Following discovery activities, community partners choose a program track of either:

• Land-use planning with a focus on natural resource issues or
• Invasive species management

Local leads then convene a working group to meet approximately four times with Purdue Extension facilitators who support community visioning, share innovative management strategies, and coach action plan development.

The community action planning process includes:

• A curriculum guide and education resources to support action planning that is focused on a natural resource concern
• A series of facilitated meetings that result in a local or regional action plan and strategies for implementation projects

Target Audiences

The Conservation through Community Leadership program is designed for:

• Local leaders
• Government officials and their staffs
• Representatives from nongovernmental organizations
• Residents who want to participate in decisions concerning local natural resources

Outcomes

Community groups participating in the action planning process will:

• Increase their understanding of how to asses ecosystem health and natural resource management options
• Apply decision-support tools to make decisions and take actions on ecosystem health
• Form diverse community partnerships to create and implement high quality action plans designed to:
  • Identify and address community natural-resource issues
  • Form invasive species management working groups
  • Update county or municipal comprehensive plans
  • Support watershed management plans
  • Implement fundraising initiatives for specific projects

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
lfarlee@purdue.edu
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources / Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center

Liz Jackson, Engagement Specialist
jackson@purdue.edu
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources / Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center

Kara Salazar, AICP, PCED, LEED AP ND, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities
salazark@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Daniel Walker, AICP, Community Planning Extension Specialist
walke422@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Steve Yoder, Regional Extension Educator
yoder46@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension Community Development