Outreach and Education |
Addendum
Update
A great deal of accomplishment and forward momentum has taken place since the original chapter on Outreach and Education was written. This addendum is an accounting of the progress that has been made in the past six months and can be favorably compared to the original chapter. The addendum reflects the transition the CSRI Outreach and Education efforts have made from simply providing information to developing education outreach plans and implementation strategies.
The addendum is organized to follow the same format as the original chapter, including the use of the same headings.
Outreach Team
The makeup of the Outreach Team has changed and expanded to include more diverse interests, groups, and skills. In addition to the agencies listed in the original chapter, the Outreach Team now has full time representation from the following:
The Outreach Team continues to meet bi-weekly and often serves as a facilitator to identify partners, audiences and resources associated with salmon outreach and education.
Identification of Stakeholders
The Outreach Team, utilizing the opportunity of reaching more than 200 attendees at a February two-day workshop on salmon/watershed education co-hosted by Oregon State University, conducted a survey asking respondents to identify all audiences that should be targeted for salmon education. Our intention was to identify audiences CSRI was not reaching. Fourteen major audience categories were identified:
Under each major audience category, specific audience groups were identified. In all, 110 target audience groups were identified in the exercise. Workshop attendees also helped to identify front-line communicators (groups and/or organizations) for each of these audiences. Combined with the previously established Outreach Team stakeholder matrix, we have begun to determine gaps in the delivery of salmon and watershed information and education. This will be useful as work plans are developed to reach all identified audiences. (see appendix for Identified Target Audiences and Gaps)
State Agencies' Individual Outreach Efforts
In addition to the summaries and examples listed in the original chapter, outreach efforts of three public agencies should be noted:
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Education
Oregon Water Resources Department
Oregon State University Extension
Materials Already Developed
The Outreach Team assisted in marketing the original CSRI Draft Plan by coordinating distribution at 110 public sites throughout the coast and affected regions. Copies of the plan were placed at public locations including libraries, city halls, extension offices, soil and water conservation district offices, and watershed council offices and ODFW district offices. The Outreach Team also placed an electronic version of the Plan on the Governor's web site. A news release informing the public of the availability of the plan was also written by the Outreach Team and distributed to statewide media.
The Outreach Team produced an Executive Summary of the CSRI Draft Plan in September and distributed it widely to interested parties. Hard copies were made available at 8 CSRI Community Briefings in September and October. Copies were mailed to an extensive list of interested parties. An electronic version was also placed on the Governor's web site with links to other agency web sites.
The Outreach Team reviewed public comments on the CSRI Draft Plan and assisted in preparing written replies to those comments. The team also produced a brochure consisting of the most common questions and answers that resulted from the community briefings. The brochure was distributed to every attendee of the briefings as well as other interested parties. A major concern in public comments to the plan was the need for a more significant Outreach and Education Chapter. The team has responded by upgrading this chapter with substantial measures taken or planned since the completion of the original O&E chapter.
Two other major recent accomplishments of note:
Compendium of Salmon and Watershed Education
The Outreach Team has developed a compendium of salmon/watershed education efforts in Oregon to date, a comprehensive list of resources, programs, and activity. This compendium was completed in February 1997 as the result of a massive survey of salmon educators (individuals, groups, agencies, and organizations). The survey has resulted in information that will be processed into a directory (consisting of name, address, phone/fax numbers, e-mail address, areas served, products available, mission statement). The directory is planned to be available in both hard copy and electronic form by June 1997.
The survey indicated a high percentage of respondents having access to the world wide web. The creation of a website to act as a clearinghouse for salmon education information (including the directory) could prove to be successful. The survey also asked respondents a series of questions identifying needs/barriers, successes/failures. The Outreach Team and others will be able to use the information to help develop strategies for salmon and watershed outreach and education activities.
Recognizing that not all salmon education entities responded to the survey, and that new groups/organizations/individuals will be getting involved in CSRI efforts, the Outreach Team will continue to update the compendium.
(A copy of the updated compendium and a summary of the survey results can be found in the appendix.)
Salmon/Watershed Education Workshop
The Outreach Team assisted in the planning, coordination, and implementation of a two-day workshop on salmon/watershed education in February 1997 at Oregon State University sponsored by OSU Extension Service. The workshop was co-hosted by the Governor's CSRI, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon Economic Development Department and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. The purpose of the workshop was to identify ways to effectively deliver educational and outreach programs on salmon and watershed restoration. The workshop was a successful attempt to develop a coordinated system that makes available to citizens current information about salmon, habitat restoration, and related topics. The workshop was also designed to develop a process to assess educational needs and design new programs.
Nearly 200 educators, extension specialists, and representatives of public/private agencies and watershed councils attended the workshop. Participants were able to share information and ideas during the workshop. As part of the event, the Outreach Team presented the compendium of salmon education (see Compendium Survey Results in appendix), which began to identify specific needs and gaps in salmon and watershed education.
Workshop participants worked in focus group sessions to identify needs and mechanisms to deliver services. Key strategy areas that were developed include:
Future meetings of the workshop participants are scheduled. Those meetings will result in the formation of work groups that will design and implement action plans to deliver products associated with these major strategy areas. Those work groups will reflect the diversity of participants attending the February workshop, including representatives of government, education, conservation groups, and watershed councils. The Outreach Team will continue to be involved and will complete the compendium so that a final directory can be delivered in both hardy copy and electronic form.
Outreach and Education Displays
As mentioned in the original Outreach Chapter, an exhibit coordinator (David Heil & Associates) was contracted to design and implement a coastal salmon education display for late summer/early fall of 1996. The CSRI Fair Exhibit Booth Project was a multi-agency project with involvement from the OCZMA, ODA, ODOT, GWEB, ODFW, ODF, OSUES, ODPR, ODSL, OEDD, watershed councils and soil and water conservation districts.
The Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative Fair Exhibit Booth Project accomplished the following:
Toured 5 county fairs, including the Lincoln, Curry, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lane counties and the Oregon State Fair.
Plans for a similar traveling display for Summer 1997 are now being made. (See Display Booth Report in appendix)
Public Meetings and Technical Assistance
In September and October, the Outreach Team organized and conducted eight community
briefings in cities on the Oregon coast and in basins affected by the salmon crisis. Members of
the governor's staff provided an overview of the draft restoration plan and fielded specific
questions from attendees. They explained the general decline in salmon populations then listed
major components of the draft plan and how they would affect local citizens and require
grassroots involvement. Additionally, agency directors and staff were on hand to answer specific
or technical questions from the audience.
The Outreach Team gathered questionnaires and written inquires from attendees and mailed a
written response with answers to the "most frequently asked questions" to all 575 citizens who
attended. Specially researched and written responses were prepared for detailed questions. The
briefings allowed interested citizens, local officials, and interest groups an opportunity to meet
with agency leaders and staff who were directly involved in the drafting of the restoration plan.
Local leaders were personally invited to attend the workshops and news releases were sent to local media to promote the briefings. More than 540 letters were mailed from the Governor's Office encouraging citizens to attend and to inform fellow residents of the importance of these presentations.
Bringing in New Partners
The CSRI Outreach and Education effort has gathered tremendous momentum and participation in the past few months as new groups and individuals become aware of the needs and opportunities. The Salmon and Watershed Education Workshop gathered more than 200 interested individuals associated with salmon/watershed education representing dozens of groups and agencies. The workshop has bonded those groups in a commitment to continue working on identified needs, mechanisms, and products related to salmon outreach and education. Another meeting planned for March is expected to produce ongoing work groups and a steering committee to oversee the completion of specific tasks. The Outreach Team will continue to be a part of those efforts and will be an integral member of any established steering committee.
The workshop specifically identified the need to involve local government, OSU Extension Service, small landowner groups and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts as key partners in the salmon and watershed education effort.
The Outreach Team plans on working to identify and involve other key education partners in the next several months, specifically those who can provide reach to K-12, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education.
Media Strategies and Opportunities
As a prelude to last fall's CSRI Community Briefings, a series of editorial board visits were arranged and implemented by the Outreach Team, generating several favorable editorials written in regards to coho salmon restoration. The editorials helped generate strong interest and attendance in the community briefings, which themselves, were well attended by local media. News releases alerted media to the briefings as well as the issue in general.
As part of the OSU Salmon and Watershed Opportunities Workshop, print and television media attended the final session, which featured Governor Kitzhaber addressing the attendees. Efforts to alert and involve the media have contributed to keeping the need for salmon outreach and education at the forefront in the minds of many Oregonians.
Media will continue to play a central role as the Outreach Team markets the final version of the CSRI Plan over the next couple of months, recognizing that many Oregonians receive information on such topics primarily through the media.
Specific Identified Actions and Measures (Summary)
In addition to actions identified in the original chapter, there are plans for the following:
Conclusion
We believe this addendum to the CSRI Outreach and Education Chapter demonstrates our willingness and ability to plan and complete several important short term measures as well as the planning for long term measures that will further Oregonians' understanding of the coho salmon crisis. Although several specific action plans are still needed and yet to be identified, the first steps have been taken to build a broad-based partnership of diverse groups and interests that will lead to a coordinated and comprehensive outreach and education program. <
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