Itasca Native Shoreland Buffer Incentives Program

Environmental InitiativeSt.Cloud, MN

2011 November 7

Mary BlickenderferU of MN Extension Educator

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust

Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR)

Additional funding provided by Itasca County Environmental Trust Fund

Special thanks to:Erika Rivers, MN DNR

Karlyn Eckman, U of MN research fellowMichael Goldberg, Action Media

Mark Hauck, MN DNRSteve Henry, Otter Tail SWCD

Itasca County Itasca SWCDItasca Master Gardeners

Volunteers

Itasca NSBI Program Building:1. Marketing and behavior change strategies2. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP)

survey3. Focus group of shoreland owners4. Boat-by “survey”5. Fourteen years experience

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES…

Marketing/behavior change strategies

Frame Message/Word choice Peer-peer delivery most effective

(dissemination)Small incentives can be effectiveCommunity norms/modelingRemove barriersEntry-level activity Public commitment

Karlyn Eckman, personal communicationAction Media, personal communicationMcKenzie-Mohr, D. and W. Smith. 1999. Fostering Sustainable Behavior.

KAP survey*2/3 are SEASONAL ownersLake association is great link to owners68% prefer native shorelinesALL want to be good stewards of their

propertyHuge interest in fish & wildlife40% enjoy lawn maintenanceLittle perception of lake trendsNone could describe ordinances*results based upon 109 door-door and 116 mail-in survey responses of 340 total 10K property owners on 5 lakes in Itasca Co.

68%

KAP survey (cont.)Incentives: Detailed information and

instruction (64%), technical support (51%), “how-to” workshop (48%), input on design (48%), financial support (42%), labor assistance (37%)

Constraints: already have a natural shore (81%), like shore the way it is (19%), time (7%), don’t know where to start (6%), physical limitations (5%), like lawn (5%), cost (4%), too much work (4%), block view (2%)

Focus GroupMore information/assistance on buffersIndividual site visit by trained professional

Boat-by surveyGround-truth KAP survey (many shores have

buffer)Nearly all shorelines could be improved (for

wildlife habitat, run-off, visual screen, etc.)

Fourteen years of experience:Shoreland owner continuumBuffer installation overwhelming (on large

frontages) Little recognition/options for those already

with buffers

Itasca NSBI ProgramLocal resource network Program Promotion (primarily via Lake

Associations)Trained Master Gardeners conduct site visitsFollow-up with requested resourcesRecognition of participantsData entry and managementEvaluation***Local coordinator***

The Lake Challenge

On site shore evaluation tool

Face-to-face site visit No cost, no obligation Simple EducationalFollow-up assistance

The Lake Challenge (cont.)Something for everyoneImmediate

feedback/suggestionsOwners choose Challenges

KAP #2 Results*Little change in Knowledge and Attitude25 % knew of the Lake Challenge78% of these via lake association or neighbor15% engaged in lake- and wildlife-friendly

behavior due to Lake Challenge (buffer, citizen research, frog survey, fish sticks, etc.)

Motivating factor to take Lake Challenge was opportunity to interact with professional (stewardship)

* Eckman, K. 2011. Itasca NSBI Social Research Report.

Next steps...Web version of the Itasca Lake Challenge

Next steps (cont.)Further develop “program”

Test program applicability to different regions? Different demographics? Different levels of lake development?

Statewide use? Beyond?

Questions?