Understanding Your Local Economy: Distribution of Shooting Preserve Acreage.

2 p

A Social Exchange Explanation of Participation in the U.S. Farm Program

Passage of the 1990 Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act resulted from the political influence of many environmental interest groups and, consequently, included many conservation provisions. As agricultural policy has increasingly reflected the environmental concerns of the public, farmers who participate in the Farm Program have adjusted their production practices to conserve land and water resources, minimize use of agrichemicals, and control animal wastes. Social exchange theory was used to examine personal and farm characteristics that could affect agroenvironmental attitudes, Farm Program participation, and conservation practices of Texas farmers (n = 1,063 farmers) in 199 1. One in four farmers did not participate in a federal commodity/conservation program. Less than 8 percent of the variation in regulatory and environmental attitudes was explained by personal and farm characteristics, compared to 30 percent of the variation in Farm Program participation and 14 percent in use of conservation practices. Agroenvironmental attitudes and most background characteristics were poor predictors of farm-related behaviors. Level of gross farm income was the best predictor of farmers\u27 attitudes and behaviors. Implications of these findings are discussed

Understanding Your Local Economy: Distribution of Shooting Preserve Acreage.

2 p

State Coastal Observations and Monitoring Needs: Results of a Survey to Assess Coastal Management Needs (DRAFT REPORT)

The success of the U.S. Coastal Ocean Observing System will be measured, in part, by how well the needs of the coastal management community are being addressed. The results of this survey indicate that the two most important management issues facing coastal programs are land use and habitat change. It is essential that the planning and implementation of the USCOOS take this fact into account and place a priority on addressing these high priority management needs. This can only be accomplished through the direct long-term involvement of the coastal management community with USCOOS efforts at the national and regional levels. By working together on this survey, SEACOOS and the coastal management community have demonstrated one way that coastal science and management can be focused on a common goal

Hunter Expenditures to Rural Communities and Landowners.

8 p

The CI-FLOW Project: A System for Total Water Level Prediction from the Summit to the Sea

Kildow et al. (2009) reported that coastal states support 81% of the U.S. population and generate 83 percent [$11.4 trillion (U.S. dollars) in 2007] of U.S. gross domestic product. Population trends show that a majority of coastal communities have transitioned from a seasonal, predominantly weekend, tourist-based economy to a year-round, permanently based, business economy where industry expands along shorelines and the workforce commutes from inland locations. As a result of this transition, costs associated with damage to the civil infrastructure and disruptions to local and regional economies due to coastal flooding events are escalating, pushing requirements for a new generation of flood prediction technologies and hydrologic decision support tools

Supporting and Extending the SEACOOS Program: The Extension and Education Work Group

In addition to the observation, collection and analysis of data, Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS) funding supported the development of a complementary Extension and Education (E&E) component. Extension activities were operated through the Sea Grant Extension Programs of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Education activities were channeled through the three Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence in the SEACOOS domain, and the University of Georgia Marine Extension program, E&E Work Group (WG) activities included identifying stakeholders and their needs, increasing awareness of SEACOOS and ocean observing systems in general, and developing concepts for potential products. This article is designed to describe (1) how education and outreach functions were developed with SEACOOS funding to E&E Principal Investigators, (2) the lessons learned from the many collaborations, and (3) best practices gleaned from the four years of activity funding. Best practices for E&E included defining clearly the target audiences, identifying information needs, providing products appropriate to the audience, designing evaluations with a strong feedback loop, and developing long-term relationships between audiences and providers. This article is one of seven published in this special edition of the MTS Journal to provide a forward-looking discussion of future development of the Southeast Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (SE RCOOS)

CI-FLOW: Evaluating and Testing New Technologies for Accurate and Timely Identification of Inland and Coastal Floods in the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse River Basins of Coastal North Carolina

CI-FLOW is a new technology being utilized to identify flood hazards. CI-FLOW stands for the Coastal and Inland Flooding Observation and Warning project. CI-FLOW was implemented ten years ago by the directors of Sea Grant and NOAA, along with other North Carolina partners and state agencies. The National Weather Service has one forecast point in Louisburg, NC, on the Tar River. The addition of additional USGS gauges is important for effective identification of flood hazards. The accurate and timely identification of flood hazards is important given the growing and seasonally fluctuating population of Dare County. Approximately one-half of the housing in Dare County is seasonal, and emergency mangers must account for this. For instance, it is estimated that in 2030, if a category three hurricane hit during a time of peak tourism, emergency managers would need to clear 30,000 vehicles in 31 hours. Given the importance flood identification, an integrated approach is needed for accurate and timely identification. The utilization of storm surge models and observations of weather and river levels, is key in flood identification. Three-dimensional images linked with real-time data can help assess the dangers of a flood and aid in emergency management decisions. CI-FLOW is being used to time crests and discharges along with a coupled model which links water and storm surge discharge. In conclusion, the CI-FLOW project is a multi-agency evaluation of new technologies to better identify floods in the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse river basins