INTRODUCTION

How does a municipality get information about wetlands across to landowners, whether it is wetlands functions and values or regulations?  How does a municipality get landowners to care about wetlands and their existence?  How does a municipality get landowners to then participate in a wetland and watershed management plan, follow through on a wetlands permitting process, protect their wetland in perpetuity or participate in any other activity involving wetland management?  An outreach and information campaign is a key aid to municipalities in accomplishing these goals.  Educating the various players as to their roles and responsibilities is a vital step.  Below are some resources that can direct a community or organization in establishing and implementing a wetland and watershed outreach and information campaign.  The enclosed resources like most of those contained here in may be photocopied and distributed as needed. 

 

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RESOURCES

Publications:

• Wetlands Outreach: Getting the Message Out: New Techniques and Partners for the Millennium [338 kb PDF file]. Association of Wetland Managers, 2001.
• Welcome to the Wetlands.  Poster; EPA Region 5, 1997; Watersheds. Poster. EPA Region 2, 1999. Both posters available by calling the EPA Wetlands Hotline at 800-832-7828.
• “Tips for Wetlands Protection.” EPA Region 5, 1999. Available from the Wetlands Hotline: 800-832-7828. 
• Wetlands Walk Manual and Wetlands Walk Manual - Data Sheets. EPA Region 10, 1996.
  
  The Volunteer Monitor: Wetlands. National Newsletter of Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring, Spring 1998.
• The Young Scientist’s Introduction to Wetlands. Army Corps of Engineers, 1993.   
• The Wetlands Reading List. EPA OWOW Wetlands, 1997.         

Relevant Websites:

Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA)                            www.iwla.org
IWLA American Wetlands Month Campaign Kit               www.iwla.org/sos/awm/awmkit.html
USFWS Wetlands Reports and Publications                      http://wetlands.fws.gov/Pubs_Reports/publi.htm
National Wildlife Federation                                                   www.nwf.org/wetlands/
National Audubon Society                                                     www.audubon.org
National Association of Conservation Districts                  www.nacdnet.org
The Watercourse: “WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands”   www.montana.edu/wwwwater/publications/module.html
NRCS Backyard Conservation Series                                     http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/
EPA Wetlands Information Hotline Publications                www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/wetline.html

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Wetland and Watershed Protection Toolkit: Guidance Materials
for Local Governments in New York State
February, 2002
Preface | Importance of Wetlands | Establishing a Wetland and Watershed Program
Federal and State Regulatory Programs | Local Government Methods of Wetland Protection
Non-Regulatory Methods of Wetland Protection
Outreach and Information Campaigns Technical and Financial Assistance
Special Topics | NYS Directory | Bibliography | Glossary | UPDATES

Although preparation of this “Wetland and Watershed Protection Toolkit for New York” was funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division under Grant Assistance Agreement # X992998-99-0, the views represented in this product should not be interpreted to be those of the US Environmental Protection Agency.