Watershed Approaches and Community Based Planning

1. Watershed Approaches and Community Based Planning • Presented by • Dave Griffith • Stakeholder Involvement in Watershed Management Workshop • November 30, 2006 ARDC Mead • with additional slides from • Craig Goodwin • Chris Hamilton • Dan Lawson • Verlon Barnes

2. Where We’re Headed • Overview of where RWA fits into NRCS programs • Community Based Planning • Stakeholder and Partner Involvement

3. NRCS Strategic Plan 2005-2010 Overarching Strategies: • Cooperative Conservation • Market-Based Approach • Watershed Approach

4. Watershed Outlet Why a Watershed Approach? Watersheds are universal well-defined areas that provide a common basis for discussion of water, related resources, and landscape processes.

5. NRCS Planning Continuum

6. What is aRapid Watershed Assessment?

7. What are RWAs? Rapid Watershed Assessments: • Are summaries of resource concerns and opportunities. • Provide initial estimates of where conservation investments would best address resources concerns. • Are the product of a process which evaluates resource conditions and needs on an 8-digit hydrologic unit basis.

8. 69 HUs in Nebraska (38 primarily in Nebraska) Average HU size = 1,637 mi² (1,047,000 acres) HUs are accounting areas, not necessarily watersheds 8-Digit Hydrologic Units

9. Definition of Terms • Rapid Watershed Assessment • Resource Profile • Summary Matrix +

10. Resource Profile • A descriptive set of data portraying the significant natural resource features of the watershed.

11. Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) Conservation planning teams working in each watershed: Meeting with landowners and conservation groups Inventorying agricultural areas Assessing current levels of resource management Identifying conservation recommendations Making qualitative estimates of the impacts of conservation on local resource concerns Resource Profile

12. Assessment Matrix • An evaluation of watershed resources to determine the size, scope, and value of natural resource needs.

13. Assessment Matrix Matrix to summarize the following: • Current resource conditions and O&M costs • Desired resource conditions • Conservation practice and system recommendations and operation and maintenance costs • Qualitative effects on primary resource concerns • Potential funding sources for implementation

14. Level of Assessment • Limited in detail due to the restricted data collection associated with the process: • Does not address cumulative effects • Does not address infrastructure needs • Tends to be qualitative, not quantitative in nature • A more extensive planning process would be used to collect detailed information for Area Wide Community Based Planning.

15. Blackbird-Soldier HU Pilot RWA • HU 10230001 • Covers NE and IA • NE = 810 mi2 • 14 sub-watersheds • Parts of 4 counties • Omaha and Winnebago Reservations

16. RWA’s are: • One Component of Strategic Plan watershed approach • Will be used as a platform for conservation program delivery • Is being implemented as a pilot effort

17. Current Status of Resource Assessments in Nebraska

18. How do Rapid Watershed Assessments Relate to the Area Wide Community Based Planning Process?

19. RWA Planning Implementation Follow-up/Adapt. Man. Relationship Between the NRCS Planning Process and RWA Phase I - Collection and Analysis 1. Identify Problems 2. Determine Objectives 3. Inventory Resources 4. Analyze Resource Data Phase II - Decision Support 5. Formulate Alternatives 6. Evaluate Alternatives 7. Make Decisions Phase III - Application and Evaluation 8. Implement the Plan 9. Evaluate the Plan

20. NRCS Water Resources Programs and Rapid Watershed Assessment

21. Community Based PlanningWhat is it? Moving from Rapid Watershed Assessments to Community Based Planning

22. COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING Community Based Planning is a voluntary, locally led planning process that integrates social, economic, and environmental concerns over a defined geographic area (such as; a county, a watershed, or a region).

23. COMMUNITY BASEDPLANNING What is the desired product?

24. COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING A planning process that results in the development of A comprehensive Management Planthat isFully Implemented

25. COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING • Key Components- 1. A common Vision of desired conditions 2. Identification of Objectives to reach vision 3. Opportunities and concerns drive the process 4. Utilizes adaptive management 5. Utilizes facilitation 6. Communication and Education are important 7. Documentation and Evaluation of outcomes

26. Community Based Planning Process Part A. PRE-PLANNING ACTIVITIES • Identify a Project Sponsor. • Explain the Community Based Planning Process and it’s benefits. • Explain the roles each group or entity plays. • Identify the Project Coordinator. • Identify the planning area on a map.

27. Community Based Planning Process Part A. PRE-PLANNING ACTIVITIES • Gather any readily available maps or data. • Brainstorm for other sources of information and data. • Obtain a written commitment from the sponsor to move forward with the planning process.

28. Community Based Planning Process Part A. PRE-PLANNING ACTIVITIES • Establish a Technical Advisory Team made up of key resource people. • Brainstorm to identify key stakeholders in the planning area. • Invite all interested stakeholders, agencies, and organizations to initial public meeting.

29. Community Based Planning Process Part B. PLANNING PROCESS STEPS PHASE I – Collection and Analysis 1. Identify Opportunities and Concerns 2. Determine Objectives 3. Inventory Resources 4. Analyze Resource Data

30. Community Based Planning Process Part B. PLANNING PROCESS STEPS PHASE I I – Decision Support 5. Formulate Alternatives 6. Evaluate Alternatives 7. Make Decisions

31. Community Based Planning Process Part B. PLANNING PROCESS STEPS PHASE III – Application and Evaluation 8. Implement the Plan 9. Evaluate the Effects of the Plan 10. Celebrate Successes

32. BENEFITS OF USING COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING • Community and stakeholders are much more informed about what is happening. • Community and stakeholders have the opportunity to be actively involved in the decisions made. • Projects completed are more successful. • Implementation goes smoother because of community acceptance during the planning process.

33. Community Based Watershed Plans

34. Promoting Stakeholder Involvement Throughout the Planning Process • Work with stakeholders to identify the resource problems. • Find out what they are able and willing to do to address the identified problems. • Find out which partners are willing to participate (NRCS, RC&D’s, NDEQ, UNL Extension, NRD’s, other state agencies, private conservation groups) and what resources they can bring to the table.

35. Things to Consider When Defining an Area • What is the scope of the problem? • What is the area to be protected or benefited (water body on 303d list, public water supply, etc)? • Is there a local group formed already? • Is the area small enough to have a sense of “community”?

36. Things to Consider When Defining Area (continued) • What is the balance between available resources and conservation needs. • Will what the group is willing to do adequately address the problem?

37. Recommendations • Make sure you have adequate financial and technical assistance resources to ensure success. • Keep Project sized appropriately to be able to show a difference with the available resources. • Keep lines of communication open to all partners.

38. North Blackbird Creek Are There Questions?