Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2009ME163B

Regional Pilot to Reduce Stormwater Polluting Behaviors through Social Marketing as an Environmental Education Tool in the Bangor Urbanized Area

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2009 Start Date: 2009-03-01 End Date: 2010-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $13,483 Total Non-Federal Funds: $18,589

Principal Investigators: Scott Wilkerson, Laura Wilson

Project Summary: Moving citizens to make individual, voluntary decisions to change personal polluting behaviors to stormwater-friendly ones is one of the most critical and yet challenging components of the effort to address stormwater pollution in the Bangor Urbanized Area. Building on successful stormwater outreach and education efforts of the Bangor Area Storm Water Group (BASWG), this project will partner the BASWG and University of Maine Cooperative Extension to link awareness and knowledge about stormwater pollution to action through social marketing efforts. This project will support the planning,implementation and evaluation of carefully selected social marketing best management practices designed to reduce stormwater pollution in the region. The project partners will develop a five-year regional social marketing plan designed move citizens to act on their awareness of stormwater polluting lawncare behaviors and change how they maintain their lawns in the communities that comprise the Bangor Urbanized Area. The plan will include evaluation of newly adopted behavior change pilot projects and assessment of the cumulative effect of individuals taking positive steps to improve water quality in the region through environmentally-friendly lawncare practices.