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i I social i i r tea. test n r r i i by Karlyn Eckman Minnesota is collaborating in the Great Lakes Regional Wa- ter Program Social Indicators Project, a regional effort funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This social component of the Nonpoint Source (NPS) pollution evaluation framework is intended to be used in conjunction with envi- ronmental and administrative components to gain a complete picture of project effectiveness. The regional state agency NPS coordinators have initiated this joint project in cooperation with land grant universities throughout the region. The Social Indica- tors'(SI) for NPS Project came about under the leadership of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Education Service (CSREES) Great Lakes Regional Water Qual- ity Program. The regional SI team, drawn from six land-grant universities ih EPA Region 5, developed a draft set of social indi- cators in 2005-6. Minnesota joined the regional SI team shortly after. The Minnesota social indicators team includes staff from both the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Univcrsityof3vlinnesota Water Resources Center. Because Min- nesota has unique environmental characteristics, stormwater issues; and a very active NPS community, the regional SI frame- work-will need to be adapted to local conditions and needs. The Minrresota`team is also working on two supplemental evaluation tools and mefhods that it hopes will be useful to local stakehold- ers. Zhese include a KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices) survey and a participant observation tool to enable project managers to visually confirm social outcomes.. Very littleis known about how NPS projects in Minnesota Riverlife continued from page 1 external non-University partners; and it educates, as part of a formal curriculum, CCE courses'or other frameworks. Riverlife staff serve on the Campus MasterPlanning Committee, helping to develop policies that adequately take the river into account. Staff also serve as re- sources for diverse instructional settings where contact with off-campus river-ori- ented partnersmay be desirable. Typical projects of technical assis- tance with`extei'nal partners include de- velopment ofinterpretive plans, projects involving physical design, and strategic planning:-Much of the Minneapolis cam- puslies within he boundaries of the Na- t~onal Parl<Servke-managed Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, and Riverlife staff work closely with National Park 'Service staff on a variety of projects that implement. the park's strategic goals. The'U of MN is the largest university located within the National Park system. Teaching, resource management, plan- ning, :interpretation, and career devel- opment are just a few of the areas of currently monitor and evaluate impacts and outcomes. We plan to do an Internet-based survey of approximately 200 projects to learn about their current practices as well as their needs and gaps with respect to the social dimensions of their projects. We hope to conduct a survey of NPS project staff in late 2007 using a Survey Monkey questionnaire. The results should be available in early 2008, and will be summarized in Minnegram and on the WRC Web site. Meanwhile, the regional SI system is embarking on a multi- year testing process to ensure that the indicators, handbook and SIDMA software meet the needs of NPS projects. The testing is expected to take place over the next two to three years. The University/MPCA social indicators team will work closely with local partners to develop a social indicators framework that is appropriate, meaningful, and cost-effective for Minnesota. The Minnesota team recognizes that collaborating with our local partners will be invaluable during the testing process, and we greatly appreciate their involvement and feedback. The Minnesota team will begin working closely with five or six NPS projects in both rural and urban areas of the state. Preparations are being made for the testing phase, and an official announcement will be made soon for the launch. For more information, check out the Minnesota SI link on the WRC website at http://wrc.umn.edu/research/ 2009andersonMPCA.htm1. The regional SI website can be found at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/regionalwaterquality/Flagships/In- dicators.htm. collaboration currently being explored. Riverlife staff also provide a variety of instructional programs across the University. An entry-level class "Mak- ing the Mississippi" (LA 1202) is offered every spring, and regularly enrolls 35-45 students. Occasional workshops in Urban Studies that concentrate on Mississippi River-related topics regularly attract the full enrollment of 20 students per class. Of particular note is this fall's special Urban Studies Topics class "The River, the Bridge, and the Community: Beyond the Headlines on the I-35W Collapse:' The course, which explores a variety of issues in the aftermath of the August 1 bridge collapse, has an enrollment of 24 under- graduate students from half a dozen ma- jors. Teaching assistants are drawn from the graduate programs of Geography and of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. Finally, Riverlife program staff regu- larly play a role in Mississippi-related public programs at the University. A spring symposium has been held for the ,,~ - -, past three years, and this fall has seen a series of eight public lectures associated with the I-35W bridge class. For further information about the Riverlife Program, visit www.riverdesign. umn.edu. Minnegram' 4 December 2007 Riverlife strengthens connections between the Mississippi and the University.