Mystic Watershed Collaborative
Steering Committee Meeting
September 23, 2004, TIE Office

Present: Mau Artinano, Dale Bryan, Lisa Brukilacchio, Jen hill, Zach Harlow-Nash, Paul Kirshen, John Durant, Nancy Hammett, Rusty Russell

Introductions/roles:

• Lisa-Community Engagement Specialist in Community Partnership Program of Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, 4 days/wk at Tufts
• Mau- Tisch College Scholar, Junior, 2nd year as a student rep
• (Chelsea-Tisch College Scholar, Junior, Mau reports she is doing well in Madagascar where she studying for this semester)
• Dale Bryan-Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Peace and Justice Studies
• Jen Hill- Executive Director of Groundwork Somerville, non-profit
• Zach Harlow-Nash- Water Watch coordinator at Tufts this year, just graduated from Tulane University, initially from ME
• Paul Kirshen- Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), launch of Water: Systems, Science & Society interdisciplinary graduate Program-has 10 students, 3 PhD, will phase out WaterSHED Center to WSSS soon
• John Durant, CEE, advising Freshman Exploration on the Mystic, had new son in August!
• Nancy Hammett- Executive Director MyRWA, fundraising is current critical issue
• Rusty Russell- new coordinator of Field Education at Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP), teaches Env Law in Fall, UEP Field Projects with 11 projects in communities in Spring
• Patrick Johnston- Everett Marine Police Officer, City of Everett, unable to attend today due to conflict
• Julian Agyeman- will serve as advisor as needed
• Have room for 1-2 more student representatives, at least one has expressed interest

Announcements:

• Carter Awards dinner to be held on Sept 27th at U.Mass Boston, Tisch College has invited representatives of the MWC to join a UC table at the event (Nancy, Lisa, Mau, Rusty, Patrick)
• Sustainability Conference on Oct 29th sponsored by new Ecology has an Urban Water management section
• MyRWA annual meeting, Oct 21st- Kathy Abbott of Department of Conservation Resources (DCR) speaker.
• Mystic basin has been designated a UNESCO HELP watershed! Jim Limbrunner, PhD candidate of WSSS will be calling a meeting.
• Water Watch will be sponsoring a Make a Difference Day cleanup on the Mystic on Oct 23rd, looking for endorsements to put on flyer, MWC endorse?

Activities for the following three questions involved each member writing on sticky pads their responses to the questions, with resulting discussions that are briefly highlighted here. (See complete listings, including Patrick's contributions which he called in before meeting.)

• A) What do you feel were the two major impacts of the Collaborative last year?
  • A watershed "presence" · Research Conference 1,1,1,1,1,1
  • HR Festival 1,1 · EJAM 1,1,1,1 · Movers and Shakers 1,1,1,1
  • EMPACT
  • Hiring Lisa for liaison position for Mystic
  • Student projects
  • Cycle of projects
• A) some discussion points
• Nancy announced Bob Varney, Director of EPA-NE, quoted research from Mystic spring 03 conference to the Environmental Business Council! Slow progress on EJAM report. Making things visible, getting more people to KNOW about the Mystic is an issue, how to get Mystic on the radar at agencies like EPA? With 2005 coming up, the target date for Charles being "swimmable" which will not be met, highlights whether 2010 is appropriate target date for Mystic and what are other goals for the long term.
• Mau raised issue of learning about what awards might be available and when applications due as possible student project.
• Discussion of role of Lisa's position and the concept of a MWC liaison, with both praise for UC role in building capacity and concern for overload and room for dedicated MWC coordination beyond UC role.
• B) What are you presently committed to making happen on behalf of MWC (with group approval)?
  • John Durant-helping write proposals that benefit MyRWA
  • Jen Hill- Blessing of the Bay Boathouse plan, serve as resource person
  • Zach-Host Make a Difference Day clean up, hold community forums related to Mystic Water Quality issues, help other members accomplish their goals
  • Mau- work with Institute of Global Leadership to incorporate watershed issues in this year's EPIIC program, put together Movers and Shakers for this year.
  • Patrick- leverage EJ in the watershed (lower)
  • Nancy-another conference of some sort, EJ next steps, watershed indicators, next steps in Action Plan
  • Paul-WSI, integrate into WSSS & EPIIC
  • Rusty- Field projects in the Mystic
  • Lisa- AWSEAM, Indicators project, serving as much as liaison as possible including recruiting new members to MWC
  • Dale- "birthing" AWSEAM in Jan, EJAM follow-up or Communications & Media project.
• C) Name two key issues and/or related actions that you think MWC should consider for this year.
  • Follow-up on research conference and/or Env Law research
  • EJ Follow up
  • Expand EMPACT sites, use, funding, maintenance!
  • Cooperation between water and other environmental/social/economic issues in basin
  • More student opportunities
  • AWSEAM!
  • EJ caucus in MA legislation
  • EJ legislation at state level
  • Outreach to communities- people living beside the river and education campaign about the threats of using the river
  • An event to actually plug river neighbors into cleaning up and promoting the health of the river
  • Indicators course · Integrate MyRWA/Mystic into field courses
  • EPA grant written to support MyRWA and to engage more faculty in desired research issues
  • Mystic-based courses-AWSEAM, Env Law, Indicators?, Freshman Exploration
  • Watershed evaluation and action planning
  • Better research needs assessment and communication
  • Networking among Mystic players (efficient)
  • Advocating for Mystic with state-DCR, EOEA, DEP
  • Support development of Mystic Caucus
  • Develop/promote indicators/report card
  • Future search follow-up

Discussion re key actions/issues for MWC to address this year: Nancy characterized MyRWA as a conduit for strong, scientific research, to be skilled at orchestrating research that provides advocacy efforts with scientific credibility. She sees that lots of research has been done that generates actions that then lead to new questions. She wants to make sure that the stream of investigation flows to more research moving into action and indicates that this might need to include research beyond Tufts, at other universities. She cites that at the moment, MyRWA is focusing on advocacy related to bacterial issues in the water, while waiting for the Tufts Nutrient Study (and sediment study?). She also wants to make sure that other players such as EPA are involved as she sees them primed to do more.

Open discussion on how big a role Tufts partners can play in moving ideas/knowledge generated from research out into the community. How big a role can MWC play? What can be Tufts role beyond research. The example of the prime opportunity to gather a Mystic caucus in the MA legislature was raised as a test case, but not resolved. Rusty directed discussion to the potential of the indicators project to provide both academic and action opportunities and that it could serve as a scorecard for the Mystic and/or MyRWA. The question of where such an interdisciplinary course could fit at Tufts was discussed. UEP might be possible, but Rusty needs to talk with Rachel Bratt to get a sense of feasibility of this. Some question of links to WSSS or other programs as well. At this point, framing a course and outcomes is critical to engage others. Rusty commented that there is a potential for a watershed planning course to evolve from this, but would need to be distinguished from course Scott Horsley teaches. Discussion of opportunity to pull in faculty like Kent Portney and Julian Agyeman. A large part of any indicators project would need to be the communication and a public education campaign.

The EPA Watershed grant was discussed at length, in terms of timing. Nancy pointed out that she has been invited to talk with folks at EPA first week in Oct. She also has feedback on the proposal from last year and sees the potential for submitting again, but any such grant would need to have significant support for MyRWA as integral part of the design, counter to past joint research grants which have not provided sufficient funding for MyRWA's work. EPA NE is interested in urban watersheds and this is part of why they have asked Nancy to come in to talk. She will take suggestions for her meeting by email from MWC members.

Next Steps/accountability:

Lisa-

• Minutes of this meeting will be written up and distributed to group.
• Work with Dale on AWSEAM recruitment and course planning.
• Help develop calendar for actions/commitments and key issues listed today.
• Update MWC and UCCPS websites on Mystic issues (welcome input)
• Host a Brown Bag info session on Mystic opportunities at UEP
• Support exploration of the Indicators Project

Nancy Hammett-

• Meet with EPA on urban watershed thinking and Mystic issues
• Explore if there is enough research for another conference, with a longer discussion/action planning panel.

Paul-

• Study RFP for Watershed Initiative grant

Mau-

• Work with EPPEC planning to include Mystic in the Oil and Water focused symposium this year at Tufts.

Rusty-

• Draft of Indicators class to share with others.

Discussion on next meeting date inconclusive: proposals for "soon" to avoid conflicts with end of month holidays in Nov and Dec, people being out of town in Oct, need to stick to Thursday in scheduling leans towards meeting on Oct 28th, but to be confirmed.