Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University Students’ Involved in Kentucky’s Streams and Wetlands Plan
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Stephanie McSpirit
Abstract
During the 2008/ 2009 academic year, students at Eastern Kentucky University have worked with state regulators from Kentucky’s Division of Water and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Their job has been to help with the development of Kentucky’s Comprehensive Streams and Wetlands Plan and they have been charged with interviewing and surveying regulators, various stakeholders (developers, farmers, watershed groups, etc) as well as university scientists. Through this process of surveying and interviewing, students have collected and compiled regulator, stakeholder and scientific input towards the development of the state’s comprehensive plan. One other method that university students have used to facilitate statewide participation is through an interactive website. This website will be on display and online at the Poster Session for those that want to maneuver through the various interactive portals. Along with the website, students plan to share some of their initial findings from their first interviews with key stakeholders, past regulators and former taskforce members. Specifically, students will share various expert perspectives on how best to regulate, protect and manage our state's streams and wetland areas. This expert guidance is serving as the framework for the initial draft plan and this draft framework will be shared and available at the poster session.
Eastern Kentucky University Students’ Involved in Kentucky’s Streams and Wetlands Plan
During the 2008/ 2009 academic year, students at Eastern Kentucky University have worked with state regulators from Kentucky’s Division of Water and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Their job has been to help with the development of Kentucky’s Comprehensive Streams and Wetlands Plan and they have been charged with interviewing and surveying regulators, various stakeholders (developers, farmers, watershed groups, etc) as well as university scientists. Through this process of surveying and interviewing, students have collected and compiled regulator, stakeholder and scientific input towards the development of the state’s comprehensive plan. One other method that university students have used to facilitate statewide participation is through an interactive website. This website will be on display and online at the Poster Session for those that want to maneuver through the various interactive portals. Along with the website, students plan to share some of their initial findings from their first interviews with key stakeholders, past regulators and former taskforce members. Specifically, students will share various expert perspectives on how best to regulate, protect and manage our state's streams and wetland areas. This expert guidance is serving as the framework for the initial draft plan and this draft framework will be shared and available at the poster session.