Education

The following information outlines the Tributary Action Team process. The steps in the
process may change slightly as necessary throughout the process.

STEP 1—Form a Steering Committee (DNREC, IPA-WRA)

  • IPA-WRA will identify interested stakeholders and citizens, who represent various interest groups, for appointment/membership in the Christina Tributary Action Team.
    • Stakeholders may include:
      • Water utilities
      • Nonprofit organizations in the Basin – for example, Brandywine
        Conservancy, Delaware Nature Society, Red Clay Valley
        Association, Christina Conservancy, and White Clay Creek Wild
        and Scenic Committee
      • State, county, and local government organization representatives
      • Citizens
    • The stakeholders will be invited by the University of Delaware IPA-WRA.
  • IPA-WRA will serve as a neutral convening organization for the Team and will
    provide the following functions:
    • Correspond with the Team about monthly meetings
    • Bring the Team’s recommendations to DNREC
    • Manage funds made available to the Team for purposes of completing the Pollution Control Strategy.

Meeting 1—Gather the Steering Committee

  • Discuss the problem - implementing the Christina Basin TMDL to meet stream
    water quality standards for nitrogen, phosphorus, and bacteria.
  • Agree to the process to be used
  • Get commitment from the Committee to encourage others to participate in the
    forums and draft the PCS

STEP 2—Develop Poster Presentations (DNREC)

Meeting 2—Poster Presentation and Generation of Concerns

  • Presentation of issues (IPA-WRA/DNREC)
  • Interaction with DNREC staff
  • Generate concerns for issue framework (Committee)

STEP 3—Create an Issue Framework Based On the Concerns and the Prior Teams’
Frameworks (IPA-WRA with Assistance from DNREC)


Meeting 3—Issue Framework/Public Engagement

  • Discuss and validate issue framework.
  • Discuss, create, and commit to process for attracting public to a forum to discuss
    the issue book.

STEP 4—Work To Promote Public Journalism; Publish Issue Books


Meeting 4—Committee Forum; Assign Tasks for Public Forum


STEP 5—Publicize Forum; Disseminate Issue Books; Public Journalism (Committee
with Assistance from DNREC, IPA-WRA and Facilitator)


Meeting 5—Public Forum

  • Use to recruit Team members
  • Generate awareness
  • Generate common ground

STEP 6—Analyze Pre and Post Surveys from Forums; Write Up Notes for Group
Discussion; Invite Forum Participants to Stay Engaged in the Process and Join the
Forming Team (IPA-WRA; Facilitator; DNREC)


Meeting 6—Debrief the Forum and Poster Session

  • Discuss survey results
  • General feelings
  • Introduce new members to the process
  • Prepare Sector-Specific Posters and Fact Sheets for Team Use (DNREC)