Virginia Coastal Program: 2005 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
82
Grantee:
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation
Project Title:
Expansion of the Chesapeake Club Messaging into the Hampton Roads and/or Richmond Markets
Project Description as Proposed:
The Academy for Educational Development is under contract to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Chesapeake Bay Program to complete a Chesapeake Club tool kit by September 30, 2006. The tool kit is designed to help localities and nonprofit organizations implement a proven, successful urban nonpoint source prevention campaign that can change household behavior.
Chesapeake Club is an urban nutrient management campaign targeted to residential homeowners targeting a specific action to reduce the use of lawn fertilizers. Post campaign surveys showed its messages resonated with viewers and was starting to make headway in changing behaviors. The Chesapeake Club project meets the 6217 Urban Management Guidance in the management measures of existing development, watershed protection and chemical and pollutant control.
With the tool kit in hand, Coastal Zone grant funds will be used to pay for media placements using existing spots and research, the two most costly components of the campaign. The costs for these components could approach $220,000 for the two media markets. A more detailed estimate will be included in the toolkit by September 30.
Localities would provide the in-the-field work necessary to set up restaurant and lawn care partnerships. They would also provide funding to develop the collaterals needed for that portion of the campaign.
Pre and post surveys paid for with grant funds would be used to measure the effectiveness of the campaign and its components.
It is anticipated that the campaign may be used by municipalities with stormwater permits (MS4s) to help meet their public information requirements. It can serve as the catalyst for nonprofits and localities to work together to provide a coordinated and proven urban nonpoint source message to a constituency that has not been reached on a consistent basis.
Federal Funding:
$110,000.00
Project Contact:
Project Status:
Todd Janeski - todd.janeski@dcr.virginia.gov, (804) 317-8984; Gary Waugh - gary.waugh@dcr.virginia.gov, (804) 786-5045
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Public Communications Office (PCO) repeated the Chesapeake Club social marketing program targeting lawn care activities in the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions.
The DCR PCO coordinated meetings with the localities in the two regions to garner support and partnership for the Program and to identify roles and responsibilities. The VA DCR PCO identified their role as being responsible for coordinating and conducting overall campaign and covering the costs of the print news and television media campaign. The DCR PCO requested the localities to conduct the outreach to local restaurants and lawn services to make it easier to reach these businesses without overwhelming any of the potential partners and contribute funding to pay for the printed materials such as the posters, door hangers, coasters, etc.
Thirty and fifteen-second television spots were purchased to run in both markets from March 5 through April 15. In addition, four quarter-page advertisements were purchased to run in the Newport News Daily Press and Hampton Roads Virginian Pilot and five quarter-page ads ran in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Total cost of the media purchases were approximately $201,100. For the Richmond market, 282 paid television adverts and for the Hampton Roads area, 368 television adverts, totaling 649 television adverts were paid for with Coastal NPS funding.
In the Richmond market, Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties and the City of Richmond were involved in outreach to local restaurants and lawn care companies. DCR worked with the holders of federal MS4 permits in each locality to partner in Chesapeake Club as part of their permits' public outreach requirements. In Hampton Roads, the participation of 17 different localities was coordinated by HR STORM an outreach committee of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
In both markets the local government partners paid for the printing of restaurant coasters, lawn service brochures and doorhangers. As a result of their efforts 17 restaurants and 11 lawn care companies in Richmond and 5 restaurants and one lawn care company in Hampton Roads have been signed up as Chesapeake Club partners. The Bay Program's Communications Office in Annapolis has coordinated the updating of the Chesapeake Club website.
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
