Assessing public participation in US watershed planning initiatives

A mail survey of 126 federally funded watershed planning initiatives yielde d valid responses from 64 watershed contacts. Quantitative analysis reveale d wide variation among watershed initiatives in terms of population size an d land area encompassed. Likewise, watershed organization and participation characteristics (agencies involved, frequency of meetings, and number of a ctive participants) vary greatly. Qualitative analysis delineated the key i ssues of concern to watershed contacts. agricultural land use, stakeholder awareness, and interaction between local and federal entities. While specif ic situations vary by watershed, results indicate that door-to-door contact , public meetings, and information programs are the most useful methods for soliciting participation. Participation was perceived to be most helpful i n the planning stages of outreach, identifying issues, and prioritizing iss ues. The perceived effects of participatory watershed planning include incr easing awareness of watershed conditions, heightening interagency coordinat ion, reaching consensus on resource management plans, and lending legitimac y to final plans.