on how we're going to respond to what's being said that
    we miss what's being said altogether. Active listening involves
    paying attention with both your body and your brain. Your body
    language—eye contact, stance, arm position—communicates a
    lot about how you're listening. Allow your brain to  process what
    the person is saying without worrying about your response. Often
    the best response is no response.  To make sure you have under-
    stood what was said and to let the speaker know you were listen-
    ing, repeat what was said or ask a follow-up question to continue
    the dialogue.
4,  Communicate clearly and often. Clear and frequent communi-
    cation is essential. Do not assume your stakeholders understand
    the issues and processes. Many of your stakeholders might not be
    trained in the sciences and might not be comfortable with techni-
    cal terms. Ask for feedback to see if the stakeholders understand
    the information being presented,  or have them explain the
    concepts discussed to see if they understand. Avoid the use of
    acronyms and techno-jargon!
    Ask your stakeholders how they would like to communicate
    with each other and outside the group. Choose several formats
    (e.g., e-mail, newsletters,  phone chains, websites and meetings)
    depending on the level of communication needed. Set a regular,
    agreed-upon schedule for progress reporting.  Keep up-to-date
    meeting minutes and other stakeholder records and products to
    use in  educating new stakeholders who are added later or who
    replace someone who changes jobs or moves from  the area. This
    will bring new members up to speed more quickly and easily and
    increase their level of engagement.

5.  Don't  leave out stakeholders because they're difficult. Inviting
    to the table those expressing the most intense opposition might
    cause some initial discomfort,  but doing so has many  potential
    benefits. Such stakeholders will likely bring considerable energy
    and a host of new perspectives to the process, tn addition, they
    might have the ability to educate  and activate others who were
    not accessible to the original team. Finally, if the opposition group
    has the ability to stop the  planning/management process through
    legal or other means, it might be wise to work with its members
    to avoid a showdown in the courts or elsewhere. Nothing is
    gained by excluding people from  the stakeholder group purely
    because of their views, criticism or concerns. The ground rules
    for mutual respect, however, must be followed.
46

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                                                                                                 Section 4
   Be sure to recognize differences early on. It's okay to disagree. If
   you try to ignore conflict or make people think they're one big
   happy family (when they know they're not), you lose credibility.
   Accept and applaud the fact that everyone is at the table for dif-
   ferent reasons, emphasizing that they are all there to accomplish
   common goals.

6. Maintain strong leadership. Good leaders are often the key to a
   successful stakeholder group. Good leaders are  people who are
   consistent, decisive, fair, goal-oriented, honest, good at listening,
   enthusiastic, optimistic and somewhat visionary.
7. Focus on their issues. Remember that people will  bring their
   own concerns and issues to the process. Instead of  focusing on
   how you're going to meet your internal goals, concentrate on
   meeting their needs. This will keep them involved in the process
   and help build trust throughout the effort. Make sure you always
   show them how being involved in the process benefits them as
   well as the environment and the  community.
8. Establish mini-milestones. Because stakeholder processes tend
   to be long and drawn out, it's important to achieve small suc-
   cesses and build on them. These mini-milestones can be used
   throughout the process to show success and keep the group
   energized and motivated. Start off with some projects that are
   likely to be noncontroversial and ones that will  benefit most of
   the group members. This shows them that they can work togeth-
   er and produce something tangible. Examples of small projects
   include developing a slide show, holding an open house for the
   community, and creating a general brochure on the project.
   Use on-the-ground projects through which stakeholders (and the
   community) can see the  results of their efforts. For  example, host
   a stream cleanup, partner with a local school or garden club to
   landscape a common area, label storm drains with  "don't dump"
   messages, or hand out watershed stewardship materials at local
   events.

9. Commit the resources needed to achieve your objectives.
   Make sure adequate resources (personnel and financial) will be
   available to the group. Coordinating and maintain ing stakeholder
   groups can be a substantial drain on resources. If your agency
   or organization is  only providing seed money for the process,
   consider applying for grants (ci^see Section 5) or getting in-kind
   services from members of the group. Keep your activities and
   projects  in line with your budget. Don't go through the process of
   selecting activities that you know you won't be able to implement
   with your budget. And don't duplicate the efforts of other groups.
10. Call a meeting only when it's absolutely necessary. Are you
   calling a meeting just because you said you would, but you
   don't really have any new information for the group to con-
   sider? Meeting burnout is one of the most common by-products
  Establish mini-milestones, such as
community projects that will show
positive results and keep the group
                         motivated.
                                                                                                         47

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Section 4
    Nothing succeeds like success

    When trying to reach consensus on pursuing
    a regional approach to managing our water
    and sewer needs among five localities, there
    was a great reluctance among the board of
    supervisors to cooperate with each other.
    instead of trying to establish a regional
    management entity up front, we identified
    a project that all of the utilities could agree
    on—developing a wasteload allocation for
    the region—to show that we could work
    cooperatively and that addressing these
    issues on a regional scale made sense.
         —Thomas M. Slaydon, Director of Utilities
                    Spotsylvanla County, Virginia
    of the stakeholder process. Think long and hard before asking
    your stakeholders to take time out of their schedules to come
    to a meeting. Try to communicate information to stakeholders
    through a flyer, phone call relay, or website. Reschedule agenda-
    less meetings for a later date when  there will be more substantive
    information to discuss. This will show that you value stakehold-
    ers' time. It will also reinforce the notion that when a meeting is
    planned, it is because key issues will be discussed and stakehold-
    ers' participation is required.
    Consider holding your meetings in creative locations to provide
    an  educational opportunity for the  participants. This approach
    gives the stakeholders a sense that each meeting is like a field
    trip. Possible meeting sites include the community wastewater
    treatment plant (try  to arrange for a tour), the local high school
    (have a science teacher or a student make a watershed-related
    presentation), someone's home (this creates a warm, social envi-
    ronment), the zoo, the Chamber of Commerce, a marina or a
    local restaurant or coffee house. The possibilities are endless.

11. Give feedback and  praise. We all like to know whether what
    we're doing is having any effect on the outcome of a process.
    Stakeholders are no different. Give feedback to the group to
    show them how their efforts are moving the process forward.
    Provide everyone with articles written about the project, publish
    data that they collected, and pass on positive feedback from
    key decision makers. After a key event or decision point, write
    a personalized letter to the stakeholders thanking  them for their
    participation. Highlight key activities and participation by the
    stakeholders. Recognize the members who make  substantial
    contributions of time and energy. If you produce an internal
    The BBCC works to avoid "reinventing the wheel" and has fun at the same time
    The Black Bear Conservation Committee was formed
    in 1992 to transform the image of a threatened species
    from a liability for landowners to an asset and to, develop
    management plans for increasing bear habitat from the
    Tensas River in northeastern Louisiana southward to the
    Gulf. After convening an impressive group of more than
    70 corporate, public agency, agricultural, environmental,
    private and university organizations, the BBCC developed
    restoration goals.
    Attention to the human, social element—typified by
    informal, congenial' cookouts prior to focused meetings
    designed to seek consensus and resolve conflict—has
    been cited as one of the more remarkable features of the
    group. As BBCC coordinator PauJ Davidson puts it, "If
          your meetings aren't any fun, nobody wilt come
          to them;" -,..;      ,                       .
          the BBCC focuses its efforts on areas of concern that
          other entities are unwilling or not equipped to address.
          There is no need for the BBCC to get involved in land
          acquisition when other organizational members are
          already in that business.
          The BBCC does excel in conflict management and
          educational efforts^Bynot competing with other groups,
          we help to perpetuate positive attJtudes and keep our
          efforts prioritized so that we get the most return on our
          investment of time and limited resources."
                  —Paul Davidso^ Black Bear Conservation Cornmiuee
48

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                                                                                                Section 4
   newsletter, consider profiling a stakeholder in each issue. Use
   quotes from stakeholders in articles.
   In addition to giving feedback on the impact the group has had
   on watershed protection, 'it's also Important to give feedback on
   how well the stakeholder process is operating. Things to look for
   include how the group's structure and membership have changed
   over time (for better or worse), how effective the leadership of
   the group is, whether members feel included and validated in
   the decision-making process, and whether there is a beneficial
   exchange between the individual members and the stakeholder
   group itself. In other words, do stakeholders  feel that they are
   benefiting from being involved in the group and that the group is
   benefiting from each stakeholder involved?

12. Make it fun. The issues you're dealing with are serious, but that
   doesn't mean you can't have fun. Often the  best way to start
   building relationships within the group is through social activities.
   These allow group members to interact and  learn about each
   other on  a personal level and  can help alleviate possible conflicts
   down the road. Remember that meetings are not the only forums
   available to communicate with your stakeholders. Periodically,
   invite stakeholders and their families to an event that is purely
   social.  Throw a barbecue along the river, sponsor a canoe trip, or
   have a crab feast. This allows  relationships to be built and shows
   that you appreciate the stakeholders' hard work.


Using technology to share and collaborate
Stakeholder involvement, by definition, requires collaboration—
working together in a coordinated fashion toward a common goal.
In addition to meetings and conference calls, today there are many
newer interactive Web tools and technologies available that can help
to foster more productive collaboration such as social media apps.
Listed below are a few of the tools that you might consider using to
facilitate information-sharing and collaboration during your stake-
holder involvement effort, (Note: EPA does not endorse any product,
service or enterprise. Any mention of a product, publication, report,
entity or enterprise is for informational purposes only and does not
constitute a recommendation or endorsement by EPA or the U.S.
govern ment.)

•  Document-sharing/collaboratton tools. Whether your stake-
   holder  group is charged with writing a watershed plan, com-
   menting on a  plan written by  others, or voting on various options
   for watershed management, there are many online document-
   sharing tools you can  use to aid the process.  Many of these tools
   are available for free and often based on an  open-source model
   that offers many of the same collaborative features as proprietary
   brands. Exam pies of these include Google Docs, Scribd,  Alfresco
   Community Edition and Knowledge Tree Community Edition
   which can allow stakeholders to share workspaces,  maintain
   and access archives of various iterations of watershed planning
r\ purely social event can help
   build relationships between
                 stakeholders.
                                                                                                         49

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Section 4
                                                  documents, track reviews and comments submitted, and more—
                                                  just by using a Web browser. Google Docs is a service that offers a
                                                  suite of tools for creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations
                                                  and forms combined with online storage ("in the cloud") that
                                                  facilitates real-time collaboration. You can read more about these
                                                  tools al http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content jnanagementjystem
                                                  or vvww.web/ogmatn'x.org. If you need a tool with more bells and
                                                  whistles, you might consider purchasing software like Microsoft
                                                  Sharepoint, Knowledge Tree, and other fee-based document
                                                  management systems. [Note: EPA does not endorse any product,
                                                  service or enterprise. Any mention of such is for informational
                                                  purposes only.]
                                               •  Discussion forums and blogs. Online discussion forums struc-
                                                  ture their content as hierarchical trees of messages. These topic
                                                  trees (called threads) begin with a single message (called a post),
                                                  and the responses and replies to the responses create the rest
                                                  of the tree. Replies to posts within threads are what defines the
                                                  "discussion" in the term online discussion forum.
                                                  There are many free online discussion sites hosted by large com-
                                                  mercial companies that you can use to set up a forum for your
                                                  stakeholder group—Google Groups and Yahoo Groups for exam-
                                                  ple. Some groups choose to offer their own  dedicated forums,
                                                  gaining more control over the functions and structure. Some of the
                                                  best forum software available is based on low- or no-cost software.

                                                  A blog is the Web version of a journal or diary. (The word blog is a
                                                  contraction of "Web log.") The content can be managed by a single
                                                  user, a group of users, corporations, agencies or other organiza-
                                                  tions. Blogs can be written solely by individuals or can be com-
                                                  posed of contributions by many authors. Some blogs allow autho-
                                                  rized users or the  anonymous public to provide simple comments
                                                  below each blog story. They can serve as useful forums for discus-
                                                  sion, debate, information exchange and dissemination. Most blogs
                                                  allow the administrator to "turn" comments on or off. Blogs tend to
                                                  be  more personal and typically are spearheaded by one person or
                                                  a small group of people, whereas online discussion forums tend to
                                                  be  decentralized forums in which members are equally responsible
                                                  for content and comments. Unlike discussion forums, responses to
                                                  posts are not usually the ultimate goal of a blog.

                                               Free blogging hosts (most of which have premade templates to get
                                               you up and running  quickly) include:
                                               •  B2evolution.net
                                               •  Bhgger.com
                                               •  Bhgagotchi.com
                                               •  DiaryLand.com
                                               •  glFusion.org
                                               •  Livejournal.com
50

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                                                                                                 Section 4
•  journalHome.com
•  MovableType.com

•  WordPress.com

•  Weebly.com

As with online forums, some groups choose to offer their own blog
infrastructure for additional control and possible integration with
other systems that may be running (document management, knowl-
edge bases, news campaigns, public relations management).
   aking decisions by consensus
Because many stakeholder groups use consensus as a basis for mak-
ing decisions, this section provides some lips on basic facilitation
techniques to prevent the process from getting bogged down and
stagnating. Often it's advisable to retain an outside facilitator to work
through the consensus-building process or at least to have someone
who is trained in facilitation and is perceived as a neutral party.

The definition of consensus is a decision the group can live with.
Consensus is not a majority vote. It is important to remind the
stakeholders that consensus does not necessarily mean that they are
supporting their first choice but that they are willing to support the
decision selected. When making decisions by consensus, you must
indicate a fallback position, up front, if consensus can't be reached.
For example,  "If we can't reach consensus on the management
options to pursue, the county will have to select the options, "or"  If
we can't reach consensus on which watershed projects to fund, we'll
vote and go with the majority decision."

The key to any consensus-building process is to get agreement
on something. It is, unfortunately, all-too-common of an experi-
ence to generate a room full of ideas, only to elude agreement on
which  ideas to pursue, This section briefly reviews how to build an
agreement.

From brainstorming to consensus
One of the most widely used methods for reaching consensus within
a stakeholder group involves opening the floor to a brainstorming
session, organizing and reducing down the ideas to a smaller subset,
and then reaching agreement together on which is the best idea or
approach.

Before opening the floor for ideas, it is sometimes helpful to identify
the screening criteria you will apply during the narrowing phase,
This helps to  bring forward topics that focus on the end result or key
aspects of the overall goals and objectives. The screening criteria can
be anything the group  agrees to. Some common criteria fnclude rela-
tive effectiveness, time limits, cost considerations, geographic focus
and the ability to measure results.
                                                                                            f VPT
AJREE
                                                                                              REDUCE
                                                                                                         51

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Section 4
    Using sticky notes

    Many groups use sticky notes to generate
    and sort through ideas. Have each
    participant write down one idea per
    note and then post the ideas on large
    sheets of paper taped to the wall. This
    allows you to easily group the information
    into categories and sort and rank the
    information later.
   Starbursting can help answer
   questions about an issue so that
   stakeholders are better equipped
   to rank all of the issues.
                             Apartment building
                            owners and property
                                managers
                                 Who
                 Hoiv
     Property tax credit
          or some other
      monetary incentive
                 Why
  Raw. untreated sewage
    contaminates streams
   and ground water with
   pathogens and nitrates
Brainstorm
In the brainstorming phase, the purpose is to generate ideas and
stimulate discussion. It is important to stress to the group that you
are not evaluating any ideas at this point. Several approaches can
be used to open the discussion. The most common approach is to
let people speak their ideas freely in any order. Another approach
is to go around the table and let each person offer one suggestion
at a time. Another approach is to ask each person the same focused
question and have the person respond to that question.  If you have
a quiet group, you might want to start with an initial list  of ideas and
ask the group members to add to it. Taking turns and having people
contribute one idea each time allows more people to participate,
which promotes buy-in during the process. Using a free  association
approach could help if your group is bogged down with old ideas.
Free association helps to facilitate discussion in a creative way. For
example, you can show the group a photo of a degraded streambank
or an aerial photo of a watershed to generate input. You can also use
written articles, quotes or videos as the "prop" to spur discussion.

Once all the ideas have been generated, it's important to check
back with the group to make sure everyone understands the ideas.
If someone is confused, have the person who mentioned the idea
explain it to the group. If your stakeholder group is a subset of a
larger management effort, you might want to start the open phase
with the proposed recommendations from the technical committee
and then have the group add to them.

Reduce
During this phase, you are trying to organize the information you col-
lected in the open phase and get a sense of priorities so that you can
combine options if appropriate and prepare others to be eliminated in
the next phase. It's important to stress that no decisions will be made
                       during this phase. The first task is to combine
                       any obvious duplicates. Remember to ask the
                       group if it's okay to combine issues. Some-
                       times what might seem obviously related to
                       you is distinctly separate to someone else in
                       the group.
   What
   Remove/ of cesspool
   and replacement with
   septic tank
   Where
   Apartment buildings
   in the East AUjui
   watershed
                                 When
                           Within 12 months of
                          watershed plan adoption
If some members of the group are confused
about an issue or idea, you can use a simple
clarification method called 5tarburst/ng to
flesh the  idea out so that all group mem-
bers can  make an educated decision while
narrowing ideas down. To do this, draw a
large open six-pointed star on a flip chart
and write the issue or idea in the center
of the star. At each point of the star, write
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
Ask the person who suggested the idea
or issue, or the group at large, to answer

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                                                                                                    Section 4
 those questions about the issue, and write the answers off the tip of
 each respective star point. This diagram is a useful aid that enables
 everyone to gain a more robust understanding of the issue or idea.
 From here, the group will be better equipped  to rank the issues and
 eliminate some in the next phase.

 Techniques to organize the information include applying the screen-
 ing criteria to the issues, grouping similar topics, taking straw votes,
 and giving each member a certain number of votes to rank his or her
 preferences. An easy way to determine how many votes each person
 gets is to count the number of items and divide by 3  (if there are
 fewer than 10) or 4 (if there are more than 10). For example, with
 9 items, everyone gets to prioritize 3; with 20  items, everyone gets to
 prioritize 5. Voting can be done by raising hands or by using stickers
 or tape flags placed directly on the flip charts.  You might also ask the
 stakeholders to rank their top choices on a notecard. Using notecards
 can  help to remove any group bias that might  occur when openly
 expressing priorities on a flip chart or raising hands. This ranking
 allows you to see which issues are the most active and which you can
 target for elimination.

 After you have used the reduction techniques, it's important to give
 the group members a chance to advocate for a particular issue, even
 if it did  not score very high in the ranking process. This allows mem-
 bers to express their views and provide background information that
 can sometimes change people's minds.

 Once you have a sense of the participants' priorities,  you can start
 the agreement process.

 Agree
 During the agreement phase, you remove ideas until  you are left with
 the best approach or choice. The objective is to start with the ideas
 that  have received the least attention. Based on the prioritization in
 the organization and narrowing phase, you should already have an
 idea of the level of interest in the various topics.

 Ideas can be removed by negative polling. For example, you ask
 the group, "Is there anyone not willing to remove number 5 from
 the list?" If there is no opposition, physically remove it and praise
 the group for making progress. Then, working from both ends (using
 straw votes or negative polling), try to  determine which topics the
 group wants to keep and which ones can be eliminated.

 When two or three topics remain, you'll probably have more discus-
 sion  on the merits of each and can determine whether these discus-
 sions influence the group. One quick way you  can determine each
 stakeholder's level of support for the remaining ideas is the fist-to-
five technique. To use this technique, the facilitator asks the group
 members to show their level of support for an idea by using a fist or
the number of fingers that corresponds to the person's opinion. A fist
Setting restoration project
criteria in the state of
Washington

The King County Engineering and
Environmental Services Division developed
the Small Habitat Restoration Program in
response to disappearing spawning and
rearing habitat for salmon, extreme bank
and channel erosion, sedimentation in
stream and wetland buffers, and water
quality degradation.
To meet program goals, a Habitat Advisory
Croup established a set of guidelines for
selecting projects. These guidelines stated
that projects should be located in or along
natural stream systems and/or wetlands
and their buffer zones; should originate
from county staff members, the public
or community groups; should incfude
as partners other groups, governments,
volunteer organizations and/or fish
and wildlife agencies; and should be
constructed primarily with Washington
Conservation Corps crews and volunteers,
using low-cost materials.
                                                                                                          53

-------
Section 4
    Different ways to generate
    ideas

    Propose
    (limited opening)
    Someone leads off the discussion.
    List
    (moderate opening)
    Let's list four or five items that we want to
    address.
    Brainstorm
    (wide opening)
    Let's get all of our ideas out first.

    Reducing the field of
    possibilities

    Combine obvious duplicates
    to eliminate redundancy.
    Prioritize by using N/3:
    Number of ideas divided by 3 — the
    number of votes each person gets.
    Apply screening criteria.
    Use straw votes (show of hands).
    Advocate:
    Allow anyone to advocate for an issue.

    Agreeing on a final decision

    Negative poll:
    Is there anyone not willing to take number
    5 off the list?
    Build up/eliminate:
    What can we add  to option B to make it
    work for you?
    Straw poll:
    Let's get a quick show of hands. Who
    wants to keep this one?
    Both/and:
    Can we go with both of these?
(also called a fist block) is a "No" vote, whereas five fingers is a vote
of full support. Anyone holding up fewer than three fingers should
be given the opportunity to state his or her objections so the group
can discuss them. Fist-to-five is a great way to discover if there is still
anyone who has unaddressed concerns. The group continues the
process until they achieve consensus (a minimum of three fingers or
higher) or determine they  must move on to the next issue.

Another option is the build up/eliminate approach, which asks what
must be added to or removed from a particular idea for the stake-
holders to support it. The both/and technique allows you  to choose
more than one option if the participants agree. Don't force yourself
into choosing  between two ideas if you don't have to. For example,
if you're left with two potential watershed projects to fund, perhaps
both projects can be funded by splitting the total funding between
the two efforts.

Bring everyone along together
When building agreements with stakeholder groups, it's important
to make sure that everyone is on the "same page" and that everyone
is moving through the process together. It's like leading a group on
a field trip to an art museum. You have to wait for the stragglers to
catch up before you can begin talking about the next painting. If you
rush to the next issue without ensuring that the group  is with you,
you risk having to discuss a topic again or realizing that their con-
cerns were not addressed and you may need to go back to square
one.  The following are some common places in the process where
you might get  bogged down because you've  lost part of the group:

No commitment to the problem. If you don't get agreement on
what the problems are at the beginning of the effort, the stakeholders
might not feel that it's worth the investment of their time.

Poor problem definition statement. Sometimes the group jumps
ahead and states the problem as a solution. For example, stating a
problem as "The watershed needs riparian buffers." is a solution.
The problem statement might be "Increased  sedimentation and
elevated temperatures in the stream." Once the problems are clearly
identified, alternative solutions can be proposed.
'Resolving conflict
By following the steps above, you have reduced the chances for con-
flict to occur. You have structured an open, honest process with clear
boundaries and expectations about roles and outcomes, listened
54

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                                                                                                   Section 4
Example of consensus building in action
Situation:
Your watershed group (nine persons) has received $10,000 to fund a watershed project in the community. Which
project will you fund? (Note: Techniques used are highlighted in bold.)
Screening Criteria:
%/ Project must be completed in a year.

-------
 Section 4
    Continued from previous page

    Advocate: "Does anyone want to advocate fora particular issue?"

    Sheryl : "/ think fencing off the stream alongside the dairy farms makes the most sense. Those farms are the largest dairy
    operations in the county, and we already know that fecal conforms and sedimentation are our biggest problems. A lot of
    that is probably caused by cattle grazing along the streams. But I think we need to do some sampling, too, so we can see if
    fencing the cattle out improves the situation. "

    Agree
    You are left with four choices and have to get to one. Based on the N/3 vote during the narrowing phase, you start with
    the choices that received the least attention.

    Negative polling: "Based on the discussions, is there anyone not willing to take #7 (storm drain labeling) off the list?"
    (Agreement to eliminate #1 .)

    1 .  Conduct itui in drain labeling in die Town ef West frasu. (0 vul»)
    9 — rLi.i ,. iit.,',.^1. Lj.fr.-, A! _____ c...,,^ r.^.'L
    +• •  \ IQlll Cl I- I kJCLI riH I UUIICl OH-1 Mil ^_HJO3C t_,ICCE»«

    3 .  Fence off 20 m iles of stream along a section of dairy farms upstream of West Fraser. (1 1 votes)

    4.  Conduct a series of training workshops to educate development contractors on erosion control practices. (2 votes)

    5.  Conduct stream monitoring to determine levels of fecal coliforms in the West Fraser River and publicize the results in
       the media. (8 votes)

    0.  Hold a fall Mtohiu1 fali^l.
    "Okay, we're left with numbers 3, 4, and 5. I haven't heard too much discussion on #4. Is there anyone not willing to
    take #4 off the list?" (Agreement to remove #4.)

    i •  M!.T7ncnr^^r;!jrtj7m^tTrfliri is DC ODE *n u^c town ox vvcji i rflscr* |u vorc37
    3 .  Fence off 20 miles of stream aiong a section of dairy farms upstream of West Fraser, (1 1 votes)


    5.  Conduct stream monitoring to determine levels of fecal coliforms in the West Fraser River and publicize the results in
       the media. (8 votes)
    0.  I laid a fall waterjhtJ fulhal.
    Both/and: "Okay, we're left with numbers 3 and 5. Can we combine numbers 3 and 5 to fence off the stream and
    conduct bacteria monitoring along just the dairy farms to see if the fencing program works? We'll probably get some good
    results from the sampling that we could publicize in the media. And that might convince others to fence off their streams."
    (Agreement on amending and combining the two choices.)

    Decision: The watershed group agrees to fund a $10,000 project to fence off 20 miles of stream next to a section of
    dairy farms and monitor the river to determine the water quality results. Findings from the monitoring program will be
    publicized.
56

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                                                                                                    Section 4
to stakeholder concerns, and communicated with the stakeholders
clearly and regularly. But when different personalities are involved
and the stakes are high, conflict can result.

To resolve conflict, you must first uncover the underlying interests
or needs that cause people to take a particular position on an issue.
When those interests or needs are revealed, it's often possible to deal
with them constructively.

Know the difference between a concern and a position
Often a stakeholder will express his or her concerns in the form of
a position.  It's very difficult to make progress when working with
conflicting  positions. Try to get stakeholders to state their concerns
in terms of needs or concerns. For example, if a parking lot owner
refuses to make any changes to his parking lot design to reduce
stormwater runoff,  ask him what his needs are for patrons. That might
prompt him to state his concerns differently, providing you with some
issues you might be able to work with.

Position; I  won't add a grassed swale  to my parking lot.

Concern: I desire plenty of parking spaces for peak customer times.

In this example, if the need for spaces during  peak periods can be
addressed,  the parking lot owner might be willing to consider add-
ing a grassed swale. Sifting through positions on issues to get to the
underlying  needs or interests can be a delicate process. Often, the
concern relates to financial issues—funding for management prac-
tices, training on sediment and erosion control, incentives for setting
aside riparian buffers, money to upgrade onsite wastewater treatment
systems, and so forth.

Finding the resources to implement management strategies may
draw from the energy of the entire stakeholder group. <^= Section 5
provides a brief overview of funding issues. Note that the best way to
attract financial support is to build an  energetic, unified stakeholder
group committed to addressing the interests and needs of its mem-
bers. Public and private entities like to fund projects that have lots of
local support and enthusiasm.

Use your active listening skills
Active listening skills are crucial in identifying and resolving conflict.
Some techniques to use include the following:
•  Clarify.  As a first step, ask people to state their positions and
   repeat them back to the group to make sure everyone is clear.
   "John, could you restate your concerns for me?"
  Conflict is inevitable, but resolving
  it constructively is not impossible.
What is conflict?

Conflict results when people have different
positions on an issue and they don't
believe it's possible to reach an agreement.
Tip:

Avoid conflict by providing opportunities
for stakeholders to interact at unstructured,
informal social events. Watershed
management may hinge on relationships
among key stakeholders. It will be very
helpful for them to understand each other's
concerns if they are to build a cooperative,
coordinated watershed program.
                                                                                                           57

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Section 4
    Establishing the real needs and
    concerns of stakeholders will help
    resolve conflicting positions.
•  Reflect. Ask each party to restate the other's position. "John,
   could you restate what Bob's concerns are about adding a grassed
   swale in his parking lot?"
•  Ask open-ended questions to help the group identify possible
   solutions to the conflict. "What could Bob do so that his custom-
   ers have ample parking?"
•  Accept/legitimize. Show the participants that you understand the
   problem. "/ understand that Bob's customers need ample parking
   spaces and that John is concerned about the stormwater runoff
   from the parking lot in the stream, which is causing the water
   quality violations."
•  Build on small agreements. This technique might include having
   participants agree to discuss the issue further without asking for a
   commitment. "So, Bob and John, do you agree to meet with the
   city planner to explore possibilities for addressing parking needs?
   Great!"
Separate beliefs from facts
Our view of the  world is a product of our experiences and beliefs.
Our beliefs include our values, perceptions, attitudes and opinions.
    Some general observations regarding conflict and conflict resolution
    •  Conflict is a natural and normal phenomenon and is
       associated with nearly all human relationships.
    •  There are several basic human needs that are
       especially pertinent to conflict and conflict
       resolution—the need for recognition, development or
       fulfillment, security and identity.
    •  People get involved in conflicts because their interests
       or their values are challenged, or because their
       concerns are not met.
    •  It is easy to resolve a conflict stemming from a clash of
       interests. It is more difficult to deal with a conflict that
       arises from a clash of values. It is even more difficult
       to handle a conflict in which at least one party's basic
       needs are not satisfied.
    •  It is extremely difficult for the parties to  the conflict,
       even with outside assistance, to find a solution that
       would completely satisfy everyone's needs.
           •  Mediators, intermediaries and other third parties can't
              resolve conflict. They can only facilitate involving the
              parties directly so they can resolve it themselves.
           •  Despite the limited role of facilitators, some conflicts
             ' cannot be resolved without their help. The involved
              parties' perceptions of each other and of the issues of
              the conflict can be so biased and so limiting that they
              cannot mutually agree on satisfactory options even
              when they have the desire to settle their differences.
              It is in such cases that third parties can be the
              most helpful. By bringing to the conflict their own
              knowledge and experience, their own perspective,
              and, of course, their own power and leverage, they
              make previously unconsidered options visible and
              feasible.
           Source: A Brief Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution,  ,
           Dimostenis Yagcioglu, 7996 (www.academia,edu/1032320/A_Brief_
           lntroductionJo_Conflict_Analysis_and_Resolution)   .
 58

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                                                                                                      Section 4
Sometimes we state our beliefs as facts, and they contradict other
people's beliefs, creating conflict. It's important to separate beliefs
from facts to keep the discussion focused on the issues.

Belief: There is not enough water supply in the county to support
future growth projections.

Facts: The current water supply in the county is 15 million gallons
per day, and the projected growth for the year 2030 is an additional
200,000 residents.

Turn the negative into a positive
When your stakeholders start talking about all the problems with the
process or stating reasons why something won't work, take a break
and  regroup. Often the group will build on the negative energy being
generated, so you'll want to try to steer the members toward some-
thing positive. Try asking the group to state their issues in terms of
what they would like to see. Make them lead off with the statement
"/ would like to see ..."

Example: "This won't work because there are too many agency staff
at the table."

Restatement: "/ would like to see greater representation from non-
profit groups and other organizations that should be participating in
the process."

This  approach enables  them to take one step toward a solution
instead of dwelling on all the barriers. If you had the foresight to con-
duct an initial visioning exercise (<^=see Conducting the first meet-
ing in Section 3), it's a good  idea to revisit the vision statement and
talk about it again. Such a discussion can help to cast things in a new
light and broaden the perspective on the issues under debate.
             Top five reasons teams fail

             7.  Team members don't influence and get
                support from key external stakeholders.
             2.  Team members don't set appropriate
                goals for the team and therefore
                don't build and implement a plan for
                reaching them.

             3.  Team members don't spend enough
                time planning how they will work
                together.
             4.  Team members don't know how
                to reconcile differences or resolve
                interpersonal conflict.

             5.  Team members don't conduct efficient
                meetings that produce results.
             Source: Interaction Associates, "The Greatest Internal
             Team Barriers to Success"
                                                                                       Focus on the positive.
   Dealing with negative people

   One of the challenges watershed programs face in
   developing a collaborative and open environment 'is
   dealing with negative people. This becomes an even larger
   issue in meetings. The following tips can help the leader
   and the group deal effectively with people who might
   become disillusioned or dissatisfied with group progress or
   otherwise create impediments to reaching consensus and
   implementing selected water quality improvement strategies:
   •  Make sure participants have a vested interest in the
       meeting topic and understand their role. They are
       more likely to be active and cooperative.
   •  To set expectations at the appropriate level,
       communicate the scope of the meeting clearly.
•  Establish the process to be followed at the beginning
   of the meeting and stick with it.
•  Model a positive and receptive attitude, whether
   you're the facilitator, meeting leader or participant.
•  Address objections or concerns directly and involve
   the group in dealing with them,
•  Seek to understand all participant points of view by
   asking probing questions such as "How do you see
   this problem? What'do you think is happening? How
   ,/s the situation affecting your group?"
Source: Interaction Associates.
                                                                                                             59

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Section 4
                                              Focus on the common goals
                                              The looming threat of regulatory or other legal action, though often
                                              viewed as a negative, sometimes provides a powerful impetus to
                                              seek consensual solutions. Focusing the group on the vision or overall
                                              goal expressed initially and seeking to accommodate interests rather
                                              than positions can help spark creative, outside-the-box solutions that
                                              break through disagreement and past baggage.

                                              For example, environmental groups in Kentucky and other states
                                              have actively lobbied for cost-share support for livestock waste treat-
                                              ment systems and other expensive management practices to help
                                              ease the burden of complying with clean water initiatives on the
                                              farm. Coalitions of groups that seemed to be at odds in the past are
                                              now powerful forces for changing policies and building support for
                                              implementing management strategies in these watersheds.

                                              It should  be noted that focusing on impending regulatory action
                                              as the sole (or most important) reason for developing a watershed
                                              management plan can backfire with stakeholders. Warnings that the
                                              planning  process must proceed because "if we don't do it,  the gov-
                                              ernment will" can cause resentment and unnecessary ill will.

                                              Using stakeholders for community outreach
                                              As we've  already discussed, during both the formation and active
                                              stages of your stakeholder process, you'll probably need to develop
                                              outreach  materials to recruit stakeholders as well as to keep them
                                              interested and engaged during the watershed planning process. In
                                              addition to those outreach needs, you'll need to use your stakeholder
                                              group members as messengers for reaching out to their own constitu-
                                              ents and social networks, as well as the watershed community
                                              at large.

                                              Because you chose stakeholder group members who are active in the
                                              community and knowledgeable about a variety of community issues,
                                              it's likely that many of the members of your stakeholder group are
                                              trusted and respected members of the community. This makes them
                                              great messengers on  your behalf. In addition, they can be used to
                                              piggyback watershed messages and information onto whatever out-
                                              reach methods they  use in their other community or social networks,
                                              such as newsletters of civic organizations they might belong to or
                                              booths at community events they actively support. Using stakeholder
                                              group members to piggyback watershed messages and information
                                              will help you to build awareness and support among the community
                                              as a whole.

                                              Keep in mind that because stakeholder group members usually have
                                              full-time jobs or other commitments that compete for their time and
                                              attention, it is important that you create Specific, Measurable, Attain-
                                              able, Relevant and Timely (SMART) outreach objectives for them to
60

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                                                                                                    Section 4
The Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators
James K. Sebenius, writing in the April 2001 Harvard
Business Review, summarized the "Six Habits of Merely
Effective Negotiators" as follows:
1. Neglecting the other side's problem: If you want
   to change someone's mind, you first have to learn
   where that person's mind is. Solving the other side's
   problem as a means to solving your own requires
   understanding and addressing your counterpart's
   problem.
2. Letting cost/price bulldoze other interests: While price/
   cost is  an important factor in many transactions, it's
   rarely the only one. Wise negotiators put the vital
   issue of price in perspective and don't straitjacket their
   views of the richer interests at stake.
3. Letting positions drive out interests: Three elements
   are at play in a negotiation: issues are on the table for.
   explicit agreement, positions are one party's stand on
   the issues, and interests are the underlying concerns
   that would be affected.  The goal should be to meet
   both sets of interests through joint problem solving so
   that an agreement can be reached. Probing behind the
   positions to flush out  interests makes that possible.

4. Searching too hard for common ground: Common
   ground helps in negotiating agreements, but
   differences will drive the details of the deal. Flushing
   out differences (especially in interests) related to the
   terms of an agreement can unbundle them so each
   can be dealt with individually within the context of the
   overall agreement.

5. Neglecting BATNAs: The "best alternative to a
   negotiated agreement" reflects the course of action
   a party would take if an agreement is not possible.
   BATNAs set the threshold that any acceptable
   agreement must exceed, i.e., both parties  must do
   better than their BATNAs or an agreement /s unlikely.
   Knowing the BATNAs of your side and those of
   your counterpart will help you to define the level of
   benefits that must come from the agreement.
6. Failing to correct for skewed vision. The psychology
   of perception can lead to major errors during a
   negotiation. Getting too committed to your own
   (probably exaggerated) point of view,  i.e., being too
   self-serving in your analysis of the facts and failing to
   accurately assess your counterpart's position are both
   common problems in negotiations. Seeking the views
   of outside, uninvolved parties is useful in addressing
   this phenomenon, as is reverse role-playing.
                   —Harvard Business Review (April 2001)
Salmon listing spurs stakeholder
coordination

When coho salmon were listed as threatened or endangered
under the Endangered Species Act in 1997, the California
counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Siskiyou and
Mendocino joined forces to focus on county land-use policies,
plans and road projects that would better protect salmon. By
2010, these counties had removed or modified 53 fish barriers
and opened up 130 miles of streams.
                                                                                                            61

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Section 4
    Watershed Wiki fosters
    communication
    www.epa.gov/watershedcentral/wiki.html

    EPA's Watershed Wiki (part of Watershed
    Central) is an application used for
    information-sharing and collaboration that
    allows users to:
    •  Share best practices, case studies and
       lessons learned
    •  See what other watershed organizations
       are up to and learn from them
    •  Identify partners
    •  Rate and comment on watershed
       management tools or report on new
       tools
    •  View watershed maps and data
    •  Publish a watershed management plan
       for others to learn from
    •  And more!
accept and help implement. During the process of creating SMART
objectives:
•  Identify the audiences that each stakeholder member is in regular
   contact with and the upcoming events or meetings at which the
   stakeholder might have opportunities to educate others on the
   watershed planning process.
•  Identify instances where more than one member is reaching the
   same audience. Are there some audiences that are not being
   reached by the stakeholder members?
•  Create a list of the stakeholders' influential contacts and relation-
   ships. Include elected officials, media, content experts (aca-
   demia), celebrities and any other category of persons who might
   help to spread the word about your efforts to the community.
•  Identify special skills and capabilities that will help with outreach.
   Refer to the initial stakeholder research you conducted when
   identifying stakeholders. Are some of your members gifted public
   speakers? Do they own a restaurant or public building that could
   be used for an event? Do they have information technology
   know-how or available property for demonstration projects? Are
   they, or do they have access to, gifted artists? Can these skills and
   capabilities assist with efforts to reach out to the community?

Whether it  is giving community presentations, contacting other mem-
bers of the community, fundraising, or any other form of outreach,
your expectations for stakeholder group members should be clear.
You might even consider instilling a sense of competition among the
members by giving small awards at stakeholder meetings to those who
have achieved results in their outreach efforts (e.g., those who brought
the most people to an event, raised the most money for a project, suc-
cessfully recruited new stakeholders, passed out the most brochures). If
some members are consistently unable to meet the outreach objectives
that the group has agree to, you  might need to revise the objectives
as a group or consider bringing in new stakeholders who are more
productive. The number of seats in your stakeholder group is limited
to what is easy to manage, and each member of the group needs to
actively promote and advance the cause of the group.
62

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                                                                                               Section 4
Using stakeholders for community outreach
What's happening...                  Possible outreach products/activities
Action - The group is ready to be a mes-
senger for the watershed planning effort.
The stakeholder group is up and running
and implementing parts of the manage-
ment plan.
The stakeholder group is knowledgeable
about the watershed issues and is prepared
to begin outreach to help implement solu-
tions, promote the adoption of selected
best management practices (BMPs), and
generally build support for the watershed
plan.
Develop a Web page that combines existing monitoring data and
mapping technology to keep volunteers and stakeholders engaged
and up-to-date on the latest information on priority watershed
areas.
Continue generating media coverage and piggybacking information
on existing newsletters and other outreach products accessed
by stakeholders (e.g., feature articles on BMP implementation,
program activities).
Hold events to showcase successes and motivate the community to
get involved in additional efforts that need to be taken.  '
Add new content and discussion to online collaboration forums to
keep the process moving and stakeholders actively engaged.
Develop a speakers' bureau for the stakeholders so they can go out
into the community to make presentations.
Develop a traveling tabletop display that can be used to support
the speakers' bureau and other events.
                                                                                                      63

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                                                                                            Section 5
Section 5:
Beyond the Stakeholder
Group
Many stakeholder involvement processes are initiated by public
agencies to accomplish a specific task or fulfill a legal or other man-
date. Once the initial objective has been  satisfied, however, stake-
holder groups often coalesce into long-term partnerships to imple-
ment watershed plans or otherwise assist with management efforts.

"Responsibility of government agencies
As discussed in the book New Tools for Environmental Protection:
Education, Information, and Voluntary Measures, written by the
National Research Council's Committee on Human Dimensions of
Global Change (2002), stakeholder groups can be very effective on
their own, but as contributors to change,  their effectiveness is maxi-
mized by appropriate support from policy-making agencies. To pro-
vide the most support to stakeholder-led  efforts, government agen-
cies should enhance the stakeholder involvement skills of their own
staff. They should also ensure that their policies provide the time and
perspective necessary for community flexibility and responsiveness to
environmental issues with the goal of supporting stakeholder-driven
watershed initiatives.

Other ways government agencies can provide support are listed on
the website for the Water Outreach Education—Best Education Prac-
tices (BEP) Project, which is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service and other partners (http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/
beps/essential.cfm). A few of their tips are provided below:
•  Build value for education as part of policy development and
   implementation.
•  Build staff skills for flexibility and responsiveness to environmental
   issues and for facilitating community engagement.
•  Concerning a particular topic, ensure the commonality of goals
   across all levels of responsibility  (individual, neighborhood, local
What's in Section 5?

• Establishing independent watershed
  management groups
• Types of organizations
• Securing funding
• A final thought...
                                                                                                  65

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Section 5
                                                   government, state agency, federal agency), but adapt the partici-
                                                   pation opportunity to each audience.
                                                •  Concerning a particular activity, match the target audience to
                                                   the scale of the problem, e.g., train the stakeholder group about
                                                   a locally significant topic and train agency staff to consider
                                                   how information about several related topics informs policy
                                                   development.

                                                •  Offer avenues for participation that are competent, are fair, and
                                                   enhance involvement for all levels of responsibility.

                                                Establishing independent  watershed
                                                management groups
                                                Establishing a separate, self-supporting entity to conduct watershed
                                                assessment, planning and management tasks has several advantages.
                                                These entities are  by definition locally  led, inclusive, and able to
                                                respond quickly to requests for information, support, training or  man-
                                                agement assistance. Public agencies often find it difficult to provide
                                                close, on-the-ground support to the dozens—or even hundreds—of
                                                groups representing local interests. Providing assistance to establish
                                                and maintain these groups complements river basin-scale manage-
                                                ment activities and distributes the workload among more partners.

                                                When considering a shift from an agency-supported effort to a more
                                                inclusive independent  approach, the most critical issues are orga-
                                                nizational structure and funding. Watershed groups can range in
                                                structure from  informal, ad hoc advisory groups to incorporated enti-
                                                ties with hired  staff and multiple  programs. Obviously,  the resources
                                                available to the watershed group dictate its capacity for action.
                                                Organizations involved in watershed management are most likely to
                                                be effective if their structure matches the scale of the problem. Local
                                                issues should be handled by local, self-organized watershed councils
                                                or groups, while larger  organizations should deal with broader issues.
                                                Money, volunteers and donations of office space and other resources
                                                can support a broad variety of activities. Independent watershed
                                               groups are often more  inclined than typical government agencies
                                               to use creative, interactive techniques for reaching individuals and
                                                keeping them engaged.

                                                Defining the organizational structure and accessing resources are
                                                important considerations  when moving from an agency-led approach
                                               with local support to a  locally led approach with agency support. The
                                               following section outlines some issues to consider when establishing
                                                long-term watershed management programs.
66

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                                                                                                   Section 5
Types of organizations
There are two basic types of organizations—formal and informal.
Formal organizations are those established by law, initiated through
formal public agency action, or incorporated under the laws of a
state. Most watershed groups that are formally organized are non-
profit corporations; that is, they are incorporated under the laws of a
state and meet the charitable, educational, scientific or other require-
ments outlined for tax-exempt corporations under section 501 (c)(3)
of the federal Internal Revenue Code.

Nonprofit corporations
Setting up a  nonprofit corporation is not difficult, and many excellent
books and websites are available to help with the process. The first
step, establishing the corporation, involves filing articles of incorpora-
tion with the secretary of state and paying a filing fee. The articles
outline the purpose, membership and other organizational aspects of
the corporation, including the names and contact information of the
officers. (Sample articles of incorporation are posted on the Minneso-
ta Council of Nonprofits' website at http://www.rn/nnesotanonprof/t5.
org/nonpmfit-resources/start-a-nonprofit/samplearticles.pdf.)

The second step, securing tax-exempt status from the  Internal Rev-
enue Service, takes a little more time. Federal IRS reviewers conduct
a thorough review of the application and supplemental materials to
ensure that the organization will operate within the  bounds of federal
law. Up to 6 months—and longer in some cases—is needed for the
review process, so applicants are urged to submit their materials long
before their tax exempt status needs to be finalized.

Although some work is involved in setting up a nonprofit organiza-
tion, there are significant benefits. Tax-exempt corporations are
eligible for a wide variety of public and private grant and contract
funding programs, and they can serve as the vehicle for funneling
resources to  smaller groups involved in  monitoring,  assessment or
implementation of management practices. For example, nonprofit
basin groups in many states operate mini-grant programs to fund
projects conducted by smaller, unincorporated groups. These small
groups could not access grant funds without a nonprofit "sponsor."
Information on the specifics of forming a
tax-exempt organization is available on the
IRS's website at www.irs.gov/charities.
                                                                                                          67

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 Section 5
    Ad hoc groups can access funding
    through existing nonprofit or public
    agencies.
Ad hoc stakeholder groups
Although instituting a long-term watershed management program
by establishing a nonprofit corporation builds quite a bit of capac-
ity for action, ad hoc groups can still accomplish a lot. These groups
can range from a handful of people who write letters or otherwise
advocate improvements for a river or lake to large, highly organized
watershed activist groups  that conduct high-profile events, col-
lect and spend money, sponsor monitoring programs, and develop
sophisticated basin management plans.

Ad hoc groups often "will themselves into  existence" in response
to some real or perceived threat to a water resource. Some func-
tion for years,  expanding and receding in tandem with the ebb and
flow of interest in the resource and the ongoing public assessment of
threats to the resource. There is no established criterion or bench-
mark for deciding when to incorporate an  ad hoc group and apply
for tax-exempt status. The most frequently used yardstick is eligibility
for funding. Nonprofit corporations qualify for support from public
agencies, private foundations and other sources. Ad  hoc groups can
solicit money from organizations and individuals, but there are no tax
advantages for those who  donate and many grant and other program
funds are not available to  ad hoc groups.

Though funds earmarked for nonprofit corporations are not directly
available to ad hoc groups, such groups can often find a sponsor that
will serve as a vehicle for funneling money to their projects. Unin-
corporated groups working on contaminated coal mine drainage,
establishment of riparian buffers, streambank restoration and other
issues frequently attach themselves to an existing nonprofit or even
a public agency (e.g., resource conservation district, county soil and
water conservation board) to access funds for special projects. This
approach avoids the work of setting up a separate corporation and
    Landowners act quickly to remove the need for buffer mandates
    In 2000, landowners in Washington's Tenmile Creek
    watershed learned that the state was considering
    mandating wide streamside buffers as a tool to reduce
    bacteria levels in the larger Nooksack R/Ver watershed.
    The prospect of additional regulations spurred landowners
    in the Tenmile Creek watershed to join forces on a
    voluntary, citizen-driven watershed restoration project .
    (see www.whatcomcd.org/tenmile). The group worked
    with trie Whaf.com County Conservation District to secure
    six grants between 2007 and 2008 to support a part-time
    project coordinator who worked directly with individual
          landowners to implement best management practices.
          Participating landowners planted more than 77 miles
          of riparian buffers, removed nonnative species and
          established native shrubs on 12:5 miles of stream habitat,
          improved fish passage barriers, installed seven in-stream
          habitat improvement structures, installed fences to keep
          animals out of the creek while providing alternative ways
          of watering animals, and implemented farm plans for
          better management. By 2009, bacteria levels in Tenmile
          Creek had dropped significantly.
68

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                                                                                                   Section 5
applying for tax-exempt status and allows those involved to focus
on the project rather than on organizational issues. The sponsoring
organization benefits from the involvement of a group of energetic,
motivated individuals and action on projects within its sphere of
interest, making this approach a win-win approach for everyone.
Support from ad hoc groups and citizen volunteers is often  used as a
cost-share or matching support for grant programs.

Finally, don't ignore the value of convening informal focus groups or
task forces when no formal or even ad hoc organization exists. Public
agencies and statewide or regional nonprofits often call together
small groups of citizens and stakeholders to  review management pro-
posals, assist with specific projects, provide information to others, or
conduct similar activities. Nurturing these groups for a few months or
years can lead to the establishment of a more self-sufficient ad hoc or
incorporated entity in the long term and provides valuable informa-
tion and service in the short term.
Securing funding
Regardless of the organizational type, watershed partnerships require
coordinated action among state agencies, local interest groups and
other stakeholders. Many local organizations, however, lack the
technical capacity, administrative assistance and infrastructure to
adequately support watershed outreach, protection and restoration
initiatives after the planning work has been completed.

State and federal funding support
States frequently offer financial support to local groups that are rich
in commitment and energy but lack funds. States recognize that pro-
grams like these pay off by motivating volunteers to help with restora-
tion projects, generating monitoring data, and identifying potential
environmental problems. They also help foster local and regional
outreach efforts, educational initiatives and  resource coordination.
This approach  recognizes that agency staff cannot and should not be
managing hundreds of local projects across a state simultaneously,
and it is viewed as an efficient, productive use of public funds.

Some states provide grants or other assistance to nonprofit groups
to support long- and short-term local watershed protection efforts.
For example, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)
provides grants to support watershed coordinator positions for water-
shed councils across the state. OWEB also provides grants to improve
waterbodies, wetlands,  and fish and wildlife habitat. Local citizens
propose what needs to  be done in their communities and work with
the watershed  councils  and OWEB for funding and support
(www. oregon.gov/ovveb).

The New York City Watershed Protection Program (www.dec.ny.gov/
Iandsl25599.html) provides financial assistance for projects that pro-
tect the quality of source waters of the New York City water supply
State agencies are important
resources for the funding and
implementation of watershed
                      projects.
                                                                                                          69

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Section 5
    Monitoring partnership
    in Virginia offers multiple
    benefits

    The Virginia Department of Environmental
    Quality (DEQ) has partnered with the
    volunteer water quality monitoring
    community for well over a decade,
    providing grant funds to groups since
    1998. DEQ views volunteer monitoring as
    a way to help widen the network of water
    quality stations in Virginia—providing
    data on water bodies not currently in
    DEQ's sampling rotation and providing
    supplemental data for waters that DEQ
    is monitoring. DEQ uses citizen data in a
    variety of ways, ranging from educating
    landowners to the listing/delistlng of
    impaired waters, depending on the type of
    data collected and the quality assurance
    protocols in place. DEQ believes that
    the partnerships formed over the years
    have  helped to make Virginia a model
    for meeting EPA's mandate for states to
    use "any and all available data" when
    developing the biennial Clean Water Act
    section  305(b)/303(d) Integrated Water
    Quality Assessment Report. In fact,
    DEQ estimates that its latest Integrated
    Report (2010) incorporates citizen
    volunteer monitoring data covering
    3,600 stream miles.  For more information,
    see www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/
    Water/WaterQualitylnformationJMDLs/
    WaterQualityMonitoring/CitizenMonitoring.
    aspx.
system. Both the state and federal government provide funding grants
for watershed protection projects that improve water quality while
enhancing and preserving the economy and rural character of local
communities. In  Florida, regional water management districts sup-
port local stewardship group efforts to build technical capacity and
coordinate activities.

States are discovering new and creative ways to develop flex-
ible funding programs and management policies that support
and enhance local stakeholder-driven watershed planning. For
example, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources provides
Watershed Planning Grants (see www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/
WaterQuality/Watershedlmprovement/WatershedPlanningl
WatershedPlanningCrants.aspx) to organizations that want to assess
the problems in their watersheds and create watershed plans to
address them. In Washington, a landmark 1998 law requires state
agencies to adopt rules and ordinances that ensure locally developed
watershed plans  are implemented. In practice, such an approach
means that management of state  land—parks, wildlife refuges, con-
servation areas and so forth—must be consistent, to the maximum
degree possible,  with watershed partnership plans and policies. After
more than a decade, this law continues to guide watershed plan
development in the state (wvvvv.ecy.vva.gov/water5ried). For the period
2009 through 2011, Washington  awarded $7 million to 29 water-
shed planning groups to help ensure that locally adopted watershed
management plans would be put into action.

States recognize the benefits of partnering with nonprofit groups and
work to foster collaboration as often as possible. Wyoming's Water
Commission, for  example, maintains a comprehensive online directory
(wwdc.state.wy.us/wconsprog/WtrMgntConsDirectory.htm!) that lists all
local, state and private organizations that offer financial and technical
assistance for water management and conservation projects. The Ver-
mont Department of Environmental  Conservation offers a comprehen-
sive online list of all grants that might be available for local watershed
protection projects (www.anr.state.vt.us/c/ec/grants.ritm).

Under section 319 of the Clean Water Act, EPA allocates federal fund-
ing to each state  in two  categories—nonpoint source program funds
and watershed project funds. Watershed project funds are the funds
EPA has designated for developing and implementing watershed-based
plans for impaired waters. Nonpoint source  program funds are used to
provide staffing and support to manage and  implement the state Non-
point Source Management Program, as well as to implement projects
to identify and address nonpoint source problems and threats. After
the states have received their funding, they make those funds available
through contracts and grants to both public and private entities, includ-
ing local governments, tribal authorities, cities, counties, schools and
universities, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, federal agencies,
watershed groups, for-profit groups and individuals. For information
70

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                                                                                                      Section 5
on eligibility and grant application requirements, visitwww.epa.gov/
nps/319.

The federal government also works to connect watershed groups with
funding opportunities. For example, EPA's Office of Water maintains
a watershed funding website (www.epa.gov/wateKhed/funding.html)
listing numerous tools, documents and databases that can help groups
identify the funding options that might be available to support a variety
of watershed projects. The site links to useful information from both
the public and private sectors, as well as to EPA's Catalog of Federal
Funding for Watershed Protection, a searchable database that contains
information on more than 80 federal financial assistance sources that
provide grants and loans to support watershed protection and planning
efforts.

Assembling diverse resources
Although having staff and funds committed solely to the activities of
the partnership might represent the ideal to some, many watershed
groups have adopted creative and effective ways to access resources
without dedicated funding. The rapid growth of volunteer monitoring
programs over the years has greatly increased available water quality
data in some states. Early concerns over data quality have diminished
considerably, though appropriate data quality objectives, program
goals, design, training and quality assurance/quality control remain
critical to success.

The most effective approach for acquiring and deploying resources
seems to be the case-specific overlaying of available technical, finan-
cial and human resources that characterizes most partnerships. Sever-
al  states facilitate this approach by authorizing agencies to participate
in monitoring programs, restoration initiatives and local planning/
management activities. Many states have created statewide water-
shed management frameworks designed to support and coordinate
                 As the level of financial support and
                 staffing increases, partnerships must be
                 careful to avoid minimizing the role of
                 volunteers. The energy and creativity of
                 interested, committed local residents bring
                 to a partnership vitality and drive that are
                 difficult to replace.
Stretching monitoring resources in the Bluegrass State
Kentucky adopted a five-stage watershed management
framework more than a decade ago, but like many states'
it did not have the resources to conduct comprehensive
assessments in each major river basin. A nonprofit citizens
group called Watershed Watch in Kentucky obtained
a small amount of funding from private sources and
approached state agency officials, offering to conduct a
volunteer monitoring project outside the existing agency
monitoring program. The volunteer monitoring program
was a tremendous success: Agency staff initially noted a
tenfold increase in the amount of screening information
 available in the Kentucky River watershed, The volunteer
 program has been extended into the other basins in
, Kentucky, and state officials have successfully engaged
 additional agencies, public utilities and organizations in
 its growing basin assessment program. Volunteers and
 personnel from other agencies now regularly monitor
 several hundred discrete sampling sites, and the statewide
 volunteer groups have incorporated the "Watershed
 Watch in Kentucky" organization as a forum for dealing
 with common issues across river basins,
                                                                                                             71

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Section 5
    Smile! Have fun!
                                               the actions of local partnerships. Creativity and cooperation remain
                                               the best assets for any watershed group seeking resources.

                                               Also refer to Part 3 (Implementing the Campaign) of Getting in Step:
                                               A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns for addition-
                                               al information on securing funding for your stakeholder effort.


                                               f\ -final thought...
                                               As we said at the beginning of this guide, there is no one-size-fits-all
                                               approach to stakeholder involvement. Although engaging and involv-
                                               ing stakeholders can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, it's
                                               still the best way to conduct comprehensive watershed assessments,
                                               identify and target problems, implement remediation strategies, and
                                               institute long-term management strategies.

                                               Under the stakeholder approach, all the heavy lifting is moved to
                                               the front end of the process so things move more quickly later on.
                                               Remember: Co slow to go fast. And smile! Have fun!
 72

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                                                                                            Section 6
Section 6:
Resources
This section lists various resources that can help make your stake-
holder involvement effort more successful. EPA does not endorse any
product, service or enterprise. Any mention of a product, publica-
tion, report, entity or enterprise is for informational purposes only
and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by EPA
or the U.S. government.

Stakeholder involvement and communication

Board Diversity: Adding Diversity to the Conservation
Partnership
This two-page brochure explains ways you can engage various
segments of the community and recruit new partners. Available on
the National Association of Conservation Districts website at
www.nacdnet.org/resources/gwdes/board_diversity.pdf.

Breakthrough Strategies for Engaging the Public:
Emerging Trends in Communications and Social Science
Produced by The Biodiversity Project, this document provides an
introduction to some trends in the fields of social marketing, commu-
nications and social science that could benefit those planning public
education, engagement and awareness campaigns. Available for
download atwww.biodiversityproject.org/docs/publicationsandtip
sheets/breakthroughstrategiesforengagingthepublic.pdf.

Building Alliances
This guidebook explains the steps for creating an alliance (network,
coalition, partnership or other cooperative effort for promoting con-
servation) to promote conservation goals. Available from the Social
Sciences Team of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service at
www.nrcs.usda.gov/lnternet/FSE_DOCUMENJS/stelprdb1045548.doc.
What's in Section 6?

• Stakeholder invovlement and
  communication resources
• Facilitation and meeting
  management resources
• And more!
                                                                                                  73

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Section 6
                                              Community Culture and the Environment: A Guide to
                                              Understanding a Sense of Place
                                              EPA developed this guidance document to support the social and
                                              cultural aspects of community-based environmental protection
                                              approaches. The guide provides a process and a set of tools for defin-
                                              ing the human dimension of an environmental issue. Based on social
                                              science theory and methodologies (sociology, cultural anthropology,
                                              political science), the guide and associated training modules can be
                                              used by government and communities to identify environmental
                                              issues of concern. They are available from the National Service Cen-
                                              ter for Environmental Publications at 800-490-9198
                                              or e-mail nscep@bps-lmit.com. A PDF version is available at
                                              www.epa.gov/care/library/community_culture.pdf.

                                              Conservation District Board Member Recruitment and
                                              Community Outreach Guide
                                              This guide (downloadable in Microsoft Word) from the National
                                              Association of Conservation Districts provides provide tools and
                                              techniques for extending conservation programs to all within the
                                              agricultural community. There are also recommendations for building
                                              productive working relationships. Available online at www.nacdnet.
                                              org/resources/guides.

                                              Getting In Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed
                                              Outreach Campaigns
                                              EPA developed this guide to offer advice on how watershed groups,
                                              local governments and others can maximize  the effectiveness of
                                              public outreach campaigns to reduce nonpoint source pollution and
                                              protect the lakes, rivers, streams and coasts that we treasure. It is the
                                              third edition of a 1998  publication by the Council of State Govern-
                                              ments, titled Getting in  Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your
                                              Watershed. A companion DVD, suitable for viewing by stakeholders,
                                              educators or others interested in generating watershed  outreach cam-
                                              paigns, is available to reinforce the steps outlined in the guide. The
                                              disc includes four different examples of watershed outreach cam-
                                              paigns that use the principles presented in the guide. To download
                                              the guide, visit EPA's Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox at
                                              www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox.

                                              Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore
                                              and Protect Our Waters
                                              This handbook is a comprehensive guide to developing and imple-
                                              menting watershed plans to meet water quality standards and
                                              protect water resources—from identifying problems and setting
                                              goals to selecting solutions and measuring progress. Chapter 3 of the
                                              handbook provides details on building partnerships to help achieve
                                              water quality goals. Download the handbook at www.epa.gov/nps/  .
                                              watershed handbook.
 74

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                                                                                              Section 6
A Handbook for Stream Enhancement and Stewardship
This basic resource can help individuals, groups, organizations, com-
panies, communities and others plan and carry out environmentally
sound, cost-effective stream corridor assessment, enhancement and
stewardship programs. It provides a solid foundation for volunteers
to become informed observers, advocates, and organizers of stream
enhancement programs and participants in their implementation.
Available through McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company at
800-233-8787, or www.mwpubco.com/conservation.htm.

Handbook for Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability
This 220-page publication by the Izaak Walton League of America
is filled with information on wetland ecosystems and how to start
a wetland stewardship program. The guide includes case studies of
volunteer conservation efforts nationwide. Available through the
McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company at 800-233-8787 or
www. m wpubco. comfconservation.htm.

How to Save a River: A Handbook for Citizen Action
This handbook presents the wisdom gained from years of river pro-
tection campaigns across the United States. It covers the general prin-
ciples of action, including getting organized, planning a campaign,
building public support and putting a plan into action. Contact River
Network at 800-423-6747 or www.rivernetwork.org/marketplace.

The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for
Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Working with the
Media (2nd edition)
This workbook is intended for organizations and watershed cam-
paigns that want to create successful communications strategies. It
helps nonprofit organizations enhance their profiles, increase name
recognition, boost fund-raising and recruit members. It provides guid-
ance on effective media relations, as well as assistance in developing
a communications strategy to create social or policy change. Avail-
able from the Jossey-Bass website, www.yosseybass.com.

Marketing for Conservation Success Workbook
This workbook provides members of conservation partnerships with
the  tools needed to understand and  use the marketing process,
develop or improve marketing skills, and develop marketing plan.
Sample worksheets from real-life case studies highlight examples of
programs across the country that are using marketing techniques to
communicate their conservation messages. It also describes the seven
stages of a marketing plan and how to get the most out of market-
ing efforts. Available from the USDA NRCS Social Sciences Team at:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/lnternet/FSE_DOCUMENIS/stelprdb1045542.doc.
                                                                                                     75

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  Section 6
                                               Public Involvement in Environmental Permits
                                               This guide provides basic information about public participation
                                               requirements and gives examples under several major permits issued
                                               by EPA's air, water and waste programs. It details what public partici-
                                               pation activities are required under those programs, as a  minimum,
                                               and suggests activities that could augment the regulatory  require-
                                               ments. Available from EPA at http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/tsd/per
                                               mit/epmt/publicguide.pdf.

                                               River Talk! Communicating a Watershed Message
                                               River Network developed this manual to assist river and watershed
                                               advocates interested in encouraging key sectors of their community
                                               to effectively design a watershed-friendly future together.  It guides
                                               the reader from developing a communication plan to identifying an
                                               audience to creating and promoting a message.  Available from River
                                               Network, 520 Southwest 6th Avenue, Suite 1 1 30, Portland, OR
                                               97204, 503-241-3506, or at www.rivernetwork.org/marketptace.

                                               Starting Up: A Handbook for New River and
                                               Watershed Organizations
                                               Newly formed watershed organizations can use this tool to design an
                                               effective program. The 400-page handbook is based on the experi-
                                               ences of dozens of leaders in the watershed conservation  movement.
                                               It  includes information on choosing a name, developing a mission
                                               statement, creating a budget and more. Available from River Net-
                                               work, 520 Southwest 6th Avenue, Suite  1 130, Portland, OR 97204,
                                               503-241 -3506, or at www.rivernetwork.org/markGtplace.

                                               Top Ten  Watershed Lessons Learned
                                                                                             _.
                                              EPA's Office of Water developed this valuable website. Drawn from
                                              the experiences of more than 100 watershed practitioners and those
                                              who support them, the website provides insight into important les-
                                              sons learned and details about what works and what doesn't.

                                              Tips for Working with Local Media
                                              This one-page handout from the National Association of Conserva-
                                              tion Districts provides tips for honing messages and building and
                                              maintaining positive relationships with local media outlets. Available
                                              at www.nacdnet.org/resources/guides/Tips Jor_Working_withJocal
                                              media. pelf

                                              A User's Guide to Watershed Planning in Maryland
                                              This guide presents a watershed planning framework for Maryland
                                              communities, offers a compilation of planning resources in one
                                              place, integrates regulatory drivers, and presents the methods  neces-
                                              sary for completing a local watershed plan. Available online from the
                                              Maryland Department of Natural Resources at http://dnr.maryland.
76

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                                                                                                  Section 6
Wetland and Watersheds: Six Case Studies
This 1999 report includes case studies from local governments in a
variety of natural environments. The case studies provide ideas for
restoration, funding, building partnerships and working with regula-
tory agencies. Available from the International City/Council Manage-
ment Association , 777 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC
20002, 800-745-8780, or visit the bookstore on the Association's
website at www.icma.org.

Facilitation and meeting management

Interaction Institute for Social Change
www.interactioninstitute.org
The Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) is a nonprofit orga-
nization that provides consulting services that center around network
building, consulting, facilitation and leadership development for
networks and coalitions,  nonprofit organizations of all sizes, public-
sector agencies, schools and school systems, and foundations. IISC
also conducts facilitation training workshops.

International Association of Facilitators
www. iaf-world. org
The Internationa] Association of Facilitators is an organization with
more than 1,500 members. It encourages and supports the forma-
tion of local groups of facilitators to network and provide professional
development opportunities for members. The website  provides links
to a host of facilitation resources, as well as a searchable database to
find professional facilitators in your area.

Facilitation Resources, Volume 1: Understanding
Facilitation
Developed by several University of Minnesota professors, this publi-
cation describes what facilitation is, including its stages and tasks. It
describes 10 principles of effective facilitation and includes a tool for
evaluating your facilitation skills. It's the first in a series of eight vol-
umes on enhancing volunteers' group facilitation techniques.  Avail-
able from the University of Minnesota Extension Store at
https://shop-secure.extension.umn.edu/Default.aspx.

Facilitation Skills: The Art of Group Facilitation
Learn presence and presentation skills, as well as skills for listening,
communicating, conducting meetings and group decision-making,
through this free online resource from the University of Wisconsin-
Extension. Available at http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/education/
Facilitation.cfm
WWW. r»pp\ ing river, org
                                                                                                        77

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Section 6
                                               Other resources and websites

                                               Community Tool Box: Stakeholder Analysis
                                               www.nps.gov/nero/rtcatoolbox/index_comtoolbox.htm
                                               This resource from the National Park Service provides tools and
                                               techniques for better public participation in any kind of watershed
                                               or environmental restoration process. It provides tips on decision-
                                               making methods, facilitation (e.g., active listening, brainstorming, ice
                                               breakers), building partnerships and task forces, working with vol-
                                               unteers, conducting outreach, performing stakeholder analyses, and
                                               more.

                                               The Biodiversity Project
                                               \vw\v.biodiversityproject.org
                                               The Biodiversity Project is a nonprofit environmental communica-
                                               tions group that designs and implements environmental outreach
                                               campaigns. A key part of its work is assisting and training other envi-
                                               ronmental  and conservation organizations nationwide with strategic
                                               communications skills and resources. The website contains useful
                                               information on strategic communications planning, public opinion
                                               research, communications workshops, publications and more.

                                               EPA Office of Water's River Corridors and Wetlands
                                               Restoration
                                               www.epa.gov/wetlands/restore
                                               Resources and information on the benefits of a restoration project are
                                               available on this website. The site also describes different watershed
                                               improvement programs across the nation that are part of EPA's Five
                                               Star Restoration Grant Program to restore wetlands and streams.

                                               Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships
                                               www.hawp.org
                                               The Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships (HAWP) is com-
                                               posed of nine Watershed Partnerships on six islands. Watershed
                                               Partnerships are grant-based, voluntary alliances of public and private
                                               landowners and other partners working collaboratively to protect
                                               forested watersheds for water recharge, conservation and other eco-
                                               system services.
 78

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                                                                                                 Section 6
tzaak Walton League of America
www.iwla.org
Save Our Streams (SOS) is a national watershed education and out-
reach program run by the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA)
since 1969. The website offers helpful informational tools for an
effective stream improvement project. IWLA also runs the Project
Watershed program, an environmental education and community
outreach program that engages central New York high school, middle
school, and college students, and adult volunteers, in monitoring
water quality and conserving local streams. Additional programs run
by IWLA include the Clean Boats Campaign and Protect Our Wet-
lands program. The website provides publications, fact sheets, videos
and handbooks on stream restoration, wetland ecology and monitor-
ing, and stream monitoring.

Klamath Watershed Partnership
www.klamathpartnership.org
The Partnership is a community-based organization that provides
watershed education and restoration in the Upper Klamath Basin in
Oregon. It is involved in a wide range of large and small voluntary
restoration projects throughout the river basin. More than 15 federal,
tribal, state, local and nonprofit organizations are partners.

Potomac Watershed Partnership
http://potomacpartnership. org
The Potomac Watershed Partnership (PWP) is a collaborative effort
among federal, state, and local partners to restore the health of the
land and waters of the Potomac River Basin, thereby enhancing the
quality of life and overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. The Partner-
ship organizes conferences, workshops and outdoor adventures, as
well as on-the-ground restoration and improvement projects.

River Network
www.rivernetwork.org
River Network is dedicated to supporting river and watershed advo-
cates. The River Network website provides online resources and
information on funding opportunities and fund-raising ideas.  It also
contains a comprehensive resource  library with links to manuals,
publications, web pages, articles, videos, presentations and more.
                                                                                                       79

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Section 6
                                               Watershed Academy
                                               wvwv.epa.gov/watershedacademy
                                               EPA's Office of Water developed this website as a resource for
                                               online and classroom training, webcasts and watershed publications.
                                               The site contains more than 50 training modules on topics such as
                                               watershed science, best management practices, effective commu-
                                               nications, monitoring, climate change, and watershed planning and
                                               management. The site also provides access to monthly, live webcasts
                                               conducted by expert instructors on a range of watershed topics,
                                               including low-impact development, the Clean Water Act, watershed
                                               protection and planning, and nutrient management. All webcasts are
                                               archived on the site for viewing/listening 24 hours a day.

                                               The Watershed Management Council
                                               www. wa tershed. org
                                               The Watershed Management Council is a nonprofit organization
                                               whose members represent a broad range of watershed management
                                               interests and disciplines. The organization provides a forum for the
                                               integration of knowledge from a wide array of technical disciplines,
                                               identifies research needs and priorities, provides training, promotes
                                               policies and legislation relating to watershed management, assists in
                                               information exchange and education, and fosters networking among
                                               watershed organizations.

                                               The Western Governors'Association
                                               www. wes tgo v. o rg
                                               The Western Governors' Association consists of governors from west-
                                               ern states who identify and address key environmental and public
                                               issues. The Western Governors'  Association works with stakeholders
                                               to advance water supply and  water management strategies for  a sus-
                                               tainable future. The website outlines current initiatives and provides
                                               access to the Association's many publications.
80

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                                                                                             Appendix
Appendix:
Building  Blocks of  Outreach
EPA's Getting in Step: a Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach
Campaigns, a companion document to this guide, provides informa-
tion on developing and executing outreach programs with the goal of
changing behaviors to protect water quality. To download an elec-
tronic copy of the guide, visit www.epa.gov/nps/toolboK and select
"Getting In Step Outreach Series."

Throughout this stakeholder guide we have provided information
about when outreach is needed during stakeholder group develop-
ment, all the way through watershed  plan development and imple-
mentation. Refer to the companion outreach guide for greater detail
on how to conduct effective outreach as part of your stakeholder
involvement effort. The guide provides detailed information on each
of the following six steps of outreach:
1. Define the driving forces, goals and objectives.
2. Identify and analyze the target audience.

3. Create the message.
4. Package the message.
5. Distribute the message.
6. Evaluate the outreach campaign.

Within each step you must gather information to be able to effec-
tively target your messages to the right audiences. Each step more
or less builds on the  previous step, so it's important to address each
one. Too often, outreach efforts start in the middle of the process and
important steps—identifying measurable objectives or defining target
audiences, for example—are ignored. Such an unfocused approach
is ineffective and wastes resources. Following is a brief summary of
each step presented  in the companion outreach guide as it relates to
stakeholder involvement.
                                                                                                   81

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Appendix
    Objectives should be Specific.
    Measurable. Attainable. "Relevant.
    and Timely.
    Target your audience—narrowly
    identify the groups of people you
    want to reach with your message.
Step  /: Define the. driving forces, goals and

objectives
Your goals and objectives will reinforce the overall goals for the
watershed effort because your goals are related to the forces that are
driving the need for your program. For example, if one of your goals
is to restore the water quality of Cane Creek, one of your outreach
objectives might be to educate fanners about the benefits ot fencing
off their streams to livestock. Another could be to make the land-
owners living adjacent to the stream aware of failing septic systems
and educate them about a cost-share program available through the
health department.

Your outreach objectives should be SMART—specific, measurable,
attainable, relevant, and timely. You will probably develop several
objectives for  each issue you're trying to tackle. Keep the desired
outcome in mind when  forming your objectives. Do you want to
create awareness, provide information, or encourage action among
your target audience? It's very important to make your objectives as
specific  as possible and to include a time element as well as a  result.
This approach will make it easier to identify specific tasks for achiev-
ing the objective and will enable you to evaluate whether you've
achieved the objective.

Step  2: Identify  and analyze  the target
audience
Your target audience is the group of people you want to reach with
your message. Keep in mind that  your stakeholder group is only one
target audience; you will target other groups in the community as
well, such as elected officials, homeowners, farmers, volunteers and
business owners. Raising general awareness of the x-alue and fun( -
lion of a water resource might  include a very broad target audience
like watershed residents. Define your target audience as the narrow-
est segment possible that still retains the characteristics of the audi-
ence. If your audience is too broad, chances are you won't be able
to develop a message that engages and resonates with those you arc
targeting. Be creative in defining and developing perspectives on
target audiences and in  finding out what makes them tick. This is
where your stakeholders will be invaluable. Use them to help gather
information needed to segment your audiences into manageable,
reachable parts.

One you've identified your target audiences, you need to begin to
think of them as your customers. You want to sell your customers a
product (e.g., environmental awareness, membership in an organiza-
tion, participation in a stream restoration project, or some voluntary
behavior change), so you need to find out  what will make your cus-
tomers  buy the product. The kind of information needed to charac-
terize and assess the target audiences might include:
 82

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                                                                                                  Appendix
 •  What is the demographic makeup of the audience?

 •  How does the audience receive its information?

 •  What is the knowledge base of the audience regarding the issues
   involved?

 •  What is the perception/attitude of the audience on those issues?

The tools provided in ^Section 3 on researching potential stake-
holders can help you get the answers to these questions. In addition,
Step 2 of Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Out-
reach Campaigns provides detailed information on how to research
audiences and uncover barriers to behavior change.


Step 3:  Create the message
After gathering information on the target audience, you are ready to
craft a message that will engage them and help achieve your objec-
tives. To be effective, messages must be understood by the intended
audience and appeal to them on their own terms. The message
should be specific and tied directly to something your target audi-
ence values. Remember that these are your customers, and you want
them to buy your product! These are some benefits you might want
to include in your message:

 •  Money savings

 •  Time savings

 •  Convenience

 •  Free of charge

 •  Health improvements

 •  Efficiency

 •  Drinking water quality

 •  Stewardship

 •  Recreation opportunities

 •  Habitat protection

 •  Satisfaction of doing the right thing

Effective messages should also state specific actions required  to
achieve the desired results. Instructions should be clear, nontechni-
cal and understandable to the audience. Providing a means for the
target audience to become more involved or receive additional
information through a toll-free telephone number,  Internet site or
other means always helps. Focus on making everything—the behav-
ior change requested, the involvement needed, and the support
required—"user-friendly."
Georgia surveys elected
officials to focus its coastal
outreach efforts

The Georgia Coastal Management Program
(CCMP) has been faced with the challenge
of educating a rapidly growing public about
the natural resources on which its sought-
after quality of life is based. Because most
land use decisions are made at the local
level, much attention has been focused on
local government and elected officials.
To develop a personal relationship with
more than 80 local government officials,
staff from the CCMP conducted face-to-
face surveys with them. "We asked them
what the most important natural resource
issues were in their communities and how
they thought the  Coastal Management
Program should focus its efforts." The results
showed that 75 percent of local government
officials recognized the importance of
protecting groundwater resources from
saltwater intrusion and contamination, but
only 25 percent of the officials mentioned
nonpoint source pollution as a natural
resource issue for their communities. "We
know that nonpoint source pollution is a
widespread problem in our coastal area,
and the fact that the elected officials are not
aware of it shows us where to concentrate
our outreach efforts."
             —Beth Turner, Georgia Coastal
                    Management Program
           Develop a message with
     benefits that will attract your
    target audience, and package it
                         effectively.
                                                                                                         83

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Appendix
    Combining different formats can
    reinforce your message.
The stakeholder group will be a valuable resource in verifying that
the messages are appropriate for the target audience and will be
understandable to them.

Step H: "Package the message
You've defined your objectives, assessed the target audience, crafted
messages and identified potential outreach strategies. Now it's time
to determine the best format for communicating the messages to the
target audience. In some cases the format will define the distribution
mechanism (newspaper articles, radio spots, public events). When
choosing alternative formats, consider the following:
•  Will the format work with the particular target audience?
•  Will the target audience understand it?
•  Does it accomplish the objective?
•  How will the target audience access and use the information?
•  Is it something they will hear about once or will there be multiple
   opportunities?
•  Can it be organized  in-house, with existing resources?
•  How much will it cost, and who will pay for it?

If your goal is to communicate a specific nugget of information,
repeat it, repeat it, repeat it! The formula for success in the marketing
world is

                   Reach x frequency = results

where reach is how many people are exposed to the message and
frequency is the number of times they hear or see it.

There are a variety of ways of communicating with stakeholders or
other interested persons. Look for format ideas by searching through
EPA's Nonpoint Source  Outreach Toolbox (www.epa.gov/nps/too/box),
which contains a variety of already-developed outreach materials
from all over the country to help you get started on developing an
effective and targeted outreach campaign. It contains more than
700 viewable or audible TV, radio and print ads and other outreach
products to increase awareness or change behaviors.

Print. By far the most popular format is print. Printed materials
include fact sheets, brochures, flyers, magazine and newspaper
articles and inserts, booklets, posters, bus placards, billboards and
doorknob hangers. They can be easily created, and the target audi-
ence can refer to them  again and again.

Media and advertising. Working with the professional media-
newspapers, television, magazines and radio—will help to reach
target audiences. Opportunities to place your message in the media
 84

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                                                                                                  Appendix
include informational news stories, people features, issue analyses,
public service announcements, interview programs, call-in shows,
editorial columns and feature items related to sports, recreation, or
outdoor living. With the incredible growth and maturation of the
Internet and the ease-of-use, low cost and potential reach of Web
2.0 technologies, consider using nontraditional media to develop
your messages. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, podcasts, and other online
resources can be both cost-effective and timely.

Events. Events like demonstration site tours, watershed festivals
or stream cleanups can  be the most energizing formats targeted at
awareness, education or direct action. An event is an opportunity
to present your message and also help to meet other goals and
objectives of your watershed planning effort. In urban areas, where
knowing your neighbors and other members of your community is
the exception rather than  the rule,  community events can help to
strengthen the fabric of the community by creating and enhancing
community relationships,  building trust and improving the relation-
ships between government agencies and the public. And, of course,
they can be lots of fun!

Step 5: "Distribute the message
Once you've developed the products and activities for getting your
message out, theory meets reality. What you do and how you deliver
your message determine whether your audience is attracted and
stays involved. Often the people who are most effective at success-
fully delivering programs are teachers or other education  profession-
als. Natural resource professionals should consider asking education
partners for help when it's time to distribute outreach messages.

Figuring out ahead of time how you will promote your messages can
affect the development and design of the products and activities.
Common distribution mechanisms include direct mail, door-to-door
contact, phone calls, the use of targeted businesses, presentations,
handouts at events, the use of media outlets, e-mail distribution,
and posting your message in public places. Internet technologies
have become a powerful means of distribution. The options avail-
able—from social networking sites  to website ads to text message
campaigns—are endless.

One of the disadvantages  of using the Internet to  get your message
out is the fact that Internet technologies are evolving at a  dizzying
rate and being replaced with something newer and better. What is
popular today might not be  popular in five years, so choose your
methods carefully and stay up-to-date with the latest tools and tech-
nologies. Remember, too, that a Web-based approach is geared to
a certain target audience—one that is "plugged in." If your research
shows that your audience doesn't get information on watershed
issues online, Internet formats  should not be your primary or exclu-
sive choice.
Online tool generates
outreach materials

Trie Source Water Collaborative (SWC), a
group of federal, state and local partners
working to protect America's drinking water,
recently released a toolkit called "Your
Water. Your Decision." Using this interactive,
online toolkit, you can create a customized
drinking water outreach guide targeted
at your local policymakers. In just a few
minutes, the tool will generate a printable
document that emphasizes your local or
regional drinking water issues, lists available
local and state resources, and includes
concrete steps that local officials can take
to protect source water. To get started, see
www.yourwateryourdecision.org.
                                                                                                          85

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Appendix
    Tip:

    Piggybacking your efforts by including
    your outreach information in existing
    publications or presenting your information
    at standing meetings of important target
    audiences is both efficient and effective.
    Feedback is crucial fo
    improvement of your oufreac/i
    program.
Remember that you don't always have to distribute the message
yourself. Depending on where you are in your outreach efforts, your
stakeholders can also serve as a distribution vehicle for your invita-
tion to get involved.

If your target audience subscribes to an existing periodical, piggy-
backing your message onto that publication might be effective.  It will
certainly save you the trouble of dealing with mailing lists, postage
costs or news media releases. It will also increase the likelihood that
your message will actually be read by members of the target audi-
ence because they are already familiar with the publication.

Step 6: Evaluate the outreach campaign
Evaluation provides a feedback mechanism for continuous improve-
ment of your outreach efforts. Many people don't think about how
they will evaluate the success of their outreach program until after it
has been implemented. Building in an evaluation component from
the beginning will ensure that at least some accurate feedback on the
impact of the outreach program will be generated.

Any robust outreach program evaluation should include the following
three types of evaluation:
•  Process evaluation: Includes indicators related to the execution
   of the outreach program  itself (activity indicators). (For example,
   what effect did the effort have on the process? Did people attend
   the meetings? Did the message get to the media?)
•  Impact evaluation: Includes indicators related to achievement of
   the goals/objectives of the program. These could be social indica-
   tors (behavior-based) or environmental indicators. (For example,
   did the audience adopt the new behavior? Have nutrient levels
   decreased as a result of the behavior change?)
•  Context evaluation: Includes indicators related to how the project
   functions in the community as a whole, how the community per-
   ceives the project, and the economic and political ramifications of
   the project. Context indicators can provide some background and
    perspective on why certain approaches appear to be working well
   while others are not. (For example, was the effort well received
    by the public?)

Although impact evaluation  might be the hardest type of evaluation
to conduct,  it is perhaps the most important of the three.  In addi-
tion to tracking performance measures such as increased awareness,
knowledge of an issue, changes in perceptions or behavior, repeat
participation in a targeted activity, or goal-oriented measures of water
quality improvements, impact evaluations can also help to identify
and define any unintended outcomes that might result from an out-
reach program so the approach can be revised.
 86

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                                                                                                 Appendix
Available time and resources will determine the degree to which you
evaluate your outreach program. At a minimum, you should review
the outreach plan with the staff or watershed team to determine
whether your objectives were attained or supported, the target audi-
ence was reached, and so forth. Outreach programs ideally feature
pre- and post-tests of randomly selected  people to measure what
knowledge or behaviors existed before the program  was  implement-
ed and after it ended. This approach is used mainly for large-scale,
high-level efforts because of the resources involved.

Your stakeholders can assist in evaluating your outreach efforts by
providing feedback from their constituents. You should track the
following: What was the response rate on any outreach materials
distributed? Was the message understood? What was the response to
the information?
                                                                                                         87

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AEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
 Engaging Stakeholders
   in Your Watershed
          2nd edition
           May 2013
         EPA 841 -B-11-001
 This publication Is printed on recycled paper with soy-based Inks.

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