Georgia County Government - February 2008 - (Page 39)

• develop basic, routine water-saving habits; • gain support from others also interested in conserving; and • provide additional information and resources about household water conservation. The Youth (K-12) Education subcommittee is focused on the dissemination of educational materials to young people in an effort to get them involved in thinking about and practicing water conservation. In addition, the group is exploring ways to reach youth by developing PSAs for broadcast through both traditional media (newspapers, radio and television) and non-traditional media, including Web sites, county 4-H newsletters and other outlets. Research shows that people need a tremendous amount of support to move to the action stage. Getting people to take simple steps around their homes to help conserve water can foster water conservation on a broad scale, create a sense of individual and community environmental stewardship and significantly reduce indoor and outdoor water use. To this end, a coordinated message is necessary for delivery to all people across the state. Although a “coordinated message” sounds simple enough, problems naturally arise when a multitude of organizations with similar, though not identical, goals are working to educate citizens on a particular topic. For this reason, UGA Cooperative Extension has elected to become an active partner in the Education Roundtable. Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Noel Holcomb developed the Education Roundtable to encourage organizations throughout the state to work together to deliver coordinated environmental messages to Georgians by offering simple behaviors they can adopt to make positive changes. By working together, Education Roundtable participants hope to ensure that the resources we enjoy today are protected and conserved for tomorrow. One of the resulting actions of Extension and DNR working closely together was an historic partnership that was created in October when two groups signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) outlining a joint approach to increasing citizen awareness of water issues and the delivery of water-resource programming. The agreement acknowledges that Extension will: include DNR’s waterSmart program as part of its banner program for water conservation; provide representatives to serve in leadership roles in the Education Roundtable; serve as the primary delivery partner for educational programs; serve as a primary media contact; and work with DNR to develop additional outreach tools. Additionally, the MOA acknowledges that DNR will: continue to oversee planning and implementation of waterSmart; expand the Education Roundtable steering committee to include an Extension representative; recognize Extension as a statewide implementation partner for waterSmart; and continue to pursue additional ways to ensure effective delivery of programs for homeowners. An immediate benefit of the agreement was the combination of Extension and DNR talent and expertise in the offering of training for educators regarding a drought-awareness curriculum tailored specifically to address the current drought in Georgia. The training was offered in December at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. County Extension agents, paraprofessionals and environmental educa- tors from across the state came together and were trained by DNR and Extension staff in the delivery of a curriculum designed for implementation with sixthgrade students. All aspects of the curriculum are aligned with the Georgia State Department of Education’s Georgia Performance Standards for sixth-grade earth science and are therefore a valuable tool for helping both Georgia teachers and students master concepts in this area. The curriculum features a number of unique and customized deliverables, including: • an exercise in drought awareness, customized for Georgia; • causes and effects of drought in Georgia; and • a role-playing exercise that asks students to view the drought and to interact as key stakeholders, including a farmer, a meteorologist, a water manager and a hydrologist. Effective solutions to difficult problems require creative partnerships that capitalize on the energy and synergy of the organizations with the greatest capacity for contributing. As the historic drought currently gripping the state continues to present Georgia counties with new challenges and issues to overcome, UGA Cooperative Extension will continue to seek meaningful partnerships designed to meet these challenges and improve the ■ quality of life for every citizen. Aviation Services Design-Build-Operate Drinking Water Facilities and Geotechnical Engineering Information Management Program Management Wastewater Water Resources 5 A www.cdm.com Atlanta, Georgia 404 720-1400 ® ® 4 FEBRUARY 2008 www.accg.org 11/3/07 Valdosta, Georgia 229 259-9501 350548_Camp.indd 1 39 10:01:03 AM http://www.cdm.com http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - February 2008

Georgia County Government - February 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Regional Focus on the Georgia Mountains: Rabun, Habersham and Stephens Counties DNR Commissioner Noel Holcomb Solid Waste Management in Georgia: New Challenges Ahead Essential Elements of Negotiating Professional Service Firm Contracts The Walker County Courthouse at LaFayette Extension News: Partnerships are Key to Conservation Education Research Corner: Interns: An Asset to Every County NACo News: Counties and Climate Change FAQs Georgia Flag to Travel to All 159 Georgia Counties State Announces Regional Recycling Hub Grant Awards Abraham Joins ACCG Support Staff County Parade ACCG Launches e-Magazine Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - February 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.