Goal Category
Description
Land Management
Control of erosion and sedimentation.
Water Management
The conservation, use, and quality of water, including irrigation and rural water supplies; the mitigation of floods and high water tables; the repair and improvement of reservoirs; the improvement of agricultural water management; and the improvement of water quality.
Community Development
The development of resource-based industries; the protection of rural industries from natural resource hazards; the development of adequate rural water and waste disposal systems; the improvement of recreation facilities; the improvement of rural housing; the provision of adequate health and education facilities; the satisfaction of essential transportation and communication needs; and the promotion of food security, economic development, and education.
Land Management
Energy conservation that includes the production of energy crops, the protection of agricultural land as appropriate from conversion to other uses, farmland protection, and the protection of fish and wildlife habitats.
Capacity Building, Sustainability, Organization Responsibilities and Maintenance
Conduct activities undertaken to maintain the organization’s capacity, effectiveness and sustainability. Some activities are required by law or organizational by-laws; others are necessary to ensure the WR RC&DC’s future success.
Goal Category
Goals
Objectives
Land Conservation
To provide urgently needed assistance for stormwater management in the form of both technical and educational outreach for each of the nine member counties.
- Assist # County Departments with flood and stormwater management plan assistance including its impacts on erosion, flooding and property damage, sedimentation, aquatic health, and water quality.
- Create opportunities to provide education to the public about stormwater management issues
Water Management
Assist partners with the management of water resources that address both quality and quantity and support all uses in all nine counties by implementing at least # projects.
- Address water quality aspects of storm water management on a regional basis by partnering with watershed groups in the 9-county region.
- Assist regional Land Protection groups in efforts to protect riparian areas.
Community Development
Foster economic growth & job creation through sustainable development practices by implementing projects each year in all 9 counties
- Promote the establishment of Greenway trails.
- Provide support to all 9 counties in implementing conservation development practices on developing lands each year.
Provide support to initiatives of The Farmland Center to preserve farmland and expand sustainable agriculture operations in Northeast Ohio
- Promote agricultural retention and business expansion through sustainable community projects that will help preserve farmland and create new agricultural businesses in all 9 counties in Northeast Ohio.
Partner with Hispanic business groups to provide for the start-up and growth of Hispanic-based vegetable production agribusinesses in the region.
Promote the expansion and diversification of local agribusiness operations and improve the local food economy by creating and expanding Farmers Markets.
Create and enhance agricultural and conservation education opportunities for students and teachers from a variety of grades and diverse backgrounds throughout the school year and summer recess.
- Coordinate and promote youth and teacher educational opportunities on agricultural issues with a goal to teach hundreds of youth annually about agricultural and food nutrition issues.
- Support and promote conservation education through the regional and state level High School Envirothon competition supporting hundreds of youth and 20 schools in the region annually learning soils, forestry, and environmental issues that will lead to the development of future community leaders and decision makers aware of natural resource based issues.
Provide for environmental service-learning employment opportunities for hundreds of current and graduating high school and higher education students and future working professionals, in an effort to strengthen and retain within the Northeast Ohio workforce professionals trained in natural resource management and conservation issues.
- To provide fiscal oversight and program guidance for the Council’s AmeriCorps National Service partnership with The Corps Network, GLISTEN (the Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship Through Education Network) project, for the purpose of generating environmental service-learning and employment opportunities for high school and higher education students and thereby promoting regional “brain gain”.
- Provide a Wetland and Soils Real Estate Course at Lakeland Community College on an annual basis with a goal to train more professionals each year, resulting in hundreds of homeowners receiving proper information to make wise land use decisions in purchasing homes and developing properties.
Initiate a mass media environmental learning tool that will provide environmental education programming to a diverse audience of hundreds of thousands of people in the Northeast Ohio TV viewing area.
- Initiate and continue the Program entitled “Raising the Environmental IQ of Northeast Ohio.” by partnering with area foundations, WKYC TV, ODNR, NRCS, and SWCDs.
Partner and provide outreach efforts to various organizations in an effort to develop one or more recreational/tourism opportunities involving minority groups.
- Work with the Northeast Ohio Native American Community to acquire grant funding to develop a Native American Cultural Garden in the City of Cleveland’s Rockefeller Park.
Land Management
Preserve land in Northeast Ohio resulting in land management, water quality, and wildlife benefits by promoting the use of agricultural and conservation easements as land protection tools in an effort to protect properties.
- Implement the Northeast Ohio Wetland Reserve Program by partnering with SWCDs and Land Trusts resulting in new conservation easements each year.
- Partner with farmland protection agencies and non-profit groups to assist in the protection of farms.
Foster programs that result in the protection and enhancement of the biodiversity of our habitats and ecosystems by implementing grant-funded projects or agency programs.
- Provide leadership to the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership Fund, by participating as a member of the Local Advisory Committee, resulting in the protection and enhancement of the biodiversity of our habitats and ecosystems.
Facilitate alternative energy development opportunities in Northeast Ohio with annual educational opportunities and implementing one or more alternative energy projects for the region.
- Promote the use of alternative energy in Northeast Ohio, including the use of sustainable agricultural production methods and energy conservation practices by sponsoring educational opportunities each year and implementing a related project.
Capacity Building, Sustainability, Organization Responsibilities and Maintenance
Increase the ability of the Council to serve the entire diverse region while developing funding sources to allow the Council to become self-sustaining with a goal to increase the Council’s operating funding by 10% each year
- Carry out ongoing administrative responsibilities on an annual basis while adhering to organizational by-laws and state and federal requirements.
- Ensure future expansion and success of the Council by developing new methods to expand Council membership and funding sources with a goal to increase sustainable funding sources by 10%.
- Provide representation to local, state, and national groups for outreach and training opportunities on an annual basis.
- Improve communication and outreach among our members, partners and other RC&D organizations.
Western Reserve Resource Conservation & Development Council (An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer) 