Free Assistance to Watershed Groups, Environmental Advisory Council, other Environmental Educators

March 2, 2010 - PRLog -- The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council is the coordinator and the project administrator for the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) Program in Pennsylvania.  The Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds  is a team of specialists who provide eligible watershed groups or local project sponsors Program Management and Scientific Technical Assistance through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (PADEP) Growing Greener Program.  Service is provided to eligible organizations at no cost.  The types of assistance can include watershed specific technical assistance on surface and groundwater issues, mentoring, quality control and duplicate analysis, capacity and team building, project research, and community education and involvement.

Technical assistance is available in many project management and scientific areas. You can receive help in determining water resources issues, guidance on monitoring design and protocols, cost estimates for assessments and advice on required resources and time estimates to complete a task for surfacewater, lake, and groundwater related projects. Watershed organizations can receive assistance with actual watershed assessments, and interpretation and utilization of data. Training, specific to your need, can be requested for your group.

Mentoring assistance is designed for groups who need intensive, long-term assistance rather than targeted short-term help; and will focus on helping groups who are interested in starting or improving volunteer monitoring programs for watershed assessments, assessing restoration projects, or developing protection plans.  Your C-SAW representative will regularly meet with your group to discuss the group's needs and projects and help guide you through the steps necessary to achieve your goals. When specialized expertise is needed from another member of the C-SAW team, your C-SAW representative will coordinate this assistance.

Mentoring is meant to develop a relationship between a watershed group and a small group within the C-SAW team to meet intensive and continuing needs. Groups should view the C-SAW representative as a long-term partner and technical resource dedicated to guiding your group to achieve its watershed protection goals. Mentoring will be specific to the needs of the individual group. Mentoring assistance includes all of the areas listed under Watershed Specific Technical Assistance and Data Quality Assistance and can include:

Consultation on determining water resource issues of concern:

1. Assistance with development of monitoring study design and choosing appropriate equipment ;
2. Assistance with planning/strategies for volunteer recruitment and retention ;
3. Assistance with database design and data management ;
4.  Assistance with data interpretation and utilization;
5. Assistance in scientific aspects of assessments or monitoring ;
6.  Training (chemical, biological, and visual); and
7. Assistance with quality assurance/quality control

In addition to technical and mentoring assistance, the partners can provided assistance with developing and implementing a quality control and quality assurance program.  The QC/QA program can include water chemistry and macroinvertebrate analysis.  The chemical analysis can include general water quality, but also trace metals, salts, pathogens, chlorophyll, microcystin, biological oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and more.  The QC/QA program also provides assistance with the routine calibration and minor maintenance to field monitoring equipment and training in the selection and use of the monitoring equipment.

The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council is very proud of the efforts of its partners in the C-SAW Program.  To get a better understanding of the needs of Watershed Organizations, Community Groups, and Environmental Advisory Councils, the C-SAW Partners has prepared an online survey.  The partnership would appreciate your participation in this survey to better determine the needs of our community-based organizations.

The survey is online at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DV62R9M

Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
http://www.pnercd.org

C-SAW and other Project Outreach
http://www.pnesolutions.org

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The Council is committed to the preservation and protection of natural resources within a framework of economic growth. The Council is directed by a group of dedicated volunteers. Council members represent numerous interests and disciplines, including agriculture, forestry, environment, education, wildlife management, mine reclamation, recreation and economic development. The RC&D Council is supported by conservation districts as well as several federal and state cooperating agencies, nonprofit groups, and interested individuals. All who support the Council's purpose and goals are invited to participate.

Do not miss the 2010 - Northeast PA Energy Expo - June 26 - 27, 2010
http://www.pnercd.org