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Obviously, the conclusions to be drawn from the Action
Plan Survey are to be taken with the word "preliminary"
in mind. The distribution of priorities
among topics was not striking (see Analysis--
Sensitivity) The data collected were too few to
establish statistical significance, however some key
topics stand out:
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Water
Quality
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No surprises here. It makes
sense that the #1 priority in a watershed
should be the protection of surface and groundwater
quality.
Key issues: monitoring,
stormwater, and riparian buffers
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Contaminated
Sites
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Considering the Woonasquatucket's Superfund claim-to-fame
in North Providence and Johnston and numerous
Brownfields in Providence, it is also no surprise
that this topic is high on most people's lists
for action in the next few years.
Key issues: Identification
and cleanup of Brownfields
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Public
and Environmental Health
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Lead paint is certainly a Rhode Island issue
as are other health threats such as poor air quality
and asthma.
Key issues: Public
awareness, lead paint, air quality
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Biodiversity
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Many believe that biodiversity is not only a
valuable resource, but also an indicator of environmental
health and well-being. If the animals are doing
well, then we should be doing well.
Key issues: Riparian
buffers, protection of wildlife, illegal dumping
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Natural,
Cultural, Recreational Resources
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This topic is very current when seen as representing
the multiple openspace, cultural, and recreational
planning initiatives underway. The Greenspace
Protection Project is a huge undertaking by the
State and will attract a great deal of attention
as well as resources.
Key issues: Identify
and prioritize, small farms, land trusts
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Action items in the plan, the funding they receive,
and activities of the Council should be in line with
the priorities of the watershed residents and the agencies
that work there. The priorities ranked from this survey
may not be statistically significant, but they should
be taken into account in discussion of goals, vision,
and also in-the-ground projects that will represent
the "Action" in Action Plan.
The public (at very least, the respondents in this
survey) will expect to see their priorities addressed
and the success of stakeholder negotiations will depend
heavily on the ability of the watershed approach to
actually deliver.
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