Native Shoreland Buffer Incentives Project

Project Staff:

Principal Investigator: Karlyn Eckman, Senior Fellow, Water Resources Center

DNR Project Manager: Erika Rivers, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Funding: 

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund)

Project Duration: 

September 2009 - August 2010

Summary

The Native Shoreland Buffers Incentive (NSBI) has several program elements. First, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DN)R and WRC are supporting local government units (LGUs) in the design, implementation, and assessment of trial shoreline buffer incentives activities in two Minnesota counties. In October 2008 the WRC and DNR co-hosted a well-attended workshop at the Initiative Foundation entitled Working with Your Target Audience. WRC and Minnesota Extension staff have collaborated to provide technical guidance to LGUs as they prepare extension and outreach activities targeting lakeshore property owners. Second, a competitive RPF grant process resulted in awards to East Otter Tail and Itasca counties. Third, pre-project knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys of shoreland property owners in both counties will be conducted in 2009. The KAP surveys will be repeated toward the end of the project to measure project impacts on the target audiences. Finally, the project team will assess the social and economic efficacy of the buffers and incentives.