Public Involvement

Public Outreach and Messaging: To start gathering information and participation for the Regional Acceptance Process (the state’s required process to establish the boundaries of each IRWMP – Integrated Regional Water Management Plan), over 150 e-mailed invitations for a meeting during the third week of February went out to agencies, groups, individuals, and organizations. During this meeting, those present at the meeting identified another 60 agencies, groups, individuals, and organizations who should be contacted to participate in this process. Also at this meeting, ideas were gathered regarding how to proceed to reach out to the watershed community in its entirety, to ensure that all those who want to participate or be informed have access to the process. Below is the summarized result of those initial ideas. We continue to be interested in your feedback and participation; comments can be added at the end of these notes below.

Issues:
Tapping into a broad base of stakeholders carries a burden of cost.
Communication is challenging because of time and distance. There is a lack of communication between areas and groups of people. Not all residents have access to a computer.
Do people realize “what is in it for me?”, (i.e. grants can offset the cost of environmental stewardship)
Lake Don Pedro has a limited water source vulnerable to drought.
We need to create short-term and long-term goals and communicate successes.
Unemployment rate is high in Mariposa County with few jobs and lack of access to training.
There is isolation, sometimes self-imposed which makes communication difficult.
There is lack of time and money to travel to isolated communities. Social, cultural and economic barriers exist.
Transportation to jobs may not be available in small towns.
There is a lack of staff to provide community services.
Poor roads need ongoing maintenance.
There is no compensation of travel for outreach projects.
Mariposa County may be poor in money but rich in water and other natural resources.
Potential Strategies:
Solve some communication issues by electronic communications (email, internet, face book, wiki, etc.) Identify where public computers are available (libraries) for people without computer access at home.
Regional planning helps people reframe their point of reference and start to think differently. It transcends political boundaries.
Portray “life is water and it buys life and prosperity”.
Funding is available to help build healthier, more prosperous communities.
Obligate a healthy portion of the planning grant to allow travel grant to allow staff time to travel to isolated areas.
Post fliers at local grocery stores and post offices.
Identify ways to share messaging cost (multiple agencies).
Translate materials into Spanish and other languages.
Design outreach programs to communicate watershed health, proper use of on-site and public water and sewage disposal.
Include outreach for adults and youth.
Use the radio for public service announcements.
Eliminate jargon and acronyms to show relevance to all populations.
Show how this will benefit all populations.
Identify short-term goals to quickly demonstrate value of involvement. Communicate success immediately.
Use multiple agencies to participate in messaging to communities; same message but through different agencies shows cooperation and support.
Use partners to conduct workshops in different locations to spread burden and cost.
When presentations are made, have different groups do presentations (i.e. MCRCD conducts first meeting; Chamber of Commerce conducts second meeting, BOS conducts third meeting, etc.)
Word of mouth – encourage everyone who knows about the IRWMP – Integrated Regional Water Management Plan to talk about it with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
Note Disadvantaged Communities:
Lake Don Pedro Community Services District
Minorities
Low socioeconomic
Geographically separated areas
Community is individual towns as well as the whole county or HUC.
Coulterville
Small Miwok population in Midpines