 |
 |
|
  |
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
home > TRiO and USP Programs > McNair > symposium > 2008 presentations > Joy Gipson
|
|
Michael Hibbard, Mentor Six Oregon Watershed Councils: Finding and Using Community-Impact Indicators Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) refers to a merging of ecology with economic development and other community needs. Local watershed stewardship organizations are one of the most common types of CBNRM efforts, and Oregon’s watershed councils are leading examples of organizing community efforts to improve and maintain the health of local watersheds. Although their mission is ecological health, their restoration activities add economic and aesthetic value to local areas. In turn, the councils depend on the goodwill and participation of their community members. Effective implementation of CBNRM requires an assessment of outcomes, the final direct and indirect products of specific actions. This study is part of a larger project that attempts to demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the local, economic, and civic engagement outcomes of watershed council activities. The larger project identified indicators for six rural Oregon watershed councils. This study involves collecting time-series data on the indicators and working with the councils to use the data for self-evaluation, strategic planning, building legitimacy, and community education based on each council’s needs. |
Joy Gipson