Virginia Coastal Program: 2003 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2003 Task 2
Grantee:
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality - Virginia Coastal Program
Project Title:
Coastal Program Outreach Activities
Project Description as Proposed:
Funds the Coastal Program Outreach Coordinator (OC) position and supports outreach activities. OC is responsible for coordination and implementation of an approved communication plan for the Virginia Coastal Program, which has a continued critical need for efficient and effective dissemination of program and coastal management information to the general public and among its state and local partners. During 2003, the OC will produce two issues of the Virginia Coastal Program magazine (Spring/Summer '04 and Fall/Winter '04); coordinate the logistics and publicizing of the 2003 Coastal Partners Workshop; continue to pursue opportunities to strengthen the Program's relationship with the media; coordinate the Program's participation in exhibits and events including a week-long exhibit at the General Assembly during the 2004 Session; and provide communications support and participate as needed in the Program's programmatic activities including the Biennial Review process, publication of the State of the Virginia’s Coast and the Seaside Symposium. Other ongoing products/activities include: Web site design, development and maintenance; production and maintenance of program display materials; development of public information materials, i.e. issue brochures, fact sheets, press releases, and articles for publication in local, national and international coastal publications; and, finally, development or participation in workshops, training, or events related to coastal zone management issues or outreach. The OC will also assist the DEQ Education Coordinator with the promotion and dissemination of coastal environmental education curriculum materials.
Federal Funding:
$74,000
Project Contact:
Virginia Witmer, 804.698-4320, vgwitmer@deq.virginia.gov
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
In addition to responding to requests for coastal resource information from the general public upon request and outreach support as needed to partner local and state agencies and organizations, during the FY 2003 grant year funding for Coastal Program Outreach has supported the following activities:Virginia Coastal Program Magazine - One issue of the Virginia Coastal Management Magazine was published. (Summer/Fall 2004), published October 2004. The magazine is available on-line at http://www.deq.state.va.us/coastal/magazine.html.
Web sites: Maintained, including periodic redesign, the Virginia Coastal Program Web site (http://www.deq.state.va.us/coastal/), Virginia Oyster Heritage Program Web site (http://www.deq.state.va.us/oysters/), and Virginia Clean Marina Program Web site (now housed on the VIMS Web site at http://www.vims.edu/) and the Virginia Seaside Heritage Program Web site (http://www.deq.virginia.gov/coastal/vhsp/homepage.html).
Coastal Program Exhibits: Coastal Program exhibits or materials appeared at the following October 2003 - September 2004 events. New display materials produced in FY 03 included an interactive exhibit highlighting the value of underwater coastal habitats for the National Folklife Festival in DC in July 2003.
" 11th Annual Eastern Shore Birding Festival - Northampton
County - October 2003
" Combined Virginia Campaign - October 2003
" Earth Day events at Mt. Trashmore, Fort Eustice and Ft. Story
- April/May 2004
" Environment Virginia 04 Conference at VMI, Lexington - March
2004
" Eastern Shore Watershed Festival - May 2004
" 2004 Smithsonian Folklife Festival - July 2004
" Trash Bash, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Research Center
- August 2004 (entire month - 76,000 people visited aquarium)
" Bay Seafood Festival, Belle Island, Rappahannock River -
September 2004
Other Activities of Note:
Coordinated design/production of new pr materials for the Virginia
Seaside Heritage Program, including a seahorse costume and cookie
cutter with restoration message; the VSHP was featured in article
published in the Eastern Shore News Shore Outdoors in October 2003
educating our primary target audience - the citizenry of the Eastern
Shore.
Coordinated final logistics - location, meals, registration, signage,
exhibits up until maternity leave in Nov and facilitated completion
of logistics and on-site coordination by fellow staff; designed
pages for Coastal Web, designed and printed registration flyer
for insertion in Coastal magazine (Oct).
Worked with EE Office and Eastern Shore Birding Festival Committee
members to design the 2004 Eastern Shore Birding Festival Poster
Contest package for teachers; designed and distributed 2004 Eastern
Shore Birding Festival Poster based on the winning artwork and produced
banner and certificate for the winning student.
Initiated and helped facilitate the addition of a regional cleanup
effort on Virginia's Eastern Shore in the International Coastal
Clean-up campaign, including pr - a press release highlighting this
regional effort was picked up by Eastern Shore Radio and an article
appeared in the Eastern Shore News "Shore Outdoors".
Worked with CSO to produce a FY02
Funding Fact Sheet.
Worked with DEQ PR staff to produce an October "Program
of the Month" Web highlight of the Virginia Coastal Program
for the DEQ Homepage.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
