Christina River Basin

Tributary Action Team - Process

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)