Introduction:
It is essential that the general public in Whatcom County are given adequate access to information regarding the Watershed Management Project, and have multiple opportunities to participate in the process. Information will be distributed using a number of methods including public meetings, a telephone hot line, and the Internet. At a minimum the general public will have the following opportunities to participate in the Watershed Management Project:
To achieve the desired goal of an informed and involved public, a Public Involvement and Education Team (PIE) is being formed by the Initiating Governments. The PIE Team will be responsible for coordinating communications, managing the flow of information, and developing a strategic program to raise public awareness and obtain public input and participation. The goal of the PIE team is to encourage and facilitate the exchange of information between the:
The education component of the PIE program will complement the public involvement component. The PIE education efforts will be focused mainly on the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project, but will assist in the salmon habitat restoration activities underway in response to ESHB 2496, and will also cooperate with other community organizations who are conducting education programs on related issues. For example, it is anticipated that the PIE Team will work cooperatively with organizations such as: Whatcom County Cooperative Extension, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), Whatcom Watersheds Information Network (WWIN), City of Bellingham Public Works and Parks Departments, RE Sources, Washington State Department of Ecology, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, North Cascades Audubon, and the Conservation District.
The purpose of this document is to further describe the Public Involvement and Education effort that will be undertaken as part of the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project.
Public Involvement and Education Coordinator
The PIE program will be led by a Public Involvement and Education Coordinator who will be selected and hired by the Initiating Governments. This person will encourage input and facilitate participation by the public. The PIE Coordinator will:
Information and Communications
The PIE Team will utilize a wide variety of media to disseminate information and ensure the flow of communications between all parties involved in the Project. Media may include:
For efficiency, to reduce costs, and to conserve natural resources, the PIE Team plans to use a telephone hot line and an Internet website as the two primary communication tools.
The Hot Line
The PIE Team will establish a countywide, toll-free telephone hot line that people can call for general information, the latest news, notices of meetings, and contact information. The telephone number for the hot line will be widely publicized and the information available through the hot line kept up-to-date by the PIE Team.
The Website
The Internet is an invaluable tool for communicating, distributing information, and gathering public input. While not every citizen in WRIA 1 owns a personal computer and has Internet access from their home, almost everybody knows someone who does and everyone can access the Internet free of charge at the Public Library. A website will give the PIE Team the ability to disseminate information quickly, obtain public input, and encourage public involvement.
The Watershed Management Project website will be made user-friendly by incorporating many of the features common to other websites. There will be a standard "Home Page" which is the hub of the site and the first page reached when people visit. This page will have a logo, slogan, and a brief description of the Watershed Management Project. The remainder of the Home Page will consist of links people will be able to follow in order to find the information they seek. Probable links will include:
Additionally, the website may include features such as: surveys or polls; a feedback form which can be filled out and submitted online; e-mail discussion lists; and a directory of contact names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
The Watershed Management Conference
To formally launch the PIE effort and provide an organizing opportunity to caucuses, an interim PIE Coordinator and PIE staff will organize and facilitate a "Watershed Management Conference" to be held on May 5, 1999. Widespread publicity for and about the event will be arranged to enable interested citizens to become involved with a caucus. The conference will provide the time and focus for each caucus to identify priority issues of members, select representatives to the Planning Unit, and assess organizational needs.
The Watershed Management Conference will be a 4-hour long event. The conference will start with an overview of the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project, the role of the caucuses, and an introduction to the PIE program. There will be a visual presentation of the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project website as well as a general description of the other avenues the public will have for obtaining information and communicating with the Project (e.g., the telephone hot line).
The remainder of the conference will consist of facilitated break-out groups for each caucus and one group for individuals who do not feel they can be represented by a caucus. After the break-out groups meet, there will be reports from each group and an opportunity for general public comments and questions.
This event will also introduce the Watershed Management Forums, a series of regularly scheduled public meetings for people who want to be informed and heard throughout the planning process.
The Watershed Management Forum
The PIE Team of the Initiating Governments will sponsor Watershed Management Forums. These Forums are to provide a mechanism for participation and input by people or organizations who may not feel that they can be represented by one of the caucuses. Many of these forums will be informational and of broad interest.
The Watershed Management Forums will be open public meetings facilitated by the PIE Coordinator. The Forums could act as a mechanism for the public to hear about and comment on the work of the caucuses, and will provide time for input and discussion as well as time for presenting information. The two-hour Forums will be regularly scheduled at a central county location. Members of the Initiating Governments Staff Team and Technical Teams may attend these meetings. The discussion topics will be publicized at least one week prior to the meeting on the Watershed Management Project website, on the telephone hot line, in local papers, on local radio bulletin boards, and through other means as necessary.
The meetings of the Forum will revolve around the Planning Unit meetings and will be called: Pre-Planning Unit Meeting Forum, Post-Planning Unit Meeting Forum, and General Forum. A sample schedule may look like this if the Planning Unit meetings are held quarterly:
Pre-Planning Unit Meeting Forum 7/15/99
Planning Unit Meeting 7/30/99
Post-Planning Unit Meeting Forum 8/15/99
General Forum 9/15/99
Pre-Planning Unit Meeting Forum 10/15/99
Planning Unit Meeting 10/30/99
And so on….