Presentation Abstract
One of the key challenges facing the regional Puget Sound recovery effort is the need to get communities engaged in local and regional governmental and regulatory processes to advocate for shoreline and watershed recovery. The Puget Sound area Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups are implementing a new version of an old solution for this problem- the Citizen Action Training School (CATS- see www.rfeg.org/cats), funded for two years by the Puget Sound Partnership. CATS is a Sound-wide training program designed to create community leaders in support of local and regional Puget Sound Recovery efforts. CATS will educate participants about the regulatory process so they can be engaged in their communities to support local watershed and shoreline protection and restoration. The Citizen Action Training School is an intensive program with 12 weeks of class and field instruction, followed by 8-10 weeks spent planning and implementing a service project related to Puget Sound recovery priority actions. In this presentation, we will discuss the unique history of the CATS program, our approach to participant recruitment, curriculum development and implementation, and program evaluation. We believe that CATS represents a model that should be replicated around the Salish Sea- by combining the more standard ecosystem education components with a detailed overview of the regulations and regulatory agencies that manage Puget Sound resources we are teaching the science of the Sound through the lens of the policy that affects shorelines and watersheds. Throughout the curriculum, we stress the opportunities for public involvement in the regulatory process so that our students can walk away with all the tools to be effectively engaged citizens of Puget Sound.
Session Title
Session S-01F: Salish Sea Governance and Citizen Participation
Conference Track
Planning Assessment & Communication
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 10:30 AM
End Date
30-4-2014 12:00 PM
Location
Room 602-603
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Environmental education--Washington (State); Water quality management--Washington (State)--Puget Sound--Citizen participation
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound (Wash.)--Environmental conditions; Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Environmental conditions; Washington (State)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Building Effectively Engaged Communities: The Citizen Action Training School Model
Room 602-603
One of the key challenges facing the regional Puget Sound recovery effort is the need to get communities engaged in local and regional governmental and regulatory processes to advocate for shoreline and watershed recovery. The Puget Sound area Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups are implementing a new version of an old solution for this problem- the Citizen Action Training School (CATS- see www.rfeg.org/cats), funded for two years by the Puget Sound Partnership. CATS is a Sound-wide training program designed to create community leaders in support of local and regional Puget Sound Recovery efforts. CATS will educate participants about the regulatory process so they can be engaged in their communities to support local watershed and shoreline protection and restoration. The Citizen Action Training School is an intensive program with 12 weeks of class and field instruction, followed by 8-10 weeks spent planning and implementing a service project related to Puget Sound recovery priority actions. In this presentation, we will discuss the unique history of the CATS program, our approach to participant recruitment, curriculum development and implementation, and program evaluation. We believe that CATS represents a model that should be replicated around the Salish Sea- by combining the more standard ecosystem education components with a detailed overview of the regulations and regulatory agencies that manage Puget Sound resources we are teaching the science of the Sound through the lens of the policy that affects shorelines and watersheds. Throughout the curriculum, we stress the opportunities for public involvement in the regulatory process so that our students can walk away with all the tools to be effectively engaged citizens of Puget Sound.
