Buckeye Basins Newsletter: Spring 2004

Buckeye Basins is produced by the Ohio State University Extension, Community Based Watershed Management Team. It is compiled quarterly for watershed coordinators, Extension specialists, and natural resource professionals to include within their newsletters, programs or however they see fit.

In This Issue:

• Ohio Watershed Leaders (OWLS) 2004
• Rethinking the Expert Model in Watershed Education
• Removing Small Dams Key to Stream Restoration
• Forests, Forestry, and Conservation Easements
• Natural Resources Management Planning
• New State Extension Specialist for Wildlife

Ohio Watershed Leaders (OWLS) 2004

Hello, Watershed Leaders. It is time to start getting geared up for the 3^rd annual OWLS workshop on August 26-27. This year we will be invading the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC) in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The event will consist of field-based training while at the same time providing an opportunity to foster new relationships in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. The target audience is watershed coordinators, agency professionals, watershed partners, and interested citizens. We hope to see you there!

Registration for this year's event is $50 per person, which includes workshop materials, instruction, lodging, meals, and a t-shirt. The registration website is not currently active, but an email will be sent out with registration information as soon as they become available. Accommodations will be provided on the CVEEC Lipscomb campus which has modern dormitory style sleeping areas and restrooms. Please, bring your own bedding or sleeping bag, towels, and toiletries. You may access more information regarding facilities at http://www.cvnpa.org/NewFiles/facilities.html.

For information about the National Park www.nps.gov/cuva/home.htm. Excellent photography of the National Park http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.cuyahoga-valley.html

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Rethinking the Expert Model in Watershed Education

Joe Bonnell and Anne Baird, OSU Extension

In December of 2000, a brand new group of Watershed Coordinators, funded with grant money from OEPA and ODNR, sat down together for the first time as the first class of students in the Ohio Watershed Academy. The Academy was created by OSU Extension, in collaboration with a whole host of water resource and education professionals from agencies to non-profits, in response to a request from the grant sponsors to provide a course in watershed planning for incoming Watershed Coordinators. Over the past three years, we've learned a lot from our students about what works and what doesn't work about the course. One of the most valuable lessons we have learned is that a top-down approach to education for watershed professionals is, in some instances, inconsistent with the community-based approach to watershed planning that we as instructors promote. In this article, we discuss some of the adaptations we have made to the Ohio Watershed Academy to move toward a more learner centered program, and we also attempt to extract some applications to watershed planning.

A top-down approach to watershed education starts with the subject matter expert (instructor) designing a curriculum that covers all the basic knowledge they feel the student will need to effectively lead or participate in watershed planning. To a large extent, the Ohio Watershed Academy curriculum was developed based on this top-down model of knowledge transfer. Lessons, with objectives, background readings, and learning activities, were developed by subject matter experts and practitioners. These lessons were presented in a logical sequence to take the Academy students from novice to a higher level of competency in various topic areas. Watershed planners also frequently employ a top-down approach to learning, as when experts called on to conduct objective investigations and then educate planners without taking into account questions and prior knowledge relevant to the planners.

In applying this top-down or expert model to educating watershed professionals, we discovered some limitations. For starters, Academy students start the course with widely varying levels of knowledge and experience in the various aspects of watershed management. By forcing students to spend equal time on all topic areas, we were undervaluing their prior knowledge and experience. In response, we've added advanced assignment options and, rather than making all assignments mandatory, students get to choose those assignments that best match their interests and professional development needs. Then they complete the assignments in the order that best matches their immediate educational needs. In the same way, watershed coordinators and facilitators can work strategically with planning participants to collect and analyze only the information they will need to identify and address priority issues.

Another major limitation of the top-down, expert model of education is that it is based on the assumption that the instructor has the "right" answers - or at least knows where to find the "right" answers. In the world of watershed planning, there seldom are "right" or "wrong" answers. Solutions to complex water management problems are not discovered so much as they are created, through trial and error, dialogue, and negotiation. As instructors, we do not have the definitive answers to many of our students' most immediate and challenging questions, such as how to keep their volunteers active, or which stakeholders should be involved in their planning process. With this in mind, we recently added self-directed learning projects to the Academy curriculum. Students are encouraged to work individually or in small groups to create a learning experience that addresses an issue that is particularly relevant to their current work or professional development situation.

For the first round of learning projects, the current Academy class tackled a variety of issues, including how to develop a presentation about your watershed project for various audiences; strategies for obtaining and retaining dues-paying members; and facilitating the collection of data layers for building a Geographic Information System for your watershed. You can read more about these learning projects on the Ohio Watershed Academy Web-site at http://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/owa/students/projects-2004.html

In summary, designing and implementing an educational program for watershed professionals is a lot like developing a watershed action plan. Both require a good, comprehensive understanding of a variety of topics. Both rely to some extent on the transfer of knowledge from expert to novice. At the same time, watershed educators and watershed planners must resist the temptation to assume that the best and only way to meet their educational or water quality goals is to transfer knowledge from those who know to those who don't. The students we have had the pleasure of meeting through the Ohio Watershed Academy have taught us to value the knowledge and experience they bring to the table, and to honor the issues and concerns that inform and motivate their learning experience. By acknowledging the value of every participant as a contribution to the educational or planning process, we open the door for new ideas to be created.

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Removing Small Dams Key to Stream Restoration

Jerry Iles, OSU South Centers

A new trend of restoring natural river flow and in - stream habitat is flourishing across the country. Agencies such as the Army Corp of Engineers that have assisted constructing a multitude of dams on natural rivers now focus their mission for the 21^st century on environmental restoration. Watershed groups partnering with fishing advocacy organizations such as Trout Unlimited are working to remove old, decaying dams that no longer serve the public.

"Removing old, unsafe and uneconomic dams can be a win for public safety, a win for financially burdened dam owners and a win for the rivers that enabled the dams to serve a purpose whose time has now passed. Dams fragment rivers and block the movement of fish, mussels and other species. Dams impede the river's natural "flushing" functions. Dams change the rivers natural ability to move sediment and nutrients downstream. Sediments build up behind the dam, causing a variety of problems.

Dams are often built on prime spawning habitat. Prime fish spawning habitats tend to be places where there is a high gradient in the river, resulting in well-oxygenated waters and gravelly streambeds. Unfortunately these places are also preferred sites for dam building, because of the "fall" of the water. Since the majority of these sites have been developed many prime spawning sites have been lost. Likewise, many rapids and waterfalls have disappeared under impoundments and dams that were built on top of them." (Trout Unlimited)

Most local watershed groups now have a good inventory of their watershed. If a dam that is no longer serving a purpose exists in your watershed, consider the following:

Start by finding out the history of the dam: Who built it? When and for what reason was it built? There are an estimated 2.5 million dams nationally and many are no longer used or maintained. These deteriorating structures can pose a significant risk to boaters, swimmers and fishing enthusiast. Warning! Some of these dam structures may be conduits for infrastructure and contain items such as water or sewage lines etc. Make sure this is checked in the feasibility study prior to dam removal.

Watershed groups can act as a catalyst among private citizens and agency partners that can help in the removal of these old dams. In the process they will be improving their community and making it safer for recreation on the river.

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Forests, Forestry, and Conservation Easements

Kathy Smith, OSU Extension Associate, Forestry

In this day and age there is a lot of talk about land use changes, forest fragmentation, and urban sprawl: buzz words that mean our forests are changing as the times change. Ohio is a state where approximately one-third of its land surface is covered in trees. Today's forest landowners are searching for ways to make certain their efforts at being good stewards of the land don't fall apart after they are gone. While there are no guarantees, there are some things that forest landowners can look into.

Land trusts are organizations that operate independently of the government. Their purpose is to help interested landowners find ways to protect their land for now and into the future. Land trusts may help landowners protect their land through donation and purchase, by working with landowners who wish to donate or sell conservation easements (permanent deed restrictions that prevent harmful land uses), or by acquiring land outright to maintain as open space.

There are a variety of land trusts forming across the state of Ohio that focus on farmland preservation through conservation easements. These land trusts can also help forest landowners to ensure that the forest stays intact and stays "managed" in whatever context the landowner wants the property to be managed. Management in this sense can mean a variety of things. There is management for monetary values, such as timber and recreation. There is also management for more intangible benefits, such as wildflowers, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, aesthetic benefits, and the thought of just ensuring that an area remains forested.

So, what does all this mean to the forest landowner? It means that the goals and objectives that you want your property to continue to fulfill into the future need to be well thought out and defined. From these goals and objectives, a conservation easement can be drafted. An easement can detail specific practices that are not allowed on the property and can also detail exactly what practices are allowed. The Land Trust Alliance takes this one step further and talks of creating a conservation easement that details specific forestry practices: a "Working Forest Conservation Easement." Their language goes on to say "Working Forest Conservation Easements can protect property-specific forest values by prohibiting damaging forest practices and encouraging management practices that promote a desired forest type." These easements can enable landowners to continue to derive economic value from the land to support the ongoing costs of ownership and stewardship.

In instigating a Working Forest Conservation Easement, there are three basic tools to utilize in whatever combination necessary to produce the desired easement language. These tools are 1) the requirement of a written forest management plan, 2) adherence to Best Management Practices (BMPs) and 3) any additional restrictions. While these three tools initially sound simple enough, there is a lot of thought and detail that needs to go into each one of them. While this article can't begin to go into depth on each tool, there are a few resources interested landowners can investigate. For forest landowners interested in pursuing a Working Forest Conservation Easement, The Land Trust Alliance has published an entire book that is titled' Working Forest Conservation Easements: A process guide for land trusts, landowners and public agencies by Brenda Lind. This book is part of the Land Trust Alliance's Easement Series.

Forest landowners interested in pursuing something similar to the Working Forest Conservation Easement should investigate some of the New England states land trust organizations. A good place to start would be the New England Forest Foundation at www.neforestry.org or the Ohio State University Extension fact sheet entitled "Conservation Easements" (CDFS-1261-98).

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Natural Resources Management Planning

Dave Apsley, OSU Extension, South Centers, Natural Resources Specialist

Go ahead and dream a little. If you could wave a magic wand, what would your property look like? Would it be covered with high value white oak, cherry and walnut trees? Or would you prefer to have ideal habitat for every species of songbird found in Ohio? Maybe you'd rather have 14 point bucks and 35 pound gobblers all over your property? These dreams may not be possible for you on your property, but you can increase the benefits that you receive from your property through good planning. A natural resources management plan just may be the key to your success.

A natural resources management plan does not have to be a complicated document filled with jargon. It's simply a guide to the management of your forest and other natural resources. A typical management plan includes landowner objectives, maps and inventory data, recommendations for each stand or unit on your property, and a timetable for management activities.

The first step to any management activity is setting objectives. You cannot improve your forest if you don't know what you hope to achieve. It's ok to dream and have lofty goals, but a natural resources management plan should also include reasonable and accomplishable objectives. These management objectives can be more clearly defined once you complete the following inventories.

Before you inventory your property its a good idea to take a personal inventory. Arlyn Perkey from the U.S. Forest Service in Morgantown suggests using the acronym T I M E (Time, Interest, Money and Energy) as a guide. How much Time are you able to devote toward the management of your property? What is your Interest level? Where does natural resources management fall on your priority list? How much Money are you able to invest in your property? And finally, what is your Energy level? Are you physically able to perform the proposed management activities?

Once you have decided on your objectives and evaluated your T I M E, the next step is to inventory the natural resources. You probably want to get assistance from a wildlife biologist or a forester for this one. They can help you to determine what is present on your property and what it is capable of producing based on soils and existing vegetation. They can also help you to produce maps, which can guide your future management activities.

Finally, it's time to look at each unit or forest stand to determine what specific activities will help you to accomplish your goals. For instance, you may want to establish native grasses on an abandoned pasture or plant black walnut in a bottomland field. Now, you are ready to develop a timetable which can be used as a guide to your management activities.

A natural resources management plan is a tool, which can help you to accomplish your objectives and maximize your benefits even with limited resources. Also, if you wish to be eligible for tax savings under Ohio Forest Tax Law and to participate in many government cost share programs you must have a management plan.

For more information on Natural Resources Management Planning contact your County Extension office and ask for Fact Sheets: F-34, Forest Management: Developing a Plan to Care For Your Forest and W-1-2001, Incorporating Wildlife Needs into Forest Management Plans. Fact Sheets can also be found on-line at: http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/ . Your Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Service Forester and Wildlife Biologist can also provide information and publications that will help you with your plan.

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New State Extension Specialist for Wildlife

Dr. Stan Gehrt joined the School of Natural Resources faculty August 1, 2003 as State Wildlife Extension Specialist with Ohio State University Extension with a research appointment in SNR. Stan is probably best known for his work with social behavior and population ecology of raccoons, which began with his Master's research project at Emporia State University (Kansas). Stan continued his work on social behavior and population dynamics of raccoons as a doctoral fellow at the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation in Texas. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in 1994. Stan joined the research staff of the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in 1994 where he maintained a very vigorous research program centered on urban wildlife in the greater Chicago region. His work there focused on raccoons, coyotes, skunks, and bats. Stan will continue his affiliation with the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation as co-director of wildlife research. He will continue working with urban wildlife populations in the Chicago area and build a program that supports the wildlife information needs of Ohio citizens. Stan will be increasingly involved with wildlife disease, particularly the dynamics of raccoon rabies.

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