1999 Fellow Participants

Name	Organization	Position	Location
David Amaral	NC Division of Forest Resources	Assistant District Forester	Swannanoa, NC
Project Summary - Conducting a Stakeholder Assessment on the Dupont State Forest - David would like to convene a working group that represents the various interests concerned with the use and management of Dupont State Forest Guion Farm. The goal of this working group would be to develop a guidance package for the Division of Forest Resources to consider in the implementation of its management plan for the area. Prior to bringing a working group together, David would like a conflict assessment to be conducted that examines what the various interests and concerns and what suitable process might be put into place to provide recommendations to the Division on the management of the Guion area. David is in the process of waiting for approval from his supervisors for this initiative.
Taylor Barnhill	Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition	Grassroots Program Director	Mars Hill, NC
Project Summary Creation of a Stakeholder Planning Council for the Little Ivy Creek Watershed - Changes are occurring in the management and use of the land and water resources within Madison County. Three significant changes that are occurring are: (1) the construction of Interstate 26; (2) the designation of the area as a water supply watershed; (3) and the implementation of a county-wide "straight-pipe" removal program in Madison County. The growing pains associated with these significant changes are typical of most western North Carolina counties. However, the water supply watershed designation is a predominate and contentious concern for members in the area. Some members of the community have concerns that water quality is being impacted significantly as a consequence of sedimentation resulting from construction. Other members stress that designation, as a water supply watershed, will conflict with their residential needs by disallowing owners to build on their property or to hunt near the creeks. Further others stakeholders are preparing to draw water even though water quality is below standard. Taylor has begun an assessment of this issue to determine if a stakeholder process can address the interests of the area while at the same time, protecting the water quality. He plans to bring together a stakeholder-based planning council for the Little Ivy Creek Watershed.
Doug Beaulieu	International Paper	Forester	Autryville, NC
Project Summary - Implementation of an Effective Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program for International's Paper Mid-Atlantic Region - International Paper (IP) aggressively supports and promotes the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) developed by the American Forest and Paper Association. The primary objective of SFI is to assure that future generations are left with an even greater forest resource base than past generations. IP is accomplishing this mission by: (1) providing forest regeneration information to all landowners from whom IP receives wood; and (2) requiring wood suppliers to submit a harvest initiation notice (HIN) that contains information about the location of the timber sale, the volume, stand species and age, wood suppler and logger, and other detailed information. Doug and Wayne are developing a process that evaluates the current course and notes areas of potential improvement with input of the interested stakeholders. The vision is that this revised process will improve IP accountability for wood that enters their wood processing facilities in accordance with SFI principles.
Ed Beck	NC Division of Water Quality	Environmental Engineer	Wilmington, NC
Project Summary- Virtual Solutions to Collaborative Problem Solving - The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, like other government agencies and industries, utilizes collaborative activities in many of it functions. Face to face meetings are usually held to bring collaborative groups together to perform team functions and reach consensus on difficult or sensitive issues. Many industrial and government organizations are turning to technological tools to enhance this process. Currently the Department utilizes email, conference calls, and fax to communicate and disseminate information. Ed and Cecil are currently identifying and categorizing the types of collaborative processes that take place within the Department; determining supportive functions that might be obtained through virtual processes; providing an inventory of the available electronic tools; and providing recommendations by December 2000 on the potential use of these processes within the Department. This will include looking into web-casting, web-conferencing, group systems, online facilitation, and other virtual processes.
Shannon Buckley	Willamette Industries	District Procurement Forester	Rutherfordton, NC
Project Summary- . Promote Public Understanding and Dialogue About Forest Resources by Increasing Use of the USFS Grandfather District Information Center's Interactive Forest Exhibits. - There is tremendous disagreement on how forests are managed, on both public and private lands. As demands increase for forest products, recreation, tourism, wildlife habitat, and water quality, Terry and Shannon believe that expanding the knowledge about forests and the role of forestry may reduce the conflicts. One of the ways they would like to expand this knowledge is by increasing visitation at the Grandfather District Information Center located in the western part of the state. This exhibit challenges visitors to examine the tradeoffs associated with different approaches to management or non-management of both public and private resources. They convened a stakeholder group in March that has begun brainstorming ways to increase visitation to the Center.
Pete Campbell	US Fish & Wildlife Service	Fish & Wildlife Biologist	Southern Pines, NC
Project Summary - North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership. - The North Carolina Sandhills area supports an unusual diversity of plant and animal life, together with many rare, declining, or endangered species, including the second largest remaining population of red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW). Several factors have contributed to the decline in the population of RCW’s: short rotation harvest cycles, fire suppression, and fragmentation as a consequence of urban and agricultural growth. In addition, federal, state, and private land management plans differ in their objectives. And confrontation and regulation has not worked to the benefit of the resource in the past. In order to promote recovery of the species, Pete has begun working with a steering committee that is addressing the natural resource protection and management in the Sandhills on an ecosystem basis. This partnership will represent the variety of positions on land management issues in the area in a consensus-based planning process. Working groups are also being established to develop various management plans for incorporation into a comprehensive conservation strategy for the Sandhills are
Chris Canfield	NC Audubon Society	Director of Development	Chapel Hill, NC
Project Summary - Development of a Stakeholder Process to Guide North Carolina's Governance and Strategic Planning Process - The National Audubon Society, at the request of and in conjunction with the Audubon Council of North Carolina, established a North Carolina State Office in 1997. The new state office began undertaking statewide programs and initiatives, raising needed expansion funds, and gaining support from external members for its mission. Audubon has a history of tension within the organization over issues of autonomy and governance among local chapters, the council and the National Audubon Society. Not all agree as to what Audubon should be doing in NC. In order to develop the directions outlined for the new NC State Office, Chris developed a stakeholder process to include the various viewpoints and to deal with 3 goals: (1): forming an effective "Board of Trustees"; (2): updating the strategic vision; and (3): expanding the support for NC Audubon through external membership and other support. This strategic vision needed to encompass a broad range of views form traditional "insiders" to Audubon in the state, as well as "outsides" who have an interest in Audubon’s actions and effectiveness. As a result of stakeholder process, the NC Audubon State office is steadily moving forward to meet its three goals in order to create a seamless Audubon in North Carolina.
Laura Fogo	US Fish & Wildlife Service	Fish & Wildlife Biologist	Wadesboro, NC
Project Summary - Development of a Stakeholder Process to Guide the Waxhaw Creek Riparian Corridor Restoration and Protection Initiative in Union County. - Waxhaw Creek, located in the SW corner of Union County within the Catawba River watershed is still predominantly rural in nature. Significant development pressures are however threatening it. Specifically, water quality, wetlands, endangered and threatened plants and animals, and the history of the community are being threatened. Laura has met with steering committee members who are planning how to best work with the local Waxhaw community, developers, and landowners in order to deal with these various issues. This project has a five-year time frame.
David Forgarty	NC Cooperative Extension Service	Agricultural Agent	Dallas, NC
Project Summary - South Fork River Restoration - The South Fork flows from headwaters near Morgantown through the central North Carolina Piedmont to Gastonia and Lake Wylie. It is an important resource for the region: for drinking water, as a wildlife corridor, and for its potential outdoor recreational opportunities. The South Fork has been identified as contributing to water quality degradation as a result of non-point agricultural and urban sources as well as municipal and industry point source discharges. There is also concern about the discharges of nontoxic dyes on the river that have caused the river to take on various hues. David and Oscar are working with a multi-county citizen advisory group (from Gaston, Lincoln, and Catawba Counties) in an effort to restore the integrity of the South Fork Watershed, the riparian flood plain, and the flowing water to a condition that permits its use for drinking water, recreation, and a wildlife habitat. Currently a South Fork Model has been set up to help the stakeholders prioritize areas of the South Fork for conservation efforts; a motoring schedule for color discharges has been established; an Alliance of industrial and municipal wastewater discharge permit holders agreed to meet with the stakeholder group; and Gaston County Commissioners agreed to the development of recommendations for a new local sediment enforcement program.
Andrea Gerak	Guilford College	Assistant Professor of Political Science	Greensboro, NC
Project Summar- Development of an Environmental Education Network for Colleges and Universities in North Carolina. Currently within North Carolina, there is neither a forum nor working group-exploring issues of environmental education in North Carolina’s colleges and universities. While there is a well-organized and active network for primary and secondary educators, state extension agents, and grassroots educators, there is not a network to improve learning of Environmental Studies curricula and experiential components of environmentally education. Andrea, through a working group of key players, established a workshop in February that brought together various interested parties to begin discussing the establishment of this intercollegiate network. Since the workshop, a loose association is currently being established at UNC-Chapel Hill to continue the initiation of this network. In addition, Andrea plans to initiate further discussion at the 2001 Environmental Education statewide conference to reinforce and continue this collaborative network building.
Bill Gilmore	NC Department of Transportation	Branch Manager	Raleigh, NC
Project Summary - Establishing a Working Partnership Between the NC Department of Transportation and the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources on Stream Mitigation Requirements - The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) is under tremendous pressure to meet its annual construction-letting program. One major obstacle that has prevented DOT from meeting the construction program is securing 404 dredge and fill permits and 401 water quality certifications. Since the department could not provide compensating mitigation for project related impacts to the natural environment, then the permits were not issued. Although a wetland impact compensatory program has been in process for years, implementation of the stream mitigation program was problematic. As a result, transportation projects have been delayed. A partnership was developed between the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and DOT, with the desired outcome of allowing DOT to access the Wetland Restoration Program (WRP) as a secondary source of mitigation, that could be a safety valve for permits. As a result of negotiations and meetings, a MOU was established between DOT and WRP, with protocols for DOT to proceed with certain projects and the means to allow WRP to staff and focus on implementation. This workable solution is allowing both agencies to achieve their respective missions and future collaborations are excepted.
Savi Horne	Land Loss Prevention	Project Director	Chapel Hill, NC
Project Summary- Addressing an Environmental Justice Issue Regarding the Current Hog Challenges within North Carolina. - Concentrated Animal Feedlots Operations are a growing concern within low-income communities, people of color communities, and on Indian Reservations. The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council has been working on recommendations in order to address these challenges through the perspectives of the communities. Savi is a member on the council and has worked to provide these recommendations in trying to resolve water quality issues within these communities.
Ralph Jordan	Tennessee Valley Authority	Senior Specialist	Norris, TN
Project Summary - Stakeholder Involvement in Developing a Natural Resource Management for TVA Lands - Traditionally, TVA has relied on the judgment of its professionals in developing natural resource management plans on TVA lands. Little, if any linkages have existed between the resource management objectives and the needs and expectations of the stakeholders of public lands. As a result, controversies over the management of resources have arisen in some areas managed by TVA. Ralph assisted in implementing a new management approach, titled: "unit based planning" that would identify strategies for assuring ecosystem health and sustainability, while at the same time provide the full array of stakeholder identified benefits. Seven new resource management plans guided by stakeholder input were developed to pilot resource management for the next 25 years on TVA’s lands. One enormous impact of this adaptive approach is that each "unit" becomes a laboratory of sorts for testing and evaluating new resource management strategies.
Lewis Ledford	NC Division of Parks and Recreation	District Superintendent	Statesville, NC
Project Summary - Convening the Gorges State Park Citizen Advisory Board - In 1999, 9,760 acres of the Jocassee Gorges in Transylvania County was transferred into public ownership. With plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and one of the greatest concentrations of rare and unique species in the eastern US, the state park will be managed to protect these nationally significant natural resources and preserve the area for future generations. Initially, there were a number of differing opinions as to whether the property in total should be a state a park, since this would mean prohibition of any type of hunting. This was a key issue in the initial transaction that resulted in creating a 6,808 acre state park and a 2,952 acre gameland managed by the Wildlife Resources Commission. In order to unify community and regional support for the new state park, following a somewhat divisive process that established the area, an ongoing working citizen advisory committee was established. In addition to this role, the committee was also set up to: to ensure local citizenry and user groups have the opportunity to be formally represented in the interim operation and master plan; to provide representative interests and abilities related to promoting the protection, development and use of the new state park; and for members to communicate the needs of the park to the community and region while representing the park visitors and neighbors to park managers. Lew's role was to coordinate with senior agency management, the local park superintendent, and others to determine and select a representative citizens parks advisory committee, to provide an introduction and overview of the state park system and a comprehensive description of the role of the advisory committee. Current impacts of this group are: providing the public an immediate voice in the development and management of the park and a sounding board for ideas.
Cecil Madden	NC Division of Water Quality	Engineering Supervisor II	Raleigh, NC
Project Summary- Virtual Solutions to Collaborative Problem Solving - The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, like other government agencies and industries, utilizes collaborative activities in many of it functions. Face to face meetings are usually held to bring collaborative groups together to perform team functions and reach consensus on difficult or sensitive issues. Many industrial and government organizations are turning to technological tools to enhance this process. Currently the Department utilizes email, conference calls, and fax to communicate and disseminate information. Ed and Cecil are currently identifying and categorizing the types of collaborative processes that take place within the Department; determining supportive functions that might be obtained through virtual processes; providing an inventory of the available electronic tools; and providing recommendations by December 2000 on the potential use of these processes within the Department. This will include looking into web-casting, web-conferencing, group systems, online facilitation, and other virtual processes.
Wayne Majuri	International Paper	Senior Forester	Bolton, NC
Project Summary - Implementation of an Effective Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program for International's Paper Mid-Atlantic Region - International Paper (IP) aggressively supports and promotes the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) developed by the American Forest and Paper Association. The primary objective of SFI is to assure that future generations are left with an even greater forest resource base than past generations. IP is accomplishing this mission by: (1) providing forest regeneration information to all landowners from whom IP receives wood; and (2) requiring wood suppliers to submit a harvest initiation notice (HIN) that contains information about the location of the timber sale, the volume, stand species and age, wood suppler and logger, and other detailed information. Doug and Wayne are developing a process that evaluates the current course and notes areas of potential improvement with input of the interested stakeholders. The vision is that this revised process will improve IP accountability for wood that enters their wood processing facilities in accordance with SFI principles.
Buddy Milliken	The Milliken Company	Owner	Wilmington, NC
Project Summary - Establish a Regional Design Center that Builds Awareness for the Interdependence of the Environment, Economy, and Communities in the Lower Cape Fear Region. Rapid growth in North Carolina is causing environmental, social and economic problems and there is no regional mechanism for solving these issues. In order to address these issues on a regional basis, the Cape Fear Tomorrow, a collaborative working group comprising various interests, is taking responsibility for the formation of the sustainable center. This resource center, which has received start up funding, will test drive planning solutions and develop ongoing tools to shape the growth patterns for the overall health of the environment, the economy, and the communities within the Wilmington metropolitan area, including counties of New Hanover, Pender, Columbus, and Brunswick. Buddy is providing leadership for Cape Fear Tomorrow.
Danny Morgan	Champion International	Public and Governmental Affairs	Camden, TX
Project Summary - Establishing an Internal Working Agreement Between the Plywood Mill Workers and Their Supervisor - Employees of a Plywood Mill in Texas brought a list of 15 grievances to the Mill Manager, wanting immediate attention. Danny's role, as their supervisor, was to resolve this conflict by fully understanding what their issues were and  in a timely manner. He did this by making the situation a priority, by clarifying the issues, and then working with others to determine the underlying cause of the conflict. The process he designed in approaching this situation would establish a permanent system within the Mill to prevent similar conflicts from arising in the future. He did this by gaining support for the process from key stakeholders and then seeing that this system is implemented. Roles were redefined, complaints have dwindled, and more importantly, employees were recognized as requiring daily "preventive maintenance" just as the machinery does, needing to be recognize for what they do and how, on a regular basis.
Barry New	NC Division of Forest Resources	Urban Forestry	Raleigh, NC
Project Summary - Collaborating to Create a Strategic Direction for the North Carolina Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program. - The Urban and Community Forestry Program is a state-federal partnership between the NC Division of Forest Resources and the USDA Forest Service-Southern Region. Through this partnership, a combination of federal and state funds are used to provide urban forestry related technical assistance, services, information, training, education and financial assistance to individuals, associations, municipalities, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, government agencies and community boards and groups. One of the components of the program is the NC Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, which has awarded over $1.9 million to support local, regional and statewide urban and community forestry projects since 1991. In order to move the urban and community forestry program to the next level and meet the needs of an ever-growing urban base, Barry is working with the partners and other stakeholders to revisit program goals and the framework for utilizing the funds to meet existing and emerging urban forestry challenges.
Tracy Patterson	Research Associate	Wake Forest Department of Public Health Science	Winston-Salem, NC
Project Summary - Facilitate Stakeholder Involvement in a Youth Empowerment Project to Prevent Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Teens. - Teen tobacco use is a recognized public health problem, which has increased 40% among high school students in North Carolina. Four high schools in Guilford County would like to achieve stronger tobacco policies. They would like to accomplish this by implementing a youth and media literacy project to strengthen community support and the involvement of parents and youth in tobacco and alcohol prevention efforts. Tracy is working with these high schools to establish a collaborative planning process around tobacco and alcohol use prevention in schools.
Oscar Penegar	Quality Natural Resources Commission	Commission Appointment	Gastonia, NC
Project Summary - South Fork River Restoration - The South Fork flows from headwaters near Morgantown through the central North Carolina Piedmont to Gastonia and Lake Wylie. It is an important resource for the region: for drinking water, as a wildlife corridor, and for its potential outdoor recreational opportunities. The South Fork has been identified as contributing to water quality degradation as a result of non-point agricultural and urban sources as well as municipal and industry point source discharges. There is also concern about the discharges of nontoxic dyes on the river that have caused the river to take on various hues. David and Oscar are working with a multi-county citizen advisory group (from Gaston, Lincoln, and Catawba Counties) in an effort to restore the integrity of the South Fork Watershed, the riparian flood plain, and the flowing water to a condition that permits its use for drinking water, recreation, and a wildlife habitat. Currently a South Fork Model has been set up to help the stakeholders prioritize areas of the South Fork for conservation efforts; a motoring schedule for color discharges has been established; an Alliance of industrial and municipal wastewater discharge permit holders agreed to meet with the stakeholder group; and Gaston County Commissioners agreed to the development of recommendations for a new local sediment enforcement program.
Cindy Pitt	Keep Iredell Clean	Board of Directors	Statesville, NC
Project Summary - Convening a Groundwater Guardian Program to Promote Education About Water Quality Issues In Iredell County - Iredell County is located in the Yadkin/PeeDee River Basin. The county itself is experiencing rapid growth as a result of a tremendous influx of people. With jobs and economic opportunities can come environmental problems. In Iredell, there is a water quality concern due to heavy sedimentation, nutrient loading, and fecal coliform, yet most of the county’s citizens are not aware of it. Since citizens rely on private wells for their water, Cindy took on the role of convening a Groundwater Guardian Program that would begin attention to this issue. A team of guardians has been formed and they have selected three projects to carry out in Iredell: a stormdrain stenciling, develop a teacher’s workshop on water quality education, and collect/distribute information on environmental friendly products to the county’s residents. Although this group is in the stage of implementation, the overall goal is to raise the awareness level in the area educate about the small things each resident can do to reduce water quality degradation.
Dianne Reid	NC Division of Water Quality	Environmental Chemist	Raleigh, NC
Project Summary - Development of Stakeholders Group for Investigating Color Discharge in the South Fork Catawba River - The Division of Environmental Management’s Water Quality section has been struggling for many years with the issues of color in surface waters. With over sixty sites identified as having significant instream color by DEM field personnel, twenty-three of those sites were in the Catawba River Basin. One goal of Dianne’s practicum is to bring the dischargers and other stakeholders together to address water quality concerns through voluntary or regulatory processes. During this initiative, the industrial and municipal wastewater discharge permit holders agreed to form an Alliance and develop a monitoring plan to provide a means of addressing color on a broader scale that was approved by the Division of Water Quality (DWQ). In addition, the Alliance agreed to form a Community Advisory Panel to allow more input and education by additional stakeholders. This provides a mechanism for development of a multi-county stakeholder group. Current results of this initiative have been better internal communication and external communication between dischargers and DWQ staff.
Terry Seyden	US Forest Service	Public Affairs Officer	Asheville, NC
Project Summary- . Promote Public Understanding and Dialogue About Forest Resources by Increasing Use of the USFS Grandfather District Information Center's Interactive Forest Exhibits. - There is tremendous disagreement on how forests are managed, on both public and private lands. As demands increase for forest products, recreation, tourism, wildlife habitat, and water quality, Terry and Shannon believe that expanding the knowledge about forests and the role of forestry may reduce the conflicts. One of the ways they would like to expand this knowledge is by increasing visitation at the Grandfather District Information Center located in the western part of the state. This exhibit challenges visitors to examine the tradeoffs associated with different approaches to management or non-management of both public and private resources. They convened a stakeholder group in March that has begun brainstorming ways to increase visitation to the Center.
Marion Smith	Neuse River Foundation	Executive Director	New Bern, NC
Project Summary - Operationalizing the Implementation of Local Nitrogen Reeducation Plans in the Neuse River Basin The state’s regulatory strategy to reduce nutrient pollution in the Neuse River by 30% is adding significant new requirements for farmers in this river basin. Most farmers have chosen to use a flexible alternative option to participate in locally develop plans to meet this nutrient reduction goal. The framework development and guidance for this local option is assigned to the Basin Oversight Committee (BAC). This committee develops the accountability tools for this local option and simultaneously organizes Local Advisory Committees (LAC) that will sign up farmers and work with them to develop farm plans to meet this reduction goal. Marion and Mitch are providing the collaborative leadership between the BAC and LAC’s in order assist both groups in meeting their goals. This is being accomplished through consistent and clear communication and by providing training workshops that deal with the applicability of certain Best Management Practices (BMPs) on farms.
Matt Taylor	NC Cooperative Extension Service	Extension Agent	Lincolnton, NC
Richard Taylor	Columbia Plywood Corporation	Forester	Elizabethton, TN
Project Summary - Collaboratively Resolve Scale Rule Interpretationa at Columbia Mills. - Columbia Forest Products operates three plywood mills that purchase yellow-poplar logs from area loggers. Although the mills use the same log scale, the scale rules are interpreted differently at each location. This has resulted in suppliers being reimbursed at different rates for log shipments. This problem has persisted for several years without resolution. Richard organized and facilitated several meetings of mill managers, log scalers, and procurement managers work toward some consensus on how the scale rules will be used and interpreted. The result was an agreement on interpretation and implementation of the scaling rules at the three mills.
Forrest Westall	NC Division of Water Quality	Regional Water Quality Supervisor	Burnsville, NC
Project Summary - Convening Stakeholder Advisory Groups to Develop a Watershed Management Plan for the Cullasaja River Watershed Area. - The Cullasaja River is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River Basin in western North Carolina. As a southern Appalachian stream, the Cullasaja begins as a cool water system above 4000 feet elevation, flows through a rugged gorge area along US Highway 64 with several eye-catching waterfalls, finally settling in as a transitional, cool to warm water system supporting many fish and aquatic insect species. The Cullasaja area is experiencing rapid growth. Demands for water as a drinking source, assimilation of wastewater and as a source of recreation and beauty, places the Cullasaja and its tributaries high on the priority list within the community. As a result of its significance and importance, the Cullasaja River has been at the center of several controversial agency decisions and has resulted in contention amongst local government, interest groups, the agencies, and the public in general. In order to reduce these conflicts, Forrest convened a Stakeholder Steering Committee and four sub-groups that are using divergent thinking to converge on developing specific recommendations for a watershed management plan.
Mitch Woodward	NC Cooperative Extension	Extension Agent	Raleigh,NC
Project Summary - Operationalizing the Implementation of Local Nitrogen Reeducation Plans in the Neuse River Basin The state’s regulatory strategy to reduce nutrient pollution in the Neuse River by 30% is adding significant new requirements for farmers in this river basin. Most farmers have chosen to use a flexible alternative option to participate in locally develop plans to meet this nutrient reduction goal. The framework development and guidance for this local option is assigned to the Basin Oversight Committee (BAC). This committee develops the accountability tools for this local option and simultaneously organizes Local Advisory Committees (LAC) that will sign up farmers and work with them to develop farm plans to meet this reduction goal. Marion and Mitch are providing the collaborative leadership between the BAC and LAC’s in order assist both groups in meeting their goals. This is being accomplished through consistent and clear communication and by providing training workshops that deal with the applicability of certain Best Management Practices (BMPs) on farms.