Appendix F 



Citizen Monitoring 



This appendix of A Primer for Establishing and Manag- 

 ing Estuary Projects provides guidance on how suc- 

 cessful volunteer estuarine monitoring programs can 

 be developed, implemented, and maintained, aug- 

 menting existing government-sponsored monitoring 

 efforts. The Primer, which describes the National Es- 

 tuary Program's origins, statutory provisions, and ap- 

 proach, is designed for EPA's programs and regional 

 offices, coastal states, and other interested parties. For 

 more information, contact an EPA regional office. 



Government agencies participating in the National Estuary Pro- 

 gram have recognized that monitoring programs operated by 

 citizens can effectively support the development and implementa- 

 tion of comprehensive estuarine management plans in a number 

 of ways. First and most important, citizen data can be high quality 

 information that is vital to estuarine management. Citizens often 

 can collect data that might not be available through generally 

 accepted methods. Citizen monitors also help to build public com- 

 mitment to environmental quality goals and objectives. Through 

 their participation in monitoring programs, citizens learn how they 

 contribute to pollution problems and develop a sense of guardian- 

 ship toward the waters they are monitoring. Finally, these programs 

 also help citizens understand the difficulties faced by the scientific 

 community as it attempts to link water quality changes to impacts 

 on living resources. 



Citizen volunteers can easily learn how to collect environmental 

 data in estuarine and near coastal waters. In the Chesapeake Bay, 

 for example, an established citizen monitoring program has 

 demonstrated that trained volunteers can collect data that are 

 technically defensible. Citizen volunteers working in the 

 Chesapeake Bay have responded to irregular events such as 

 storms, algal blooms, and fish kills faster than government agen- 

 cies. They have also provided greater geographical coverage than 

 government agency monitoring programs. tVloreover, citizens can 

 collect useful and low-cost environmental data, while at the same 

 time involving the public in working to solve estuarine environmen- 

 tal problems. 



A Useful Tool 



F1 



