opportunities and limitations - cornell university · opportunities and limitations. bruce lauber....
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Opportunities and Limitations
Bruce Lauber
Objectives Identify factors that organizations believe influence their capacity to
engage in AIS outreach Identify ways that non-outreach organizations do or could contribute to
AIS outreach
Methods Telephone interviews
Outreach organizations Non-outreach organizations
Interview Respondents: Outreach 8 nongovernmental organizations 5 extension 4 local government 4 state and provincial fish and wildlife agencies 3 Sea Grant 3 state parks agencies 2 federal government 2 state transportation agencies 2 soil and water conservation districts 2 other
Interview Respondents: Non-Outreach 113 boating facilities 6 angling and boating organizations 95 bait dealers
Results Outreach Organizations
Capacity – strengths and limitations Non-outreach Organizations
Capacity - opportunities
Capacity Commitment Legitimacy Resources
Commitment Whatever it takes. And even if we lose sleep and we don’t get paid for
everything, we have to do this because it’s for the good of the resource, which is our beloved water, our creeks, and our lake.
Legitimacy External
Legitimacy The big lack I think is creating laws, an actual deterrent for the transfer of
these species. If you could be ticketed if your boat’s driving down the road and it’s muddy and it’s got vegetation on it, that’s motivation for somebody that may not care about invasive species or they don’t see the value in it…
Legitimacy External Internal
Legitimacy Their executive staff was not in favor of that, and still is not in favor of
that, and so the education work that is done is very regionalized. Which is fine but there’s no central direction for that. Or resources.
Resources Funding
Resources The last couple of years we’re seeing a lot of the organizations that we used
to work with unfortunately aren’t there or have been cut to the bone because of the recession and the loss of whatever was funding them.
Resources Funding Staff
Resources I would say the limitation … of the Watercraft Steward Program is that we
can only be at one launch 40 hours a week … I know we would love to have more stewards in more places for longer hours.
Resources Funding Staff Information
Resources Much of what we’re talking about is driven by research that’s been
conducted by Sea Grant researchers. So … we are bringing science-based information… So I think that’s a strength. Certainly the fact that many of us … have put a great deal of time and energy into staying up to date on the information.
Collaboration Benefits
Contact with target audiences
Collaboration Benefits That program is targeted to two general groups: one group being teaching
the county Cooperative Extension educators about invasive species issues so they can become the multipliers of giving that information out. The second audience is … members of PRISMs … the PRISM winds up being the multiplier.
Collaboration Benefits
Contact with target audiences Materials
Collaboration Benefits The NYIS website has great, great information on it. It’s all print on
demand. If somebody calls me and says, “Can you send me 500 factsheets?” I’m going to say, “No, but you can print them out on your printer.” … The product is there.
Collaboration Benefits
Contact with target audiences Materials Consistency
Collaboration Benefits When you talk about the Stop Aquatic Hitchhiker campaign and you talk
about the New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse website, I think in some regard they’re as successful as they are because we don’t have resources… In the ‘90s … you never knew what you were going to get next… It was all basically the same concept but with a different logo and a little different focus … We have seen success … because … people don’t have the resources to be as creative on their own.
Collaboration Challenges
Competition
Collaboration Challenges When we work with some of these other organizations, it is a little tricky
because some of us compete for the same grants. So that can sort of damage relationships and the relationships are hard to build… And that definitely influences the perspective received by our audience and how we can be effective sometimes.
Collaboration Challenges
Competition Poor communication
Collaboration Challenges At the time that we needed this was in February. Whether [they] had a rack
card at that time I’m not even aware… ‘Cause they didn’t come out in a massive email to all outreach coordinators… So I’m not sure how it was supposed to travel through or across my desk… I’m glad it did eventually, but it wasn’t a systematic way.
Boating Facilities 74% moderately or very concerned about AIS 69% think it is moderately or very important to educate users 62% communicate AIS outreach messages
10,000 slips “Inspect” and “Remove”
44% have boat cleaning facilities 62% would like to do more to educate users
Brochures or pamphlets Signs
51% don’t know who to contact
Angling and Boating Organizations 5 of 6 very concerned about AIS 6 of 6 think it is very important to educate members 5 of 6 communicate AIS outreach messages
“Drain” and “Dry” 6 of 6 would like to do more to educate members
Brochures or pamphlets Information Speakers
Need materials and limited by time
Bait Dealers 95% moderately or very concerned about AIS 58% have a good understanding of AIS issues 56% communicate AIS outreach messages
51% talk one on one to customers 49% communicate what to do with unwanted baitfish
Conclusions Strengths
Commitment Information
Limitations Funding and staffing Facilities for implementing recommendations
Opportunities Collaboration Marinas and bait dealers