Program Impacts

Economic Development

• Boosting downtown economic development in Wisconsin communities
  The combined effects of ailing downtowns, a struggling economy and reduced tourism have resulted in a loss of vitality in many Wisconsin communities. But specialists from Extension's Center for Community and Economic Development, working with partners like the Wisconsin Main Street Program and the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, have found compelling reasons for optimism.
• Laying the groundwork for new jobs and informed economic developmentLearn how an economic feasibility study conducted by CCED educators and partners led to the creation of the Northcentral Technical College's Wood Technology Center of Excellence -- and the potential for hundreds of new jobs in northern Wisconsin.
• Building a regional economy in Northeast Wisconsin (2 pages, 122 KB)
  After Wisconsin’s Fox Valley lost manufacturing jobs to industry closings and outsourcing, CNRED educators and partners engaged in an economic development study to raise awareness about the present economy and develop a strategy to create a vibrant regional economy.
• Wisconsin Inventor and Entrepreneur Clubs: Paving the way for innovation (2 pages)
  Inventor and Entrepreneur Clubs are becoming an important place for rural entrepreneurs to share ideas, get information and make connections with their peers. Community resource development educators from the Center for Community Economic Development (CCED) have provided crucial support and information for these clubs from the beginning -- helping the state's entrepreneurial spirit continue to flourish.
• Growing Wisconsin's Aquaculture Industry for the Global Marketplace (2 pages)
  Wisconsin aquaculture is poised to become a player in the expanding global marketplace. UW-Extension aquaculture specialists collaborate with partners to develop programs and provide services that support a healthy, productive and environmentally sound aquaculture industry.

  Natural Resources

• Clean Boats, Clean Waters: Working with boaters to proect Wisconsin lakes from aquatic invasive species
  More than 15,000 lakes dot the Wisconsin landscape, providing the state with prime economic, environmental and recreational resources. But the health and beauty of many lakes are being impaired by the presence of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Through the "Clean Boats, Clean Waters" program, UW-Extension Lakes staff train citizens how to increase AIS awareness in their communities and help protect their lakes for future generations.
• Wisconsin Lakes Under Siege: Learning How Local Citizens Perceive the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species
  Wisconsin lakes are under attack from aquatic invasive species (AIS) - hitchhikers from other places that threaten to crowd out native species. The way a local community responds to the presence of these invaders affects the success of efforts to control damage and protect water resources. Find out what these researchers discovered about the opinions of local residents in one Wisconsin county affected by AIS.
• Involving Local Citizens in Protecting Wisconsin's Waterways
  With more than 86,000 miles of streams and 15,000 lakes, monitoring the quality of Wisconsin's water is an enormous task. Read one way we help to protect Wisconsin's water resources by engaging local citizens in understanding how water ecosystems work and how people's activities on the land affect the state's waterways.
• Engaging Wisconsin Woodland Owners
• Bringing 3 Billion Years of State History to a Highway Near You
  Many state residents enjoy exploring the natural world, and marvel over marine fossils as they hike or streamlined hills as they go by on family outings. While a vast scientific literature exists on the geology of Wisconsin, nothing was compiled as an easy-to-understand quick reference for curious travelers. So when Mountain Press Publishing Co. put forth a request to write the Wisconsin edition in their Roadside Geology series, UW-Madison/Extension geologists who had long recognized the need took up the challenge of describing more than 3 billion years of geologic formation and landscape change along major highways.
• Fostering Safer Practices for Manure
  Manure application firms are major partners in regulatory requirements. They were able to improve their professionalism and ethics, and develop a standard code of conduct through the use of a UW-Extension interagency-industry collaboration to train and sustain new firms.
• Mapping Bedrock Geology for Sustainable Three-dimensional Planning
• Mapping glacial Lake Oshkosh for comprehensive land use planning
• Protecting and Restoring Northern Wisconsin Shorelines
  UW-Extension formed a partnership to develop The Burnett County Natural Shorelines Program, which has led to successful preservation and restoration projects on over 507 properties, demonstrating that recreational use of lakes and rivers can be balanced with natural beauty, aquatic and wildlife habitats, and water quality.
• Tracking and Regulating Natural Arsenic to Ensure Drinking Water Safety
  DNR staff worked in Southeast Wisconsin with UW-Extension outreach specialist Madeline B. Gotkowitz, hydrogeologist with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS), and UW-Madison assistant professor of environmental sciences.
• Involving Local Citizens in Protecting Wisconsin Waterways
  With more than 86,000 miles of streams and 15,000 lakes, monitoring the quality of Wisconsin's water resources is an enormous task. One way to help protect these resources is by engaging local citizens in understanding how water ecosystems work and how people's activities on the land affect the state's waterways.

Leadership and Organizational Development

• Strengthening leadership skills and networks in Southwest Wisconsin
  CNRED responded to the need for more volunteer leaders with the Community Leadership Alliance of Southwest Wisconsin, which helps leaders build the skills, confidence, resources and networks needed to succeed in improving community life.

Strengthening Local Government

• Providing fiscal information to local governments: UW-Extension Local Government Center
  The state budget process and any proposed changes are made more transparent to local officials through communication between CNRED county educators and UW-Extension Local Government Center.
• Superior Days: A Grass Roots Approach to Community Development
  For over 20 years, Superior Days has allowed citizens of Superior and Douglas County to directly communicate their concerns to state government, fostering citizen capacity, developing local leadership and allowing communities to work toward common goals and influence public policy.

Top | Return to CNRED home