TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary........................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 5
Area Resource Stories.................................................................................................................... 5
Natural
Resource Stories........................................................................................................... 6
Cultural
Stories.............................................................................................................................. 6
Area Educational/Community Resources.......................................................................... 7
Programs
and Events..................................................................................................................... 7
Reports
and Publications............................................................................................................ 7
Promising Education and Outreach Models and
Opportunities......................... 8
Education
and Outreach Programs....................................................................................... 8
Events
and Celebrations........................................................................................................... 10
Partners and Collaborators.................................................................................................. 11
Promising Funding Sources....................................................................................................... 14
WEBS Group Meeting Highlights............................................................................................. 16
Discussion
Comments.................................................................................................................. 16
Brainstormed
Strategies........................................................................................................... 16
David Heil & Associates (DHA)
Recommendations........................................................ 17
General
Recommendations....................................................................................................... 17
Phase
II Course of Action and Timeline.............................................................................. 18
APPENDIX (Separate Volume)
Netarts Bay Watershed
Phase I Planning Report
David Heil & Associates, Inc.
David Heil & Associates,
Inc. (DHA) of Portland, Oregon, was contracted to assist Jim Mundell and other
Netarts Bay stakeholders in developing a sustainable vision for the Netarts Bay
Watershed, and to design and facilitate a process for community engagement in
developing and implementing that vision.
Between January and July,
2004, DHA worked with Jim Mundell and a local group of residents, landowners,
and other interested parties to serve as an initial working group, the Netarts
Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea (WEBS) Group. Facilitated by DHA, WEBS
developed a vision statement and began the planning process.
At the same time, DHA
conducted a search and review of other community watershed initiatives,
partnerships and projects that provided successful models and lessons learned
for the Netarts planning process. The results of WEBS envisioning and
discussions, and DHA research and recommendations for action, are contained in
this report.
DHA found a strong “sense of
place” and a rich appreciation of the area’s natural resources in the Netarts
Bay community. The desire to share those attributes with residents and visitors
alike is a core value here, and a primary motivation for WEBS creation. The
area between Cape Meares and Cape Lookout is unique on Oregon’s coast, offering
a somewhat slower pace of life, a “village” atmosphere, and a relatively
pristine environment. An education and outreach effort that results in
residents and visitors appreciating and engaging in the protection of the area
will help sustain these qualities as more people live, work and play here.
DHA recommends that WEBS continue its efforts to develop a
community education plan, guided by the following general recommendations:
- Establish a sustainable financial base for WEBS.
- Community involvement is important and should be
inclusive and non-threatening.
- Seek collaboration and strong, formal
partnerships. Emphasize programs and institutions already in place, overlaps
with goals and objectives of current national, state and county
initiatives, and connections to recent community processes and documents
already completed, to open up collaboration and funding opportunities.
- Emphasize and utilize educational programming in
WEBS activities.
- Collaborate with Tillamook School District,
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, Cape Lookout and Cape Meares state
parks, and other local
institutions.
- Utilize the area’s rich history, natural
history, and the arts in WEBS programming.
- Develop a strong virtual presence with a
signature website.
- Establish a formal, ongoing advisory committee
and set a sustainable pace for WEBS project implementation. Collaborate
with a reputable professional team to facilitate WEBS activities.
- Evaluate strategy implementation and adjust
programming as needed.
- Work as a team and have fun.
DHA believes the potential
to achieve the vision created by WEBS is high, and recommends developing and
implementing a second phase of planning and activities, as outlined in the
Phase II Course of Action and Timeline in this report.
The Appendix to this report
is assembled separately, and includes additional information regarding
education and community resources, programs, events, reports and publications,
education and outreach models and opportunities, partners and collaborators,
and funding sources.
The future is no stranger to
the Netarts Bay community. Efforts to shape the character of the community – to
hold on to what is good, and to improve what is not – have been active for
fifteen years. This report describes the first stage of such an effort.
In 1994, a group of Netarts
residents led an effort to develop a common community vision for the year 2015.
The resulting vision statement described Netarts with a “village” character,
where growth was carefully managed, natural resources and scenic vistas were
highly valued, and community members and visitors alike were engaged in
community stewardship. Among the qualities addressed in the vision were a
marine life reserve in Netarts Bay, restored salmon runs, award-winning forest
practices, a bicycle and foot trail system connecting Cape Lookout and Cape
Meares, stream buffers and greenways, interpretive programs and signage, and an
unhurried, restful pace of life.
In 2004, a new group of
Netarts residents gathered to reflect on the 1994 vision statement and develop
a plan that would take an educational approach to achieving many of the aspects
of the 2015 vision. That group adopted the title “Netarts Watershed, Estuary,
Beach, and Sea Group (WEBS),” and engaged in their own envisioning process,
facilitated by David Heil & Associates, Inc. (DHA) of Portland, OR.
After a series of
facilitated sessions and draft submissions, the Netarts WEBS Group developed
the following vision statement:
WEBS (Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea) is a
community committed to sustainability through education. As a result of
education efforts by WEBS, by the year 2012, the Netarts Watershed will be
recognized throughout the Pacific Northwest as a unique, pristine, and
treasured ecosystem, providing opportunities for recreation, enjoyment,
appreciation, and learning. Encouraged
and led by WEBS, the local community will support and be engaged in
the sustained stewardship of Netarts beaches, estuaries, wetlands and
watersheds, resulting in their protection and preservation to provide a
permanent habitat for wildlife, a resource for learning, a spectacular
venue for recreation, a model for other communities, and a continuing
source of enhancement of the local economy and quality of life.
The vision describes the
work of WEBS to be educational and community-based. This report offers a range
of recommended resources, models and strategies that may be utilized to achieve
that vision.
There are interesting and
compelling stories lurking in the natural and cultural history of the area.
These stories are a vehicle for understanding and sustained stewardship by all
who live, work and play there. The following list was developed from WEBS
meeting discussions, historical reports and documents, tourist-oriented
publications, and discussions with Jim Mundell.
- bay formation, beach/dune systems, and spit
formation
- early abundance of native oysters and current
status
- early large runs of chum salmon and current
status
- tsunami evidence and history
- undisturbed mature forest at Cape Lookout
- regenerating forests and forest management
- three Arch Rocks, and related scenic views and
wildlife
- relatively undisturbed estuary environment, salt
water dominant
- fish and wildlife abundance and management
- entire watershed(s) can be viewed from the bay
- California gray whale migration and summer
presence
- shore bird migrations
- harbor seals, brown pelicans, eagles, peregrines,
great blue herons
- eelgrass beds and associated ecosystem
- salt marshes (low sand, sedge, immature low,
mature high)
- terrestrial wildlife
- coastal weather and storms
- Native American occupation (1400 AD, Ne ta at),
spit and creek mouth
middens, Ti-1 occupation site on Netarts
Spit
- Native American burning of forests
- Cressman archaeological site and mystery of the
Chinese porcelains
- early explorers who probably “saw” Netarts area
Drake Cook
De Fuca Meares
Perez Gray
Heceta
Vancouver
- decimation of Native American bands by
European-introduced diseases
- land-based explorers in the Netarts area
McDougall
McLoughlin
La Framboise
Kelly
Frost, Smith, Taylor
- oyster harvesting by Native Americans and
loading of sloops bound for San Francisco markets
- original trails and early transportation in and
out of area (rail, auto, foot,
ship)
- great forest fires of 1845-1902 and other fires
- William Finley Three Arch Rocks Photography
expedition (1902)
- Jewett’s bird observations/collections
(1914,21,26)
- Oysterville (shanty town south of Whiskey Creek)
- oyster cultivation (1930-57)
- early timber harvest
- destruction of chum salmon runs by logging
debris from 1920 on
- Happy Camp ups and downs
- lighthouse and Meares-Lookout place name
confusion
- naturalist Alex Walker’s work (Tillamook Museum)
- clam digging
- bird watching
- recreational fishing
- “village” atmosphere of Netarts and Oceanside
- bay seen as sanctuary
- Cape Meares and Cape Lookout state parks
- The Capes landslide
- modern forestry practices (Stimson Lumber Co.)
- exploring the bay by kayak/canoe
- boating on Netarts Bay
- Whiskey Creek Hatchery
Tillamook County and the
area “between the capes” offers a multitude of resources useful for attaining
WEBS goals. Program development utilizing processes and structures already in
place locally is efficient and enhances success. The following programmatic resources,
events and publications provide such opportunities, and were compiled from
various meetings, discussions, and other local sources.
- Tillamook Estuaries Partnership educational
activities
- Cape Lookout State Park and Cape Meares State
Park Programs
- Great Oregon Beach Cleanup(s)
- Whale Watching Spoken Here Program
- Oregon State University Extension
- Tillamook Bay Community College
- Tillamook Historical Society
- Tillamook County Museum
- Tillamook School District 9 (2 HS, 1 JHS, 3
Elem.), especially current
emphasis
on natural resources and service learning
- Alder Creek Farm (extension of sustainable
farming/ranching)
- Tillamook Clean Water Festival
- Littoral Cell Report (2004)
- 1994 Netarts Vision Statement
- Netarts Bay Watershed Assessment and Appendices
- Tillamook County Futures Report (2000)
- Netarts Bay: The Natural Resources and Human
Utilization of Netarts Bay,
- Oregon (Oregon State University, 1976)
- Ecotourism in Northwest Oregon (Columbia River
Estuary Study Taskforce (1996)
- Chinese Porcelains from Site 35-TI-1, Netarts
Sand Spit (University of Oregon Anthropological Paper No. 23, 1981)
- Tillamook Prehistory and Its Relation to the
Northwest Coast Culture Area (University of Oregon Department of
Anthropology, 1959)
- General History of the Town of Netarts,
Tillamook County Oregon (Netarts Steering Committee, 1994)
Education and Outreach Programs
The following programs
are possible models that may be useful in WEBS efforts. Few models transfer to
another location in total, however, those listed below offer adaptable concepts
and components. Additional details on many of these programs are included in
Appendix A.
Discovery Program
Seaside, OR
This program has
successfully provided community-based education to residents and visitors of
the Seaside area for nine years. Two major concepts help the Discovery Program
apply the goals of estuary protection and citizen engagement to area beaches,
estuaries and watersheds. The first is “place based,” built on the premise of
using the local setting as the context for developing the informational content
and experiences for the public, including young citizens who are currently in
school programs. The second concept is “citizen science,” an approach that
engages the public in place-based investigations generating new knowledge
through real-world actions. Place based citizen science encourages exploration
and understanding of local systems.
Programs include a
Seaside Beach Discovery Program, Necanicum Estuary Discovery Program, and
Neawanna Natural History Park Discovery Program. Each includes staffed learning
stations designed to raise curiosity and generate questions, tours led by
program staff, and information for later exploration. Learning stations usually
include displays with interactive opportunities, using tanks of local fish and
crustaceans, and microscopes. Until recently, the tours and programs were held
only in summer months, but now run throughout the year. The tours and stations have been very
popular since their beginnings, attracting new and repeat participants.
In the latest evolution
of the program, “P.L.A.C.E.,” for “People Learning About Community and
Ecosystems,” offers three levels of involvement to individual residents and
visitors, and groups: the “Explorer” level that includes presentations, tours
and on-site learning experiences; the “Investigator” level that includes a day
or weekend experience where participants gather information for short periods
of time, volunteer to support a researcher, or participate with a community
in-depth examination; and the “Community Connector” level where participants
create a product or recommendation to share with the community, or take part in
construction or management of a site.
Much of the success of
the Discovery Program is credited to the existence of the Coastal Studies and
Technology Center, a non-profit corporation set up at Seaside High School.
Early on, it provided students access to the community, and enabled community
education programs to apply for grant funding.
Although the Seaside area
experiences considerably more visitors and has many more residents than
Netarts, Seaside’s approach to place based citizen science has merit as a
program organizer and model for Netarts.
Salmonpeople
Mercer Island, WA
Salmonpeople is the
creation of Peter Donaldson, son of the late Jack Donaldson, former Director of
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This multidisciplinary approach to
community education is unique and flexible, and is in its beginning stages of
implementation in the Pacific Northwest. Salmonpeople “awakens watershed wisdom
in the next generation and those who guide them to bring forth a new mythos of
citizen stewardship.” (Mythos: the collective values of a people in relation to
the world embodied in stories and passed down through generations as the way
things are.)
Salmonpeople strategies
are varied. The program centerpiece is “Salmonpeople,” a one-man play about the
interdependence of salmon and people in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of
the play is to “catalyze stewardship conversations and citizen campaigns
wherever communities are ready to claim their watershed legacy.” The play may
be staged at community gatherings, school assemblies, libraries or conferences
and workshops. The play begins the community dialogue that leads to other
components:
·
Teacher workshops (can include salmon, science, writing, watershed address mapping,
drama, reader’s theater, play writing, historical role playing, and any number
of other subjects relevant to K-12 teachers and their students.)
·
Elementary, middle and high school programs (assemblies, seminars, project-based learning,
curriculum integration, community service, master class for youth actors exploiting
salmon stories and local history, ecological history, and many other topics.
The Salmonpeople play can be presented for each level.)
·
Salmon School: Summer Lab School for Teaching and
Learning (establishment of a lab
school where students learn science, local history, and the relationship
between economics and ecology, and teachers gain practical experience in
integrating curriculum around the themes of stewardship.)
·
Watershed Teen Theater Marathon (a partnership with a local high school drama club
or community arts organization to produce a show on the past, present and
future of “Salmon Nation.”
·
Watershed Community Pageant (a collaboration among community arts, stewardship,
educational, historical, and cultural organizations to increase civic pride and
citizen engagement through the bi-annual production of a theatrical pageant.
·
Watershed Community Confluence – Four Seasons (a four-season “rhythm” of town
meetings using the Open Space facilitation process, focusing on local
coalitions of shared interests to design a Citizen Report Card Process. The
process engages citizens in measuring what matters most to the long-term
vibrancy of local culture, commerce, and ecological integrity.)
·
Salmonpeople TV (a teaching and learning partnership with a local high school or
college video production program to produce educational TV programming
featuring the stories of citizen stewardship in “Salmon Nation.”
·
Salmonpeople Radio (writing and production of a multi-episode series of radio programming
featuring stories of citizen stewardship and the mythology of “Salmon Nation,”
with accompanying website.
The program described
above could fit the Netarts WEBS vision well, either as a complete or partial
package. Additionally, other components could be customized or adapted and
included as needed.
The Watershed
Enhancement Team Pledge Program
Salem, OR
The City of Salem
developed a booklet that informs residents about the watershed in which they
live and a checklist from which they can select actions to take to preserve and
improve their watershed. A pledge card is included to send to the city with
pledged actions. The pledge process enables the city to track actions and send
other educational materials about the watershed to participating citizens. The
pledge book also contains many informational items and a resource list.
This concept could be
modified for use in the Netarts Watershed, and be applied to salmon recovery,
water quality, or other environmental concerns.
Local Knowledge
Programs
Various Locations
There are several
examples of students doing research in their own communities and producing a
publication that chronicles its natural and cultural history, current community
resources, and ideas about the future. Often, students interview local
long-time residents to get “seasoned” perspectives about the area. Schools and
students involved in a community in this way create a “sense of place” in
themselves and the community.
In Seaside, OR, “young
citizens” researched and wrote Journal of the Neawanna: A Changing
Community. They addressed the geologic origins, Native Americans, early
explorers and pioneers, natural resource development and extraction, current
conditions and future hopes.
In Olympia, WA, students
and adults researched and wrote a complete history of the Deschutes River. They
took a historical approach to the watershed, interviewing many long-time
residents and discovering many intriguing stories.
In Jonesport, ME, two
high schools participated in the NOAA sponsored “Local Fisheries Knowledge
Project Students, looking through the lens of marine fisheries, learned about
history, culture, science, language arts, and business as they interviewed
local fishers and others in fishing-related industries, exploring the
connection between fisheries, their communities, and their own lives.
Events and celebrations
are usually held primarily to attract visitors to a particular site or
community, and therefore appending them formally on Netarts’ behalf is not
recommended. However, events that are coastal or statewide in scope may be
opportunities to involve Netarts residents and attract visitors to the area.
The following events offer such opportunities:
The Great Oregon Beach
Cleanup (held in Spring and Fall)
Free Fishing Weekend (held in June)
Whale Watching Spoken
Here (held in December and March)
Events held in Tillamook
County are numerous and diverse, and offer opportunities for the Netarts
community to have a presence and raise awareness of its programs and resources:
Whiskey Creek Hatchery
Fin Fish Clipping Day (held in
April)
Whiskey Creek Fishing
Day for Kids with Disabilities
(held in September)
Netarts-Oceanside
Volunteer Firefighters Pancake Breakfast (held in
September)
South County Annual
Birding and Blues Festival (held in
February)
Cape Meares Annual
Birding Extravaganza (held in June)
Tillamook North Coast
Salmon Rendezvous (held in
November)
Interestingly, the 2004
Tillamook County Events Calendar lists the Netarts Bay Wine and Cheese
Festival on August 21-22 as “cancelled.” This event reached the planning
stages and should be reviewed in more detail to better understand the
challenges that resulted in its cancellation. If interest is still strong, a
modified version might be feasible in the future.
The following event
presents a model for Netarts and does not seem to be duplicated in other
Tillamook County events.
Welcome the Whales Day
Langley, WA
Langley, WA, on Whidbey
Island, holds an annual celebration centered on the arrival of the summer
resident gray whale population in the area. The main event is a “Parade of
Species” to honor whales and “all the animals who share our land and waters,
and to raise awareness of the need to take care of the earth and waters.”
Residents and visitors alike create a costume or mask for the parade. Other
activities include whale watching, educational displays, kid’s activities, boat
tours, tribal activities and featured speakers. A costume-making workshop
precedes the parade.
A similar celebration
could be staged in the Netarts area. It could be held in conjunction with the
spring “Whale Watching Spoken Here” event, or at other times to celebrate the
gray whale summer population, or other species.
A key to successful
community awareness programs, according to Seaside Discovery Program
organizers, is to use programs and systems already in place in the community.
This approach requires working with those who are already part of such programs
and systems – partners and collaborators.
Many such institutions
and programs are available in Tillamook County. Those listed below offer
promising opportunities.
Tillamook Estuary
Partnership (TEP)
The TEP is an obvious
potential partner, and has already expressed considerable interest in collaborating
with the Netarts WEBS Group in its efforts. TEP offers its own evolving
education program and resource management experience, as well as an established
non-profit organizational structure that could provide the Netarts WEBS with an
umbrella for grant funding and the fiscal infrastructure to administer those
funds.
Cape Lookout State
Park & Cape Meares State Park
The area of WEBS
influence has been described as “cape to cape.” Thus, WEBS activities will be
“framed” by two of Oregon’s most beautiful and popular state parks. Both offer
educational programs to audiences that are likely targets of WEBS programming,
and organizational structures that include event and program organization,
publicity, and implementation.
Tillamook School
District
Public and private
schools offer substantial resources to a community, including education
professionals, libraries and other information and resources, facilities, and
most importantly, students. Notably, the Tillamook School District is building
a strong program in natural resources, and utilizing service learning as an
important educational tool, both good fits for potential Netarts WEBS
programming. The potential for students to
function as natural and community resource educators, organizers,
evaluators, and even on-site managers is worth exploring for WEBS programs.
The newly organized
Tillamook Education Foundation is designed to develop resources for Tillamook
schools and teachers, with emphasis on connecting to the community. It has
three primary targets:
1.
Engaging
the community in schools and schools into the community
2.
Develop
streams of funding for innovative classroom projects.
3. Create K-12 programs that expand Natural Resource
Education, including a long-term goal of creating a Resource Center that
integrates college and community programs.
The Foundation is another
possible partner for Netarts WEBS programs.
Tillamook Bay Community College (TBCC)
Programs offered by TBCC
include Skills Development in basic academic and study skills, Community
Education courses for personal interest and self-improvement, and Business
Training. TBCC students could offer resources that would assist WEBS in future
program delivery. Community Education courses could also be offered
specifically for those interested, working, or volunteering in the Netarts
area.
Tillamook Coastal
Watershed Resource Center (TCWRC)
TCWRC is an “information
link” for locating and retrieving natural resource information about Tillamook
County, operated jointly by Tillamook Bay Community College, Tillamook Estuary
Partnership, Tillamook Soil and Water Conservation District and the Economic
Development Council of Tillamook County. Their mission is to “promote watershed
health and understanding while supporting natural resources education and
cultivating community development.” They have an extensive library and could
play a role in the development of future programs and resources for Netarts
WEBS.
Oregon Coast Council for the Arts (OCCA)
OCCA works to bring the arts into the lives of all citizens and
visitors of the Oregon Coast, supporting, sponsoring and encouraging artistic,
cultural and educational activities coast wide. In Tillamook County, OCCA
presence is implemented through the Tillamook Association for the Performing
Arts and Tillamook County Arts Network. If Netarts WEBS initiates an education
program that includes music, dramatic arts, or visual arts, these organizations
could be important collaborators.
Tillamook County Pioneer Museum and
Tillamook County Pioneer Association (TCPA)
The museum is operated by
the TCPA, and funded through a permanent tax base. The Association also
conducts research. Additionally, the TCPA may be a valuable collaborator in the
historic aspects of Netarts WEBS programs.
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW)
ODFW has a very active
office in Tillamook, including a habitat biologist and a Salmon-Trout
Enhancement Program (STEP) biologist. Both program managers could be likely
partners for Netarts WEBS programs. STEP has a long history of watershed
education programs in the area. Additionally, STEP volunteers are numerous in
Tillamook County and may be a resource for future Netarts WEBS efforts.
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
DEQ has a field office in
Tillamook County and an interest in local educational efforts, most notably the
Tillamook Children’s Clean Water Festival held at Friends Camp annually.
Oregon State University Extension
An extension agent dedicated
to watershed health and education is based in Tillamook County. Extension is
one of the oldest educational institutions in the area, and has a significant
potential to be a strong partner in future Netarts WEBS efforts.
Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board (OWEB)
OWEB is the primary granting
agency for watershed restoration and enhancement, including watershed
education, in Oregon. The OWEB North Coast Review Team, facilitated by OWEB
staff, reviews grant applications from watershed councils and other local
entities several times a year. The team is made up of local watershed
scientists, natural resources experts, and educators representing ODFW, DEQ,
Oregon Department of Water Resources, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon
State University Extension, and other state and federal agencies. OWEB is an
obvious potential partner for Netarts WEBS efforts, with a strong local
connection.
Tillamook County Soil
& Water Conservation District (SWCD)
The Tillamook County SWCD
has been involved as a conservation leader in the community for more than fifty
years, “providing leadership in coordinated resource management planning to
promote conservation and wise use of our natural resources.” It has a strong
local identity, and is committed to “…develop a public information and
education program in cooperation with the Oregon Association of Conservation
Districts, state and local agencies and professionals, to keep the local
citizens informed and promote an attitude of natural resource stewardship
throughout the community.”
SOLV (formerly “Stop
Oregon Litter and Vandalism”)
SOLV is a statewide
organization that currently has a presence in Tillamook
County through annual beach
and estuary cleanups. SOLV also has a strong background in service learning
projects with local schools. Perhaps less known is the SOLV “Volunteer Action
Training” workshops, where SOLV staff train potential local leaders to identify
community needs, and plan and implement a project to meet those needs.
Volunteer recruitment is one of the skills taught in the workshop. Where
volunteers may be needed to help Netarts WEBS accomplish its goals, access to
Volunteer Action Training may be valuable.
Oregon Trout Programs
Oregon Trout is a statewide
non-profit organization that provides technical and financial support to
projects that improve watershed function and overall stream health, and a
growing education program that seeks to “tool Oregon to deal with the
complexities of statewide watershed health.”
“Salmon Watch” is a
well-respected volunteer program that gives middle and high school students hands-on
instruction in water quality, watershed health, and fish biology. It seeks to
give every student a chance to study returning salmon in their natural habitat.
Salmon Watch may be a program that could work in the Netarts Watershed.
Another recent Oregon Trout
program is the “Healthy Waters Institute.” The Institute will eventually invite
all students and schools in the state to become contributing staff members of
the institute, to learn and teach about the health and value of local waters
throughout the state, and use this knowledge to maintain and restore them.
Working through Tillamook schools, this program could help bring watershed
education to Netarts.
The following preliminary
list suggests some likely sources of funding for Netarts WEBS activities. Most
of these require the grantee organization to have official non-profit status,
suggesting that it would be advantageous for Netarts WEBS to obtain such
status, or work through an established organization that does have a 501 (c)
(3) designation with the IRS. Once a
more focused picture of program development and implementation is in place,
potential funding sources should be revisited to determine the feasibility of
obtaining funding.
Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund
The Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians of Oregon provides funding for projects in Tillamook County in
categories such as the arts, education, cultural activities, historic
preservation, and the environment and natural resource preservation. They
distribute approximately $64,000 quarterly, ranging from $300 to $10,000 per
grantee. Their Advisory Board does not fund planning, feasibility studies, or
on-going operating costs.
Spirit Mountain Community Fund
The Confederated Tribes of
the Grand Ronde Reservation, through the Spirit Mountain Community Fund,
provides grants to non-governmental charitable organizations in Tillamook
County. Award categories include education, arts and culture, environmental
preservation, and historic preservation. The Board of Trustees meets four to
six times each year to review grant applications, however, the applications
take from four to six months to be reviewed. Grant amounts vary.
Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board (OWEB)
OWEB is noted above under
“Partners and Collaborators.” Even though OWEB education grants have been
greatly reduced over the last two years, they should be considered as a
potential funding source for future Netarts WEBS activities.
The Oregon Community Foundation
Among the Oregon Community
Foundation’s areas of interest are “enhancing educational experiences in
Oregon, increasing cultural activities and preserving and improving Oregon’s
livability through citizen involvement.”
Other Possible Sources
Meyer Memorial Trust – offers general purpose grants, small grants and
support for teacher initiatives (Portland, OR)
M. J. Murdock Charitable
Trust – offers education, scientific
research, arts and culture, health and human services grants (Vancouver, WA)
Ford Family Foundation – offers mid-and-small-sized community grants in the
areas of community building, family enhancement, teacher quality, and youth
development (Roseburg, OR)
Transportation Enhancement Program, Oregon
Department of Transportation
- offers grants for bicycle
and pedestrian projects (Salem, OR)
Scenic Byways Program,
Oregon Department of Transportation
– offers grants for interpretive and other tourist services, as well as
visitor, bicycle and pedestrian facilities (Salem, OR)
Oregon Tourism Commission
Matching Grants Program (currently
not funded) – offers grants to develop and market tourism-related projects
(Salem, OR)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - grants vary (Region One , Portland, OR)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – grants
vary, through Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (Salem, OR)
Other Resources
Non-profit Oregon
Foundation DataBook – offers
fundraising related resources to grant seekers, online and in local libraries
(Portland, OR).
Foundation Center – publishes the Foundation Directory and offers
links to other sites that have helpful online tips (New York, NY).
Environmental Grantmaking
Foundations – offers resources
related to global sustainability (Cary, CA)
Throughout the WEBS Group
envisioning process, group members have given significant effort and time as
they crafted a vision and timeline for Netarts activities. The following
statements and ideas characterize the discussion:
- No one or no thing lives in isolation. We share
this unique place with an extraordinary variety of plants, animals and
people. Our ultimate vision is that we can continue to share this place,
in harmony, forever.
- Residents and visitors alike must learn to
respect and appreciate the needs of all that depend upon this place…We
must teach ourselves. We must in turn let it teach us.
- Those invested in this vision should adopt a “no
net loss of aquatic habitat” policy that ensures the proper protections
needed to meet this vision.
- In the coming years, greater community involvement,
including involving youth through our local school district, will build
local awareness and create a solid foundation for activism that will help
to preserve parts that make up that which we currently see as a special
coastal area.
- Success of any group needs diffusion of
responsibility so that a few don’t carry the torch for everyone else.
- The ability to work together will be a direct
relationship to our successes.
- In summary, there has to be a sense of
responsibility or stewardship for Netarts Bay. This translates into a
commitment to put in the time, work and energy for something we all
believe in.
- …a vibrant, nature-focused community.
- …a continuous band of protected lands stretching
from Cape Meares to Cape Lookout, with access so that a person can walk
from one end to another on a series of trails.
- …the crown jewel of the Oregon Coast
- Disseminated knowledge will stimulate interest
and wise use that shall foster conservation. The WEBS Program shall become
a recognized center of expertise and education about the Netarts
Watershed.
- We have forests, riparian streams, a salt marsh,
the bay, the spit, and the open, near ocean. Let’s keep them healthy by
keeping the entire WEBS on the public’s conscience.
- Provide opportunities for community residents to
share their stories, memories of Netarts, especially as related to natural
resources use.
- …and suddenly the idea of a “cyber presence”
seemed perfect! Connecting people through a web site…where information
could be accessed and events coordinated.
- …create a sense of community.
- How to get people involved in protecting this
natural resource is the challenge we face.
The following strategies
were discussed at the WEBS Group meeting on May 28, 2004:
- Development of a web site dedicated to Netarts.
Possible features: interactive, weather, bird sightings, daily diary
(adult or student), web cam, plants in bloom, whale sightings, events like
cleanups and celebrations, links to local businesses
- Plan and implement specific educational activities,
such as a “Netarts Bay Camp” for kids. Coordinate events with Cape Lookout
and Cape Meares state parks.
- Development and construction of a boardwalk over
bay saltmarsh areas, and a trail along the Bay Road
- Self-guided bike, foot or car tours of marsh,
mudflats, old growth areas, eagle observation areas, etc.
- Netarts History Tour, including natural
resources history, environmental history (such as tsunamis), and the like
- Volunteer projects, including service learning
projects for students
- Involvement of K-12 alternative education
students or Oregon Youth Conservation Corps with projects
- Develop a local author publication
- Programmatically connect science, arts, history,
and culture
- Plan and develop thematic gatherings and events
DHA has been privileged to
work with a dedicated and enthusiastic group of Netarts advocates over several
months to shape an education effort for the area “between the capes.” DHA has
come to know the area as a special place, one that deserves exceptional care
and effort – something WEBS members already knew.
DHA believes that the
Netarts Bay area offers many “raw materials” from which to develop excellent
education and outreach programs to create a “Netarts-literate” culture. The
efforts of the Netarts WEBS Group to date and this report are the beginnings of
active and effective programming that will achieve the Netarts WEBS
vision.
- Establish a financial base for the Netarts WEBS
Program, and develop funding strategies and a fiscal plan. The creation of
a foundation or trust, and/or alignment with an established non-profit
organization, such as the Tillamook Estuary Partnership, should be
considered. The ability to apply for grant funding in most cases will
require the applicant to have non-profit status, and will be enhanced by a
clear picture of WEBS financial goals.
- Plan community involvement carefully. A
thoughtful approach to the awareness and long-term involvement of the
larger Netarts community will be an asset if it is done in an inclusive
and non-threatening manner. The media can also be an asset in this
process.
- When possible, make connections between WEBS
efforts, and federal and state guidelines and programs, such as Oregon’s
Statewide Planning Goals and Guidelines, Oregon Progress Board Benchmarks,
and Tourism, Transportation, and Economic Development – Rural Initiatives
programs. WEBS program elements that address similar goals and objectives
from these initiatives may enjoy broader access to funding opportunities,
and regional and statewide promotion of their efforts.
- Seek collaboration and strong, formal
partnerships where appropriate.
- Incorporate elements of previous community
processes and reports into WEBS program offerings. The Netarts Littoral
Cell Report (2004), the Tillamook County Futures Report (2000), and the
1994 Netarts 2015 Vision are examples of local work that can inform WEBS
programming and connect it to the greater community. Such connections show
the community that WEBS efforts support and build on work that has taken
place on its behalf, rather than ignore it.
- Explore the potential to utilize institutions,
programs, vehicles and resources already in place to accomplish WEBS
goals. Access to current resources has been identified as a priority for
WEBS. For instance, events such as the “Great Oregon Beach Cleanup” and
“Whale Watching Spoken Here” programs can be utilized to achieve WEBS
goals.
- Inform and frame the WEBS vision through its
educational programs and services. Given past and present political issues
in the county, WEBS should find projects that exemplify the group’s vision
and that the community can approve of and work on without conflict.
- Collaborate with public and private schools in
the area. Student programs in which the students do authentic work for the
community are gaining favor at all education levels. WEBS programs and
activities can offer local schools opportunities to bring students out of
the school building, connecting them to the community in a non-threatening
and productive way.
- Utilize the rich history of the area, especially
as it relates to Native Americans, world-class explorers, early pioneers,
and current commerce.
- Utilize the arts in WEBS program elements.
Drama, music and literature develop an emotional connection and sense of
place to strengthen and internalize the area’s natural resources.
- Develop a strong virtual presence with a
signature web-site and active links, and implement a plan for increasing
awareness of its availability. Make the site “the place to visit” for
north-central Oregon coast information and enjoyment.
- Adopt a measured, sustainable implementation
schedule for program/service strategies by prioritizing the work. WEBS is
a small group that could become overwhelmed with programming that is
concentrated in the first one or two years. Spread the growth of the
program over the eight years envisioned.
- Establish a formal, ongoing advisory group and
find ways to energize and reenergize them as the program evolves.
14.Work with a reputable team to research, design, field test
and initiate
programming.
- Evaluate along the way and adjust programs as
needed – use the principle of adaptive management.
- Dream big and emphasize the team concept. Don’t
get discouraged. Be patient. Celebrate successes and have fun.
Phase II Course of Action and Timeline
August 2004
- Circulate final WEBS Vision Statement and Phase
I Report for review.
September 2004 – March 2005
- Identify and convene the WEBS Advisory Committee
to further advise and promote future WEBS development.
- Revisit vision statement and Phase I
recommendations, timeline, and specific strategies to insure Advisory
Committee agreement.
- Identify and prioritize specific program/service
strategies for initial development.
- Identify and secure funding source(s) to
initiate Phase II development.
- Identify and engage expert team to assist WEBS
in researching, designing, field testing, and implementing initial
program/service elements.
- Research and establish suitable organizational
structure to sustain WEBS activities and provide necessary fiscal and
operational support.
Explore existing
organizations as well as the feasibility of incorporating WEBS as a standalone
501 (c) (3) entity. Analyze and compare options for best fit and benefit to
WEBS.
·
Initiate exploration of
specific partnerships with organizations identified in the Phase I Report.
Establish formal agreements where appropriate.
April - December 2005
·
Plan and implement
community outreach component with WEBS Advisory Committee.
·
Develop and implement
highest priority strategies as funding and other circumstances allow.
·
Conduct evaluation of
progress to date, including fiscal status and sustainability, program
effectiveness, and collaboration successes.
·
Develop plan for Phase
III.
·
Convene WEBS Advisory
Committee to celebrate what has been accomplished, review successes and lessons
learned, and finalize Phase III plan.
January 2006 – December 2007
·
Implement and evaluate
Phase III