About Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development
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| Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development educators work with many partners on land use issues. Shown are St. Croix County CRD Agent Jim Janke, right, and Dave Fodrczi, county planning director. |
Teaming Up with Communities to Meet Their Challenges
Helping Communities Meet Local Challenges
University of Wisconsin-Extension programs in Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development (CNRED) help Wisconsin communities deal with their own unique challenges. These include:
- Land use and smart
growth initiatives
- Natural resource and
water quality issues
- Local government operations
and finance
- Economic development
including labor force issues
- Community decision-making
and leadership issues
Backed by University of Wisconsin research, CNRED educators work with local governments, civic organizations, businesses and community leaders to help people identify critical local concerns, set goals and work on solutions.
Natural resource and environmental educators work with teachers and students, environmental and conservation groups and businesses that rely on the state’s water and land resources.
An Eye to Our Future
Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development programs are carefully designed to achieve specific outcomes for communities.
- Enhance local decisions
based on knowledge of implications and broad public involvement
- Help people adopt environmentally
and economically efficient practices
- Enhance community and economic diversity with strong local, trusted leadership
Stronger Leadership, Stronger Communities
Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development educators and programs strengthen communities in a variety of ways. They:
- Provide access to knowledge,
organizing skills, linkage to information and resource networks that address
locally-important issues,
- Enhance processes for
strategic thinking to support local decision making.
- Enhance knowledge of
options for development and regulations affecting situations.
- Provide resource-based
information that can come from interdisciplinary analysis.
- Introduce best management
practice adoption.
- Offer educative support to organizations and government that promotes efficiency and effectiveness.
What People Say About Us“One of the most important features of the university’s role in our land use plan was the emphasis on the process of meaningful public involvement. It helped us fill in a lot of questions. This process would never have occurred without the university connection.”
“UW-Extension’s workshop on barn preservation encouraged me to reuse barns, and it inspired me.”
“As a result of attending UW-Extension’s Restoring Shoreland Habitats workshop, I will be planting small shrubs and trees along the bank of my lakefront property. Shoreline vegetation creates a buffer zone to protect the quality of the water.”
“Wisconsin Extension programs in Solid and Hazardous Waste Education are the envy of neighboring states.”
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About Cooperative Extension in Wisconsin
Cooperative Extension is part of the University of Wisconsin System and a division of University of Wisconsin-Extension. Cooperative Extension helps people throughout the state acquire knowledge and skills to …
- Solve problems in their
businesses.
- Improve their local
governments and neighborhoods.
- Enhance the quality
of their families’ lives.
- Use natural resources
responsibly.
- Help their children
grow and learn.
Extension people work in partnership with people in county, state, federal, and tribal governments; community organizations; volunteers; business; and industry. With faculty in every county and on UW-campuses, Cooperative Extension gives Wisconsin citizens quick and convenient access to University research and knowledge.
Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development is one of the Cooperative Extension programs. Others include Family Living, 4-H Youth Development, and Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Go to the Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development Homepage