Subject: Water Forum
Reply-To: NOF Admin Discussion <nof.leadershipdiscussion@connect.eusers.com>

We have a great Water Forum brewing here. Spoke with Dan Drahn who is organizing the panel discussion. Here is a recap:

1) Dan will speak about salt water intrusion and maybe groundwater treatment. Dan may invite a hydrologist from either Cameno Island or someone with a similar background who spoke at the WETS workshop on Lopez.
2) Regarding rainwater catchment, his number one choice is Sandy Bishop, who did a great job at the WETS workshop as well.
3) Robyn DuPre, of Puget Sound Action Team, has agreed to come and join us to talk about storm water issues.
4) Vickie Heater, from San Juan County Public Heath, has been studying the overall issues around water in the county for years and has been compiling lots of data on the subject. She will be making a presentation at our Forum to make public her findings and the recommendations for taking their concerns about our situation and coming up with dramatic changes in policy. This will be extremely newsworthy and should bring a lot of people out of the woodwork, from all over the county, who are concerned about these issues. Some may not like the suggested direction Vickie is suggesting the county should take. So it should add a lot of interest to the discussion.
5) A final topic will either be rolled into the other presentations or handled separately: wetlands.

Dan feels that there are special groups of people we want to invite to the forum....for example, all well drillers. Dan says they need a real education about the salt-water intrusion issues.

Dan will be gathering the group together to plan out the panel discussion (the topics each will cover, the time alloted to each with time for discussion among the panelists and the audience, etc), the action groups (the sub-group topics and how the panelists will integrate into that work) and other issues regarding the forum. Tentatively we are looking at April 7th because Robyn DuPre from PSAT will be over here on business.
Here are some of the agenda items for that meeting:
* we will want a short one line bio from each for posters, on the website, in the email newsletter and other email communications, and for the media coverage.
* We will also want a longer bio for the website and CM
* A list of key people to extend a personal invitation to (well drillers for example)
* Further discussion not only about the sub-group topics for discussion by the action teams, but some suggested actions, in addition to the ones from the conference that should be included.
* Whether or not any or all of them are willing to be interviewed by the press....what are the best stories or who else should the press to do a story on?
* What information each of the panelists can put on the Web and Community Memory space prior to the meeting for people to review....this could be very important in having people well-informed prior to the forum and ready to get engaged.
* We might also consider folks who might like to begin writing Letters to the Editor several weeks before the Forum.
* How to engage all of the folks from WETS and others, from the other islands who have expertise to share about these issues.

I have included Dan on this email because I want to be sure that I haven't left anything out. Dan, please feel free to add your thoughts to the discussion. Also, if any of you have any suggestions, please let us know.

Finally, while we have the Mullis Center for Saturday, May 1 for the whole room plus use of the kitchen refrigerator for $140, do we want to consider moving the Forum back to Saturday May15th to give us more time? Particularly since it look as if we are not going to have a Marine Forum the end of May. Furthermore a lot is going on May 1. It might be a good idea to give us more time to really do it right. We look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Warmest regards,

Larry Greene

------------------------
This message is part of a discussion named:
NOF Admin Discussion
and can be found at:
https://connect.eusers.com/gm/message-1.24.3793

Orcas Island Watershed Planning
Olga Water Users Inc home page