Barnegat Bay Watershed Association by Angela Contillo Andersen, President |
Alliance
for a Living Ocean
2007 Long Beach Boulevard
North Beach Haven, New Jersey 08008
(609) 492-0222
Watershed Update -- Part Two
Since the BBWA was recognized as an advocate for the watershed, prior to the National Estuary Program's existence, it was logical for BBWA to be a key player in petitioning the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program (BBEP) designation. As a result to our commitment to the residents of Ocean County, we have participated in the Estuary Program since its inception. A representative of our organization has held a seat on the Management Committee of the BBEP since it was convened in 1996. BBWEF will continue to play a critical role in this program as it moves into the plan implementation phase. We will recognize what needs to be funded and fulfilled, but we will also recognize what is not working and where priorities need to be set on behalf of the region's best interest.
The BBWEF Board of Trustees represents a broad cross-section of the region and has responded over the years to meet the changing needs of its members and their concerns. The diversity of the Board and the accomplishments of the association over the last six years testifies to the power and validity of watershed-based volunteer efforts. Although our Board is quite diverse at this time, with current representation from academic institutions, educators, scientists, accountants, small businesses, shellfish and fisheries, Ocean County schools, environmental and conservation, we are seeking to include more representation from identified interests within the watershed.
The BBWEF has furthered its mission of promoting watershed education with the assistance of grant monies from the BBEP and other public sources for different outreach projects. Our track record indicates our commitment to the watershed communities, residents and visitors. Over the years we have reached out to youth, senior citizens, students, civic groups, business and industry, academic institutions, the scientific community, mayors and other prominent municipal, county and federal officials. The BBWEF will continue to work to ensure that we all know we are one community within the watershed.
The long-term framework for the BBWEF to assume the non-profit lead as the BBEP progresses from the planning to implementation phase has been in place since 1993, when the BBWA was envisioned in the "Watershed Management Plan for Barnegat Bay". A well-founded citizen-based organization that has a local vested interest in its watershed, is crucial to any successful watershed-based management initiative and that fact was seen back in 1993. The BBWEF intends to take that vision into 2001 and beyond.
Watershed Update -- Part One
The Barnegat Bay Watershed Association (BBWA) has had a busy and productive 1999 fulfilling and planning many grant opportunities. We look forward to the year 2000 (Y2K) to unveil the final phases of one of our largest grant projects entitled the Municipal Outreach Project (MOP). In the spring of 1999 BBWA received Action Plan Demonstration Project (APDP) funding from the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program (BBEP) for the creation of MOP. The BBWA saw the need for municipal outreach to compliment the efforts of the BBEP local government efforts, to raise the awareness of our community leaders and recognize them in their efforts to protect the watershed.
In the way of a brief history, BBWA is a non-profit organization established in 1994, that has been promoting a "think watershed" message to the citizens and communities within Ocean County. The BBWA was established through Action Plan #2.6A in the original 1993 management plan entitled "A Watershed Management Plan For Barnegat Bay" to fulfill these goals. As stated, "A Watershed Association can act directly to educate the public in protecting resources and to promote better land use laws. It can encourage action by Municipal, County and State agencies. A Watershed Association is intimately familiar with the problems of its locality and can meet them with local leadership, understanding and initiative." With this basis, BBWA has begun on an exciting new crusade to work with our communities to promote watershed awareness.
With funding from the BBEP, the BBWA is reaching out to municipal officials within the watershed to promote a "think watershed" message. The BBWA would like to encourage the local government leaders to break out of their municipal boundaries and take the region into consideration during decision-making. This will enable the leaders of the communities to lead by example.
Goals:
|
Three primary outreach components of the MOP:
1) Host a municipal watershed forum aboard the AJ Meerwald Schooner - July 1999, BBWA hosted a successful floating municipal forum that sparked dialogue about issues important to the towns of the watershed. All the mayors of the watershed were invited to the sail. It was a great way to introduce them to the MOP - we were on the resource, talking about the resource.
2) Create the Community Connections newsletter - Created along with Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. We are working together with the watershed coordinator for the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve who also received a similar APDP grant from BBEP. They are planning to create Coastal Decision Making Resource Center to organize and house the facility for the municipal leaders. Working in partnership would make creating partnerships more effective. Together we have created "Community Connection - Linking Municipalities in the Barnegat Bay Watershed" newsletter geared toward municipalities.3) Recognition Program - Award five participating towns with a "Barnie Watershed" sign. This will be a competitive nomination of towns that are doing some type of watershed-based activity, whether it is education, ordinances or community involvement programs. There are specific guidelines being developed to choose what criteria the projects must meet. The town will receive one of the BBWA watershed signs and the BBWA will set up a press event to promote the project. This will be a good public relations tool for the municipalities and a great outreach tool for the BBWA. |
The need for the MOP centers around nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, which has been identified as a critical factor in the Barnegat Bay Watershed ecosystem. A watershed- based approach is essential to address the NPS problem. Encouraging municipalities to plan outside of their township boundary will help foster a watershed-based mind-set for decision-making. It will increase the health of the entire watershed, not just isolated pockets.
Building strong alliances between state and local government and the community will establish the long term concerted planning efforts that are needed to keep the environment healthy and thriving. The NJDEP has reorganized into a Watershed Management system. Watersheds are the future of our statewide planning. By promoting successful municipal initiatives to other municipalities, perhaps it will spark an inter-municipal dialogue that is imperative to a watershed based approach. This should be the basis for future planning in the Barnegat Bay Watershed. Networking during CCMP development will enhance the rest of the CCMP planning process and promote dedication during the implementation phase. BBWA feels that if the plan reflects the needs of the communities, they will be inspired to plan locally for the greater good of the watershed over the long-term.
Expected results of the MOP:
|
The MOP is a large undertaking by the BBWA. We are pleased with the project accomplishments so far and look forward to working alongside the municipalities for years to come. The BBWA looks forward to Y2K, to finish the MOP and look to the future and find creative ways to inspire watershed awareness. [ALO is an active member of BBWA.]
