• About •

Overview

In 1991, The University of Connecticut partnered with the Cooperative Extension System, The Connecticut Sea Grant College Program and the Natural Resources Management and Engineering Department to help three Connecticut coastal towns better protect the water quality of Long Island Sound. The goal of this partnership was to raise awareness of nonpoint source pollution. In 1995, NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) became a nationwide initiative and currently operates in over 30 of the United States.

With the belief that the majority of land issues are complex, the initiative coordinators have focused on communicating clearly and frequently with local officials. Knowing that these are the people that will determine a large portion of the community's land, it is crucial, to not only present factual information which is unbiased but also present the ways to combat negative land use to maintain the spirit of the community.

Alabama

Like many other parts of the country, as subdivisions continue to spring up in farm fields and woods, Alabamians are beginning to recognize the gradual degradation of their natural and cultural heritage. In 1998, a consortium of Alabama agencies, led by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, contacted the NEMO hub with interest in bringing the NEMO message to the state.

Early in the planning process, the program's coordinators realized that in order to implement NEMO on a statewide basis, they would need dozens of people trained to present the program. Funding was not readily available, however, to support this number of professional outreach employees. So with funding from the state's Section 319 Program, a coalition of state agencies led by ADEM designed a "Train- the- Trainers" workshop to prepare volunteers to give the program to municipalities and counties in their area.

Alabama NEMO has designed a two-day curriculum to give participants the kind of deep background information they will need to be effective educators. The basic NEMO presentation includes a "NEMO Bible" and CDs with presentations and publications such as fact sheets and promotional materials.

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