Workshop: Tools to Support Community-Based Ecosystem Management

Tools to Support Community Based Ecosystem Management
Date: November 19-20, 2008
Location: Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (Wells, Maine)
Instructors: Ken Snyder (Place Matters) and Judy Colby-George (Spatial Alternatives)

Who Should Attend?
Day 1: The first day of training will provide managers and planners with basic training in the use of keypad polling and CommunityViz, and examples of the ways these technologies can be used to support land use, ecosystem based management and transportation projects. We will present case studies that highlight the use and integration of scenario planning and public engagement tools on the ground.

Day 2: The second day of training will build skills for GIS specialist in the use of Community Viz applications including conducting dynamic planning and suitability analysis; using Community Viz’s Build Out, Time Scope and Common Impacts Wizards; and integrating Land Use Designer and 3D Sketch Tools into GIS.

When and where is the training?
The training will be held Wednesday, November 19th, and Thursday, November 20th, at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve located at 342 Laudholm Farm Rd., Wells, Maine.
Directions at: http://www.wellsreserve.org/map.htm

How much does the training cost?
The training is only $25 per day and includes continental breakfast & lunch.

How do I register?
Participants must submit a registration form and payment before the November 17th registration deadline to Zack Steele at zsteele@wellsnerr.org or 207-646-1555 x157.  Scholarships are available upon request.

For more information:
Visit www.wellsreserve.org/ctip.htm (click upcoming events calendar)
Or download flier and registration form at http://swim.wellsreserve.org/ctp/EBM11-08flier.doc

Workshop – The Practice and Potential of EBM

Last week, I attended a workshop in Portland, Maine, called “The Practice and Potential of Ecosystem-Based Management: Applying lessons from land use and coastal management in Maine.” The workshop was sponsored by the Wells (Maine) National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maine Coastal Program, Maine Sea Grant, and the University of New England Center for Sustainable Communities. Participants included approximately 40 people who work in an EBM-related capacity at government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Click here for the agenda

The workshop organizers have posted notes from the workshop: http://www.ecobasedmanagement.blogspot.com/

NOAA needs assessment for EBM training

The NOAA Coastal Services Center is developing a training course for EBM. As part of the process, they conducted a needs assessment survey of 254 people involved in EBM. The summary report has just been released. It has info that will be useful for lots of other EBM-related efforts. The report is available on the CSC website (listed under Technical Reports). Here is the citation:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center. 2008.
Summary Report for the Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management Course Needs Assessment.
NOAA/CSC/RPT 08-01. Charleston, SC: NOAA Coastal Services Center.

Webinar on e-participation techniques

This upcoming webinar hosted by the Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Tools Network looks useful for ocean and coastal management folks in the Gulf of Maine:

Live, web-based tool demonstration of e-Participation Techniques by Chris Haller of PlaceMatters on Thursday, March 6, at 1 pm EST. The demonstration is open to the public. e-Participation is the use of information and communication technologies to broaden and deepen political participation by enabling citizens to connect with one another and with public leaders. Examples: interactive project websites, keypad polling systems, community mapping exercises, web mapping tools, on-line brainstorming, and on-line dialogues. Register for the webinar. Download a PDF about PlaceMatters e-Participation offerings. Contact Sarah Carr (EBM Tools Network) with any questions about webinar.