Public Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project
Abstract
Public participation has become an increasingly important component of effective watershed
management over the last twenty years. Conducted by the North Carolina Division of
Water Quality, the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project is a collaborative stakeholder process
that includes interested parties in drafting a federally mandated Nutrient Management
Strategy. The Falls Lake Stakeholder Project worked to improve the stakeholder process
by responding to issues recognized in a prior North Carolina Division of Water Quality
project, the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project.
This master’s project evaluated the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project based on a set
of predetermined factors – substantive, procedural, and outcome – to allow for cross-case
comparison. Data analyzed was gathered through archival research, stakeholder meeting
observation, stakeholder surveys, and convener interviews. The stakeholder survey
and convener interview contained questions about five procedural evaluative criteria,
including process design, process fairness, process execution, technical support,
and predicted outcomes.
Results were based on fourteen returned stakeholder surveys and four convener interviews.
Analysis of results indicated that technical support in the Falls Lake Stakeholder
Project was the criterion with which stakeholders were least satisfied. Lessons learned
from the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project were applied in the Falls Lake Stakeholder
Project and improved overall stakeholder experiences. Many of these aspects introduced
in the process, including a technical advisory committee, subcommittees, and a wiki,
may continue to be improved and applied to future North Carolina Division of Water
Quality stakeholder processes.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/2156Citation
Gray, Brooke C. (2010). Public Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Falls Lake Stakeholder
Project. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/2156.Collections
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