One Written 

 Information Paper 



Public Meetings 



Information fuels the public participation program; people who are 

 uninformed or misinformed cannot participate effectively. The 

 estuary program has an obligation to provide information about why 

 the program is being conducted, what its goals are, what problems 

 it is trying to address, the progress it is making and, ultimately, 

 what sorts of solutions it is proposing. 



Generally, the public will be less interested in organizational details 

 than in what substantive issues are being examined, how much 

 money is being spent, and who may be affected. Citizens will be 

 interested, for example, in the causes of the problem and possible 

 solutions. But details about which federal or state agencies and 

 departments are involved will not engage them. Relevance to the 

 audience should be the guide. 



Capturing public attention is the goal. If the estuary's problems are 

 interesting, pertinent, and controversial, the media will cover them. 

 Most organizations have their own information pieces, such as 

 newsletters, and they often sponsor conferences. Take advantage 

 of all these. Contacting the media regularly, preparing short arti- 

 cles for organizational newsletters, and speaking at conferences 

 and workshops are effective communications tools. 



In addition, the estuary program needs a vehicle to deliver its 

 message directly to its target audiences. Newsletters, bulletins, fact 

 sheets, and issue papers are commonly used. The logo and format 

 should be distinctive and identifiable with the estuary program. 

 Newsletters should be nontechnical and fairly short. Six or eight 

 pages of well-written material every two or three months can be 

 extremely effective. Printing and mailing are costly, so careful 

 planning is essential. Do not allow newsletters, bulletins, or fact 

 sheets to substitute for personal contact. 



Opportunities to provide information and interact personally with 

 interested citizens occur frequently at organizational meetings, 

 special workshops, and conferences. Exploit these opportunities 

 fully. The slide presentation can become the core of a traveling road 

 show to publicize the estuary program. 



Public meetings fall under two categories: regularly scheduled 

 meetings of organized groups, to which Conference repre- 

 sentatives are invited to speak, and meetings that the Conference 

 organizes. The former are, by far, the wiser use of time. Dozens of 

 organization meetings can be attended in the same time it takes to 

 organize a Conference-sponsored meeting. Other organizations' 

 meetings have another advantage. Conference representation 

 conveys how important it is for the group to participate in the 

 estuary program. The Conference substantially expands its out- 

 reach potential by meeting people on their turf. 



B8 



