Other USDA-CSREES Funded Projects
Other USDA-CSREES Funded Projects in New England
Other USDA-CSREES Funded Projects throughout the Nation
USDA-CSREES Funded Projects in New England
National Facilitation Projects in New England
National Facilitation Projects develop and initiate nationally
coordinated programs that increase public
understanding and involvement in community decision-making and facilitate the development of public policy on water resources issues
(e.g., decisions about land use, land management practices, waste
water management alternatives for areas without sewers, storm water
controls, and the protection and restoration of riparian zones).
These projects result in more citizen involvement, wider dispersal of
information, and more rational analysis of environmental decisions
in the community and the nation.
New England Extension programs participate in the following
National Facilitation Projects:
Enhancing
the Extension Volunteer Monitoring Network
(Universities of Rhode Island and Wisconsin, 2004) builds a comprehensive support system for Extension volunteer
water quality monitoring efforts across the country. It strengthens the capacity of existing
Extension volunteer monitoring programs and supports the development
of new groups.
Continued
Coordination of a National Network of Projects Addressing
the Impact of Land Use on Water Quality
(University of Connecticut, 2003) is a network of education
programs teaching local land use decision makers about
the
relationship between land use and natural resource protection.
Facilitating
The Development Of Stakeholder-driven, Performance-based
Policies For Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control (University
of Vermont, 2006) initiates and
conducts a coordinated program for controlling nonpoint
source pollution from agriculture in a more cost-effective
manner by incorporating education and outreach modules,
performance and incentive based mechanisms, and a national
clearing house for information on the use of performance-based
policies for agricultural nonpoint source pollution control.
Extension Education Projects in New England
Extension Education Projects provide leadership
through water quality extension education to enable individuals, industry,
and government to effect changes in behavior that will enhance and protect
the Nation's water resources for the public good.
New England Extension programs participate in the following
Extension Education Projects:
Northern
New England Lake Education and Action Project
(Universities of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, 2003)
Programs at these three Universities share strengths and resources with partner programs with a focus on water quality monitoring, watershed stewardship and sustainable landscaping.
Healthy Landscapes
(University of Rhode Island, 2002)The Healthy
Landscapes Project 
at
the University of Rhode Island educates
homeowners on pollution prevention best management practices that they can implement in their backyards to protect water
quality (McCann,
2004
). One output of the project was the creation of educational materials on rain gardens . More than 500 URI Master Gardeners were trained about sustainable landscaping practices. Over 80% of the individuals (in Healthy Landscapes program evaluation) indicated a willingness to change their yard care practices to better protect their water quality. More than 54% of respondents have adopted at least one sustainable landscaping practice.
The Water Quality and 4-H Small Acreage Livestock Program (University of Rhode Island, 2006)
addresses
small acreage livestock pollution issues by training
people to train others on best management practices
(BMPs) that can be employed on small acreage sites to protect water quality. This program focuses on sites that are
10 acres or less or do not qualify
for special USDA assistance grants.
Integrated Research, Education and Extension
Projects in New England
Integrated grants support research, education
and extension functions to solve critical agricultural issues, priorities or problems in a broad
array of disciplines. Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Projects create knowledge, train the next generation, and disseminate information for decision making on water quality protection and restoration.
The
Regional Sustainable Landscape Project (UNH, UMaine, UVM,URI, UConn and Plymouth State, 2006) is an integrated, interdisciplinary, multistate
project that applies environmental and behavioral research
results to Extension efforts to reduce
the application of excess nutrients by homeowners 
in targeted, urbanizing neighborhoods throughout New England. The ultimate goal of the project
is the protection of surface and groundwater quality.
The URI Watershed Hydrology Lab, UConn and ASU are collaborating to gain more insight into sources and sinks of nitrate and to translate these results into a model to be tested extensively and distributed via the National NEMO Network.
National Research Initiative Projects in New England
The goals of the Water and Watersheds program of the CSREES
National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants
Program are to:
protect
and enhance the natural resource base and environment by improving
and maintaining healthy watershed habitat and water supply protection
enhance
economic opportunities by reducing economic liability from water
contamination
improve
the quality of life in rural America through adequate clean water
supplies, and
protect
food safety through clean irrigation and livestock drinking water
supplies.
New England NRI - Water and Watersheds projects are:
Assessment Of Dairy Manure Management Practices To Reduce Pathogen Runoff Losses In Agricultural Watersheds (Stone Environmental Inc. Montpelier, VT, 2006)
Evaluating
in-stream denitrification: Pilot studies and site characterization (University
of Rhode Island, 2005)
Acquiring
a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer to detect base
cation trends in drainage waters of northeastern
forested watersheds (University
of Maine, 2004)
Interactive
spatially dynamic framework for sustainable watershed phosphorus
management (University
of Vermont, 2003)
Improving
tolerance-based biotic indices in agricultural watersheds:
Assessing macroinvertebrate responses to agricultural
pollutants (University
of Vermont, 2002)
Transport
of cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in subsurface environments:
Mechanisms and modeling (Yale
University, 2002)
Other USDA-CSREES Funded Projects throughout the Nation
The National Water Program
The CSREES Regional Water Quality Programs:
Great Lakes
(EPA Region 5)
Heartland
(EPA Region 7)
Mid-Atlantic
(EPA
Region 3)
New England (EPA Region 1)
New York
- New Jersey - Puerto Rico - Virgin Islands . (EPA Region 2)
Northern Plains and Mountains
(EPA Region 8)
Pacific Northwest
(EPA Region 10)
Southern
(EPA Regions 4,6)
Southwest States and Pacific Islands
(EPA Region 9)
National Facilitation Projects:
Coordination
of a Network of Projects Addressing the Impacts of Land
Use on Water Quality
National
Facilitation of CSREES Volunteer Monitoring Efforts
National
Facilitation for Pollution Assessment and Prevention Theme
Team
Water
Outreach Education-Facilitating Access to Resources and
Best Practices
The
Environmental Pathogens Information Network (EPINET)
Tribal
Colleges and Universities National Facilitation Project for
Increasing Tribal Involvement in the Water Quality Network
Facilitation
of 1890 Institutions' Water Resource Education, Extension
and Research Efforts
Livestock and Poultry Environmental
Learning Center for Animal Agricultural Water Quality
Issues
Agriculture,
Land Use and Water Quality Reporting and Evaluation by Great
Lakes Radio Consortium - link
to CRIS record
Changing
Public Behavior - Increasing Citizen Involvement through
Use of Target Audience Information
Facilitating the Development of Stakeholder-Driven, Performance-Based
Policies for Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
