An official website of the United States government.
The goal is to strengthen research, teaching and Extension capacity to deliver outcome-based water programs that educate, empower, and engage agricultural producers, residents, and communities in the region to steward their local water resources. With eight focus areas and a distributed leadership format, we expand our knowledge base and transfer research-based tools to stakeholders at various scales using education and outreach activities and outputs. As a result, stakeholders make science-based decisions and use management practices to improve the quality and quantity of water resources. Students are engaged and curricula enriched with insights and case studies that emerge from the project.<P> Objectives: <OL> <LI> Empower stakeholder participation in regional programs through needs assessments, regional workshops, trainings and conferences. <LI> Promote stakeholder-focused research and Extension and improve water resource curricula. <LI> Link and leverage CSREES-funded projects into regional programs and expand the geographic impact of project successes and investments. <LI> Assess and improve coordination and effectiveness of programs through program planning, evaluation tools, and performance based budgeting. <LI> Provide effective liaison efforts to federal, state and local agencies, organizations and universities to identify emerging issues and maximize leveraging. <LI> Develop and launch projectl website to communicate successes and project impacts that describe changes in knowledge, action and conditions for targeted audiences. <LI> Strengthen the NIWQP by improving and maintaining the National Water Program Website; maintaining linkages of the regional website to other websites, programs and partners of the NIWQP; and participating in national activities. <ol>Project focus areas include: Watershed Assessment; Drinking Water and Private Wells; NEMO; Sustainable Landscaping; Onsite Wastewater; Water Quality and Production Agriculture; Small Farms Initiative; and, The Islands Initiative. <P>Below are listed short- to mid-term outcomes and long-term outcomes that are common to all focus areas. Short- to Mid-term Outcomes: Partners engaged to provide opportunities to address water quality and watershed protection. Regional and inter-regional communication, cooperation, collaboration and joint programming activities in research, education and Extension are cultivated and valued. Research, education and Extension gaps affecting stakeholder outcomes are identified. New water quality or watershed assessment and restoration initiatives are launched. Stakeholders identify and prevent pollution and health risks to water resources. Stakeholders, partners and students gain increased awareness, knowledge and training in LGU research, programs and educational resources and gain knowledge of and increase their use of water protection/restoration practices, tools and activities. <P>Long-term Outcomes: Relationships with partners strengthened. Research, education and Extension become more integrated within regional focus areas. Funds, staff time and expertise are leveraged within and beyond the region. Watershed conditions and water quality are improved measurably.
Non-Technical Summary: The Northeast States and Caribbean Islands Regional Water Program combines the Land Grant Universities (LGUs) within US EPA Regions 1 and 2 including: the Universities of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands, and Rutgers and Cornell Universities. Our program is based on the premise that the infusion of knowledge and the adoption of best management practices (BMPs) within agricultural, rural, and urbanizing communities will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water quality protection and improvement efforts. Our program emerges from the combined research, education, and Extension strengths of the regions? ten LGUs and incorporates key stakeholders and partners into a framework to advance the protection and improvement of water quality. Our goal is to strengthen the research, teaching and Extension capacity of LGUs to deliver an outcome-based water quality program that educates, empowers, and engages agricultural producers, residents, and communities throughout the region to steward their local water resources. With eight focus areas and a distributed leadership format, we expand our knowledge base and transfer research-based tools to stakeholders at the home, farm, community and watershed-scales using a variety of education and outreach activities and outputs. As a result, our stakeholders make science-based decisions and employ management practices that improve the quality and quantity of surface and ground water resources. We engage students in these endeavors and enrich curricula with new insights and case studies that emerge from the program. Program delivery emerges from eight regional focus areas. These focus areas tailor the national themes to the strengths of the regions LGUs? research, education and Extension programs and capture the enthusiasm of our partners and stakeholders. These focus areas are: Watershed Assessment Drinking Water and Private Wells Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Sustainable Landscaping NE Onsite Wastewater Training Center Water Quality and Production Agriculture Small Farms Initiative The Islands Initiative <P> Approach: Project efforts will be managed through a multi-tiered structure of an Executive Committee, a Planning Committee, Advisory Boards, eight focus areas and cross-cutting activities to connect focus areas and integrate research, education, and Extension. Each project focus area consists of a core group of Extension faculty, staff, and researchers and representatives from partner agencies and stakeholders. Focus area members represent a variety of disciplines, including hydrologists, social scientists, engineers, planners, lawyers and economists. Each focus area has a leader who will ensure coordination and progress towards work plans and goals. Focus area teams: Apply the ADDIE model of program planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting. Conduct needs assessments and use the LOGIC model to develop responsive and innovative research, Extension and education programs directed to stakeholder needs and water quality protection efforts. Develop annual report to the Executive Committee. Identify opportunities to transfer and adapt successful elements of locally-based Extension programs throughout the region, which will leverage the enormous investment by partners in our local programs to benefit water quality in the region. Identify research gaps that stymie effective Extension programs and seek opportunities and expertise through external or internal funds to address these gaps. Seek opportunities to coordinate and develop joint programming between focus areas and inter-regionally to expand expertise and stakeholder value. Several activities will strengthen all focus areas and enhance integration of research, education and Extension. These include: training in and using the ADDIE approach for outcome-based programming; student experiential learning opportunities; stakeholder needs assessments; regional and national website development; watershed assessment tools to target high risk sites; and regional publications and impact statements. Focus area teams will engage and incorporate appropriate research from colleagues working on Hatch, National Research Initiative (NRI), and other NIWQP funded projects.