1. Situation/Rationale: In Florida, land and water use decisions (planning, regulatory and management) affecting wildlife and their habitats (both natural and artificial) are made at the regional (Regional Planning Councils, Water Management Districts) and county levels. Sound scientific information is not readily available to decision makers and, hence, the best decisions are not made (frequently not even good decisions are made). That both hundreds of millions of dollars of economic expectations, and, the natural area heritage of future generation are both at stake, underscores the need for an improved information packaging and delivery system.

For example, in South Florida, in an unprecedented cooperative effort federal, state, regional and local agencies are undertaking the largest ecosystem restoration effort ever attempted anywhere. All of the agencies involved (e.g. USFWS multi-species recovery program, South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida and the South Florida Water Management District) have recommended that a integrated, systematic educational effort is needed to support restoration efforts. To date this gap remains unfilled.

2. Targeted Audience: The primary audience is staff of respective government agencies. When appropriate, commissioners, governing board members and planning council members may also be included. To build consensus and confidence in the decisions made developers, growers, landowners, environmentalists and the general public should be included as needed.

3. Major Objective: Integrate state-of-the-art information and methods into the planning, regulatory and management programs of the respective agencies and to build consensus and confidence of affected parties in the decision making process.

4. Annual Objectives: Annually our objective is to improve the quality and quantity of ecological information available to decision makers in the following areas - with examples:

During the first year (FY96-97), we will begin work with a natural resources department in 1 county and 1 water management district.

5. Accountability: A record of all contacts and activities will be kept. We will also record whether or not customers felt that our extension programs helped to meet a need or solve a problem for them. Informal assessments of changes in support for restoration efforts and confidence of affected parties also will be noted. Follow-up surveys will be used to see if clients used or applied our information of if it helped them to solve a problem.

1. Situation/Rationale: Florida's rural lands represent a varied mixture of habitat types, agricultural uses, ownership categories and parcel sizes, and future uses. In 1994, approximately 23.3 million acres, or 69% of the state, was classified as agricultural or commercial forest land in private ownership (Agricultural Facts, 1995). In comparison, State and Federal lands totaled roughly 3.5 million acres, or 10% of the state. Clearly, if wildlife resources are to be conserved for future generations, efforts to do so must include a focus on rural private lands.

Also, over 90% of Florida residents live in urban and suburban areas. Public opinion surveys have repeatedly shown that Floridians are concerned about the fate of wildlife in developed areas, and participate in activities to enhance wildlife habitat. Rural, suburban and urban residents want to know how to be most effective in protecting and sustaining wildlife because it is an important component of the quality of human life they desire. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for wildlife include specific ecosystem conservation practices such as protecting, installing or providing the following: native vegetation, travel corridors, butterfly gardens, ponds, rock or bush piles, bird houses, treefrog houses, and underground burrows.

2. Targeted Audience: The rural audience will be subdivided into three categories based on size of acreage owned/managed: 5 to 24 acres, 25 to 1,000 acres, and > 1,000 acres. Other audiences will include urban and suburban landowners and managers, and Master Gardener and Florida Yards and Neighborhood volunteers.

3. Major Program Objective: To increase use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that contribute to enhancing wildlife species and habitats.

4. Annual Objectives:

5. Plan for Evaluation/Accountability: We will develop an evaluation program to determine the change in specific, predetermined BMPs used. Prior to a presentation to members of the targeted audience, a pre-test will be given to ascertain knowledge and use of these BMPs. Three to six months after the presentation, these same people will be contacted and asked to complete a post-test designed to determine which BMPs have been adopted and how it has affected their quality of life. The measure of impact will be the difference in the number of BMPs used. The number of people certified in the "Florida Wildlife Habitat Certification Program" will be another measure of impact for the second annual objective. We will also record whether or not customers felt that our extension programs helped to meet a need or solve a problem for them.

1. Situation/Rationale: More than 4,000 schoolyards (K-12) have been developed without much consideration of preserving some elements of the natural ecosystems that originally occurred and benefited wildlife on the site. Also, few environmental concerns are included in landscaping and maintenance plans for these properties. New schools continue to be planned and developed by removing more native vegetation than required. There are tremendous opportunities to develop ecologically sound practices for restoring existing campuses and designing new campuses so that schoolyards become models for responsible actions in each local community. Because today's youth are tomorrow's decision-makers, it is important to train them at an early age how to be responsible stewards of our natural resources.

Schoolyard Ecosystems: This is a highly successful, award-winning program initiated by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the Florida Advisory Council on Environmental Education and the University of Florida. It has expanded through the cooperation of many other agencies and organizations such as Florida water management districts, the Cooperative Extension Service, the Florida Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society, the Native Plant Society, local Chambers of Commerce and businesses, and Project WILD. Just last year, over 1,600 Florida teachers received training on how to restore native ecosystems on school campuses and how to use these sites for environmental education activities. The "Schoolyard Ecosystems" book provides a consistent and scientifically based approach to ecosystem restoration on school campuses and the use of these sites for environmental education activities. A software program with an interactive multimedia computer database complements the book and provides participants with a more visual and therefore more vivid learning experience.

The National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program: This program was initiated within the past decade with sponsorship by Champion International Corporation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The first National Invitational Contest was held in 1989. Many 4-H students and leaders participate in statewide contests prior to the national event. Florida's first statewide contest was held in 1994.

This program is designed to teach youth about the fundamental of managing for wildlife by providing wildlife habitat in rural and urban settings. The handbook and activities are not only focused on increasing knowledge of wildlife food, cover, water and space needs, but also in developing skills in applying learned knowledge.

2. Targeted Audience: teachers, students, 4-H members and leaders.

3. Major Objective: To integrate an ecosystem approach to management and use of schoolyards and to increase wildlife management knowledge and skills of 4-H members and leaders.

4. Annual Objectives:

5. Plan for Evaluation/Accountability: We will develop an evaluation program to determine the change in specific, predetermined ecosystem conservation practices used. Prior to a presentation to members of the targeted audience, a pre-test will be given to ascertain knowledge and use of these practices. Three to six months after the presentation, these same people will be contacted and asked to complete a post-test designed to determine knowledge and which practices have been adopted. The measure of impact will be the difference in knowledge and the number of practices used. The number of schools and 4-h clubs participating in these two programs will be another measure of impact.

1. Situation/Rationale: Public opinion surveys indicate that about half of Florida residents and the vast majority of visitors participate in wildlife-related recreational activities and want more information on where to see wildlife and how to identify wildlife. Many people in the ecotourism industry provide activities for this market but are not properly trained in wildlife ecology and potential impacts of tour activities on wildlife. No procedures or standards for evaluating the effects of ecotourism are available.

2. Targeted Audience: Tour (watching), fishing and hunting guides; staff of local departments of tourism; canoe outfitters; and employees and volunteers from city, county, and state nature centers.

3. Major Objective: To assure high quality nature-related recreational experiences for Florida residents and visitors while protecting wildlife and their habitats from possible adverse impacts of these activities.

4. Annual Objectives:

5. Plan for Evaluation/Accountability: We will develop an evaluation program to determine the change in knowledge and in specific, predetermined practices of the targeted audience. Prior to a presentation, a pre-test will be given to ascertain knowledge and practices used by tour guides, etc.. Three to six months after the presentation, these same people will be contacted and asked to complete a post-test designed to determine which practices are still used (or an on-site visit will be used to determine this). The measure of impact will be the change in knowledge and the number of recommended practices adopted.