Presentation Title: The Wisconsin-Citizen-based Monitoring Network: Integrating Social and Ecological Systems through the Principles of Ecosystem Management Presenter: Owen Boyle, Citizen-based Monitoring Coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

1. Owen Boyle
Citizen-based Monitoring Coordinator
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
owen.boyle@wisconsin.gov

3.  To protect and enhance our natural resources:
our air, land and water;
our wildlife, fish and forests
and the ecosystems that sustain all life.
 To provide a healthy, sustainable environment
and a full range of outdoor opportunities.
 To ensure the right of all people to use and
enjoy these resources in their work and leisure.
 To work with people to understand each other's
views and to carry out the public will.
 And in this partnership consider the future and
generations to follow.

4. Informal association of programs, projects and people
with the goal of improving the breadth and effectiveness
of citizen-based natural resource monitoring efforts in
Wisconsin by:
• Aligning monitoring priorities
• Promoting cooperative efforts
• Providing access to resources: funding, information,
equipment, and scientists
• Improving data quality and management
• Promoting increased awareness and use of data

5. CBM Practitioners
Nature Friends “Cause”
Agencies
Centers Groups Groups
Secondary
K-12 Volunteers
Ed.

6. • Data needs to support management/policy
decisions
• Directly (legally) responsible for conserving
natural resources in the public trust
• Ability to collect data over larger spatial and
temporal scales
• More bang for conservation dollar (match
typically 3x project cost)
• Stable funding (license fees and boat gas tax)

7.  Full-time coordinator position
 Partnership Program funding (small grants)
 Establish and support CBM Advisory Council
 CBM Network website and social media
 Access to WDNR scientists
Integrate CBM into conservation plans
Better utilization of partner data & information

8. Benefits Challenges
Increasing environmental democracy Lack of volunteer interest/lack of
networking opportunities
Scientific literacy Lack of funding
Social capital Inability to access appropriate
information/expertise
Citizen inclusion in local issues Data fragmentation, inaccuracy, lack of
objectivity
Data provided at [low] cost to government Lack of experimental design
Ecosystems being monitored that otherwise Insufficient monitoring expertise/quality
would not be assurance and quality control
Government desire to be more inclusive is Monitoring for the sake of monitoring
met
Support/drive proactive changes to policy Utility of CBM data
and legislation
Can provide an early warning/detection
system
Conrad and Hilchey. 2011. Envron Monit Assess. 176:273 (Table 2)

11. Potential volunteers share
• Contact info.
• Seasonal availability
• Monitoring subject
interests and experience
• Counties of interest
“Who’s Who” members
have access to volunteer
database to aid recruiting
Voluntary access to private
land for surveys

12. • Monitoring resources
• Protocols
• Equipment lending program
• In person training
• “Capture the Knowledge”
training videos

14. WCBM Network Conference
Networking
Training
Project Updates
Recognition and Awards

15. The WCBM Partnership Program
• $100,000 awarded annually
• Small startup “grants” ($5K)
• no match required (but tracked)
• All taxa & resources
• Review and rating process
• $850,000 awarded for 196
projects statewide since 2004
• Funding priorities established by
state conservation plans
employing principles of Volunteer Wolf Tracking Program
ecosystem management

16. a system to assess, conserve, protect, and
restore the composition, structure, and function
of ecosystems, to ensure their sustainability
across a range of temporal and spatial scales,
and to provide desired ecological conditions,
economic products, and social benefits.
-- Wisconsin Biodiversity Report (1995)

17. • Descriptions of ecological and
socioeconomic characteristics
in ELs.
• Species and natural
communities important in the
state from a statewide, regional,
and global perspective.
• Best locations in the state to
manage different natural
resources.
• Socio-economic activities
compatible with sustaining
ecological resources.

18. The First Eight Years: Lessons Learned
• CBM is attractive to agency
administrators, though making it
a priority is an ongoing effort
• Consistent staffing is vital
• Partnership Program has seen
increase in co-created project
proposals (groundwater, deer)
• Some social and ecological
systems integration occurs
naturally, most must be
intentional