NATIONAL
ESTUARY
PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (Estuary Partnership) has found that the key to educating people about the importance of protecting and
restoring the watershed is to personally involve them in the effort, which is reflected in most of Estuary Partnership water quality outreach and education
projects-especially in the classroom.
The Estuary Partnership centers on protecting and restoring the lower 146 miles of the Columbia River—but like all NEPs, they don't do it alone. A cadre of experts and
supporters comprise the 'partnerships' ensuring that the Estuary Partnership supports existing efforts, and fills gaps, and builds the stewardship needed to sustain the lower
Columbia River.
THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM IN ACTION
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
With a team of educators, the
Estuary Partnership has devel-
oped 50 classroom curricula and
reached over 94,000 students
from all grade levels in 32 school
districts in lower Columbia River
communities. Working closely
with teachers to tailor and deliv-
er classroom lessons, field trips
and service learning projects,
the work constantly adapts to
teacher needs as it works across
the region.
An important focus of the service
learning projects offered is help-
ing students meet their require-
ments for community service
while restoring sites along the
lower river. There are 11,900
students involved in service
learning projects.
In 2006, the Estuary Partnership
introduced the Schoolyard
Stormwater Project, a new ini-
tiative that gives students from
elementary, middle and high
schools hands-on education
about sustainable stormwater
management and implements
stormwater infiltration projects
right on the school property-
projects that have the added
benefit of reducing the schools'
stormwater fees.
Funded in part by the EPA, the
Estuary Partnership received ad-
ditional funding for the school-
yard projects from the Spirit
Mountain Community Fund, the
philanthropic arm of the Confed-
erated Tribes of Grand Ronde,
which supports a variety of envi-
ronmental protection and edu-
cation projects, and the City of
Portland. The Estuary Partner-
ship also enlisted the help of
landscape and architectural de-
signers who helped students
create the plans, frequently at
no charge or reduced rates.
Creative, educational elements
were woven into the designs to
appeal to young minds and out-
door classroom space was inte-
grated for added learning oppor-
tunities. A series of classroom
discussions and lessons, fo-
cused on stormwater, watershed
health, and water quality, pre-
pared students for field trips that
allowed them to view innovative
stormwater approaches outside
the schoolyard. The Estuary
Partnership collaborated with lo-
cal businesses, including a local
grocery chain that has integrated
sustainable stormwater infiltra-
tion elements in its parking area,
sharing their commitment to the
environment.
In 2007, the Estuary Partnership
purchased two 34-foot canoes,
replicas of the fur trappers,
canoes. These seat about 15
students, allowing the Estuary
Partnership to add an on-river
component to many of its
applied learning programs. The
Estuary Partnership also collab-
orates with the outreach and
education staff at Lewis and
EFFECTIVE
EFFICIENT
ADAPTIVE
COLLABORATIVE
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Clark National Historic Park in
Astoria, Oregon, to offer an af-
fordable summer camp experi-
ence to students in grades three
to six. The joint venture provides
unique and memorable sum-
mers infused with educational
elements that aim to positively
influence young minds as they
make choices that impact the
environment.
The Estuary Partnership is en-
gages adults and other commu-
nity organizations including the
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Over
9,300 volunteers have removed
invasive species, planted native
trees and shrubs, paddled the
river, and cleaned up sites; one
project removed thousands of
pounds of river-polluting debris
from a small island. Local and
state agencies help, too. Two
members of a neighboring yacht
club donated a boat and barge to
carry away the 4,100 pounds of
car batteries, propane tanks, gas
cans, abandoned boat parts, bi-
cycles, and other trash left be-
hind by squatters on the Hump
Island shoreline. Volunteers have
also mowed grass, removed
trash, and assisted in various re-
pairs at another site along Reed
Island's water trail campsite.
With public and private partners,
the Estuary Partnership is
building stewardship that lasts a
lifetime.
Visit www.lcrep.org to learn
more about this and other LCREP
efforts.
EPA's National Estuary Program
(NEP) is a unique and successful
coastal watershed-based program
established in 1987 under the
Clean Water Act Amendments.
The NEP involves the public and
collaborates with partners to pro-
tect, restore, and maintain the wa-
ter quality and ecological integrity
of 28 estuaries of national signifi-
cance located in 18 coastal states
and Puerto Rico.
For more information about the
NEP go to www.epa.gov/owow/
estuaries.
The NEP: Implementing the Clean Water Act in ways that are Effective, Efficient, Adaptive, and Collaborative.
EPA-842F09001
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