Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and Concerns• Incorporate interests of as many groups as possible. Show how all benefit from the watershed’sresources (environmental health, recreation, economics, etc.) and how they can help to protect theresources and their respective interests• Show how an individual’s impact on the environment comes back to impact that very person• Encourage municipal and county governments to act; find projects that arouse their enthusiasm• Improve communication: get community input, and work diplomatically with many organizations• Educate people to stop littering/pouring chemicals into streams with simple messages, like “Keepit Clean, Don’t Litter”• Encourage greater access to streams, trails, and other resources so all people can access resources• Present the Conservation Plan to community leaders, like local businesses and township officials• Be objective; the plan should evolve, rather than present a pre-conceived message• Be positive: emphasize the region’s scenery and rural, cultural, and historical assets, as well asthe importance of preserving these qualities• Tie to economics: point out positive and negative economic impacts, like tourism and businessprospects or the infrastructure demands of suburban housing developments• Money talks: people want returns on investments and will not be motivated only byenvironmental ideals• Plan for the future: make recommendations based upon expected future trends and conditions• Include enough verifiable information that officials can use the plan in decision-making• Make recommendations to leaders, not mandates; present messages positively• Present challenges as opportunities for community improvement to assure politicians of gainingpublic support• Be upfront and precise about challenges, but take care not to offend or frighten readers (forexample, any land acquisition issues are going to meet resistance)• Inform readers, in a compelling and positive way, how their actions impact others and theenvironment• Readers should know the consequences (positive or negative) of what they do and be told howthey can improve; most people are willing to change, but are ignorant of their actions or how toimprove them• Make the Conservation Plan document easy to navigate• Use short mission statements, and seek clarity with fewer, easier words• Be honest that the plan’s purpose is to assist the State in determining how to allocate grant money8. What must the watershed conservation plan not say to be successful?• Cannot present “requirements,” but only suggestions• Should not sound like a government mandate• Should not advocate (or appear to advocate) use of tax money on a “liberal” idea that representsthe interests of only a single group• Should avoid involving politics• Do not point fingers/lay blame, as this will make enemies and stall progress• Don’t pressure local businesses, as they are needed for the region’s economy• Do not present issues as economic VERSUS environmental; to achieve economic andenvironmental viability, the needs of both must be met• Should not promote taking/purchasing of private land• Should not be presented as massive jobs that will require much work; this will discourage action;instead, should be seen as projects that everyone can participate in by doing a little bit• Should not be called a “plan.” “It is an assessment and a wish-list” of the directions theparticipants wish their communities to take; “That’s fine and worthy, but it’s not a ‘plan’”6-33