Texas Water Resources Institute to Hold Two January Watershed Restoration Programs
WACO – The Texas Water Resources Institute is hosting two programs spotlighting watershed restoration and protection Jan. 24-25 in Waco.
The institute is part of Texas AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
According to planners, the programs are designed for watershed stakeholders, including watershed coordinators and water resource professionals.
The first will be the Stakeholder Facilitation Training Program from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Texas Farm Bureau Conference & Training Center, 7410 Fish Pond Rd. Training will be presented by Charlie MacPherson of Tetra Tech, an environmental engineering and consulting firm. He will discuss tools used to effectively identify, engage and involve watershed stakeholders to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions.
“Stakeholder engagement is more than just holding a public hearing or seeking public comment on a new regulation,” MacPherson said. “Effective stakeholder engagement provides a method for identifying public concerns and values, developing consensus among affected parties, and producing efficient and effective solutions through an open, inclusive process.”
“Effective stakeholder engagement is essential to address watershed issues,” said Kevin Wagner, an associate director of the Texas Water Resources Institute in College Station. “Solving the water quality problems we face today requires commitment and participation of stakeholders throughout the watershed.”
The second program, the Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable, will be from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Texas Farm Bureau center.
“These round-table discussions are held biannually and provide a forum for watershed coordinators where they can develop interactive solutions to common watershed issues faced throughout the state and add to the fundamental knowledge conveyed at other courses,” said Courtney Smith, the institute’s training program coordinator.
Smith said round-table topics include discussion of statewide land-use trends and their impacts on water quality and quantity, and using watershed report cards to inform stakeholders on watershed protection plan progress.
Registration for the Jan. 24 training is $30. A catered lunch will be offered at the Jan. 25 Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable for $10, payable in cash only.
The training course and round table are supported by funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through a U.S. Environmental Protection agency nonpoint source grant.
For more information and to register, go to http://watershedplanning.tamu.edu or contact Smith at 979-845-1851 or [email protected].
Source: TAMU