C6 - Heartland Regional Water Quality Coordination initiative.

Gerald A. Miller, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Program Director, ANR Extension, Iowa State University. The Heartland Initiative, a regional research and extension coordination effort, focuses on three issues that are currently regional water quality priorities: 1) animal manure management; 2) nutrient and pesticide management; and 3) community involvement in watershed management. The projected outcomes include: 1) strong regional interagency working relationships; 2) sharing science-based information with regulatory agencies; and 3) an infrastructure of competent service providers and community development professionals who can assist producers and watershed communities to meet their environmental regulatory and economic objectives.

The Heartland Project: Involving communities in watershed management.

Lois Wright Morton, Assistant professor, Sociology, Iowa State University. The community involvement team focuses on the role of citizens and community organizations as they become engaged in watershed problem solving. Research currently underway examines how citizens interact with each other, their natural resource base and the agencies charged with oversight of water and land use issues to achieve better water outcomes.

Miller: Presentation | Manuscript

Morton: Presentation