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Planning for a Sustainable Future: The Case of the North American Great
Plains The Groundwater Guardian Program: Sustainable Community Action | |
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Ground water needs champions! An often-forgotten but critical resource, ground water supplies drinking water for half of all Americans. The best place to protect it is within the communities by local citizens who understand the geographic issues associated with its use. With this as a guiding philosophy, the Nebraska-based Groundwater Foundation has developed a program to promote community-based ground water protection solutions on a nationwide basis. Through the program, known as Groundwater Guardian, the Foundation provides support and recognition for communities taking extraordinary care of their ground water source. The program also enables the Foundation to address the national need for a vital, sustainable network of such communities and their citizens. The program was designed to be process, not product, oriented; inclusive, not exclusive; and, most importantly, community driven. The Groundwater Foundation serves as a catalyst and organizer, but the participating communities own the program, the process, and the lifelong benefits. Ground water is an appropriate resource for a national community recognition program because ground water is the environmental bottom line. Because of this importance, a community that actively prevents pollution of its ground water is also effectively managing its toxics, solid waste, nonpoint source pollution, and surface water. Communities are encouraged to enter the program regardless of the status of their ground water protection process. Whether citizens need to begin the protection process by building community awareness or by implementing a completed wellhead protection plan, they will use local expertise and resources and have the opportunity to connect with others engaged in similar activities across the country. Community-driven involvement begins with the forming of a Groundwater Guardian team. This must be a diverse group, comprising representatives from citizen groups, local government, educational institutions, and local business, industry, and agriculture. For many communities, the team may be an existing committee or organization. Annual entry forms must be submitted to the Foundation by February. The brief form asks for information about the community, its ground water supply and problems, and how the program can help the community address these problems. The form also requires a listing of the team members. Once the entry form has been accepted by the Foundation, the community team identifies existing ground water protection issues and then develops a plan of result-oriented activities (ROAs) to address these issues effectively through time. This plan is unique to each community, but must have measurable outcomes. Five areas for potential ROA development are identified in the 1995 Community Guide to Groundwater Guardian: education and awareness, best management practices, conservation, public policy, and pollution prevention. The Groundwater Foundation information and support services are organized around these community-level plans. Substantive progress toward planned goals will mean Groundwater Guardian designation for the community in both local and national awards ceremonies. Annually, prospective and existing Groundwater Guardian communities will meet for the purpose of Groundwater Guardian designation, public accolades, and networking. At this annual meeting, effective and innovative Groundwater Guardian projects will be presented and new communities will be recruited. Nineteen ninety-four served as a test year for the program. From an un-incorporated rural community in North Carolina to an Indian tribe in Oregon, from a basin in California to a township in Ontario, eight communities were selected to test the Groundwater Guardian process. In keeping with the program's broad definition of community, they provided an effective test for the program. One test community was Seward County, Nebraska. For their activity, the Seward County team chose to keep unused paint out of the local landfill, which was situated perilously close to the community's drinking water supply. As they made their plan of action, they first thought of a paint exchange, with citizens gathering to exchange colors. But because diverse interests were represented during the planning process, what actually happened was even better! The local hardware store manager agreed to mix compatible paint colors and chemistries to reduce the unwanted paint to more manageable quantities. The local high school principal offered to organize teams of youth to paint homes, garages, and fences for elderly and low-income people in the community. The local Wal-Mart manager, wanting to be part of this worthy effort, offered to pay minimum wage to the youth after they completed a certain number of painting projects. Seward County achieved ground water protection, community beautification, and a summer jobs program through the citizens' willingness to work together. Protecting ground water requires an understanding of the past and a commitment to doing the right thing in the present. And, most importantly, because of the time needed to see the results of stewardship, protecting ground water requires strong faith in the future. More than fifty communities had this belief in their future and entered the program for 1995. They represent a broad spectrum of sizes, locations, and areas, as did the eight 1994 Groundwater Guardians. Twenty-seven U.S. states, from Rhode Island to Hawaii, and one Canadian province are represented. The Great Plains are well represented in the 1995 program, with communities in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Prospects for 1996 include many communities from the region. Hundreds of persons talked with the Groundwater Foundation staff about their communities and the Groundwater Guardian program during the November to February sign-up period. Not all were ready to enter the program in 1995. These communities and many more now can begin to prepare for entering the program in 1996. Steps for communities to take in that preparation process include receiving a copy of A Community Guide to Groundwater Guardian from the Groundwater Foundation, forming a Groundwater Guardian team, and determining who will be the coordinating organization. After the community team is formed, ground water protection activities already underway or planned can be identified and implemented. Attending the 1995 Groundwater Guardian Conference in Chicago on November 19-21, 1995, is another way to learn more about the program. Communities can also call the Groundwater Foundation at 1 (800) 858-4844 anytime. The Groundwater Guardian program goal is to have thousands of communities proudly displaying the distinctive Groundwater Guardian logo. Each roadside or water tower sign carrying the logo will represent an engaged, diverse group of citizens actively caring about and for ground water. These citizens will also represent a powerful force for grassroots action and political change, benefiting the ground water that nourishes the Great Plains ecosystem and people. About the Author Susan Seacrest founded the Groundwater Foundation in 1985 and has served as its president since then. Under her direction, the Foundation has become a nationally known, well-respected voice for public ground water education. The Foundation's most popular project, the Children's Groundwater Festival (the first of its kind in the United States), has become an international model of hands-on environmental education. Ms. Seacrest's expertise in ground water education has been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency through her appointment to two national EPA advisory boards, including the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. She was also appointed to a six-year term on the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board of Directors. Ms. Seacrest has provided technical assistance to the National Geographic Society's film division as part of the National Geographic Society Freshwater Initiative, and she has worked with National Public Radio on a special freshwater program. | |