COLUMBUS, OH Individuals whose professional activities impact Lake Erie coastal and watershed resources are invited to participate in the Ohio Coastal Training Program, aimed at providing coordinated training and information on coastal issues to decision makers throughout the Lake Erie basin.
The program is a new initiative of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management, Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.
Funded primarily by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Ohio Coastal Training Program is part of a national education initiative to provide locally focused, up-to-date scientific information and skill-building opportunities to coastal decision makers.
Local planners, elected officials, businesses, farmers, and natural resource managers are among those individuals who can benefit from the training program.
“We are striving to promote stewardship of Lake Erie watershed resources by providing science-based training that is focused to local issues and needs,” said Heather Elmer, coordinator of the Ohio Coastal Training Program. “We are seeking to meet the information and technology needs of Lake Erie coastal decision-makers.”
Coastal training events are conducted in a variety of settings and formats, and tailored to meet the specific needs of participants. Workshops typically involve a variety of instructors, such as university professors, industry practitioners, and technical experts.
The program also encourages collaboration between participants from different coastal backgrounds and professions. For example, county emergency management agencies, fire chiefs, local park districts, the U.S. Coast Guard, and natural resource agencies recently attended training focused on oil spill impacts and response measures in freshwater marshes and streams.
Millions of Ohioans live in the Lake Erie watershed and most depend on tributary streams or the lake in countless ways, including as a source of drinking water, food, recreation, entertainment and cooling for electricity generation.
Additional funding and support for the Ohio Coastal Training Program is provided by The Ohio State University and the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Organizations or agencies interested in partnering with the Coastal Training Program should contact program coordinator Heather Elmer at 419-433-4601.