About Us
Polluted stormwater runoff is responsible for 60% of our nation's
water bodies presently not meeting their classification; this is
also the case in Maine. Maine's urban streams are feeling the
impact of pollutants washed off city streets, urban yards and
parking lots. Many of the pollutants are the result of individual
actions taken throughout the community. As one fifth grader put it
"it is people pollution". To solve people pollution, the Think Blue
Partnership aims to change human behaviors throughout our community
in neighborhoods, business and municipal services.
Who we
are:
The ThinkBlueMaine partnership is comprised of the 28 regulated
stormwater municipalities, nested regulated entities, Soil & Water
Conservation Districts, State Planning Office, Maine DEP, and the
University of Maine Cooperative Extension working together to meet
permit requirements and to make Maine a better place to live. We
work statewide but also as four local clusters.
In 2006 the
Environmental Protection Agency recognized our efforts by awarding
us with an Environmental Merit Award. This annual award recognizes
outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant
contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural
resources.
What we've
done:
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Used focus groups & social marketing to
orchestrate a mass media campaign.
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Produced and funded mass media ads to promote
Clean Water.
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One cluster of communities developed
Good-housekeeping stormwater manual and training and then shared
with other clusters.
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Partnered with AmeriCorps, Portland Water
District, Maine DEP and Soil & Water Conservation Districts to
provide stormwater education to teachers and youth.
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Partnered with Maine DEP and a Governor's Intern
to change the way people manage their lawns.
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Partnered with local university engineering
departments to work with students to map storm drain systems
using GIS.
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Developed a display to reinforce mass media
effort for use at local events.
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Stenciled storm drains with local organizations
and groups. (Note that stenciling has been shown by U. of
Wisconsin as an effective method to educate people regarding
stormwater).
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Planned area wide Penobscot River Clean Up Day.
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Partnered with University of Maine Cooperative
Extension & Maine Department of Agriculture on lawn care
outreach efforts.
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Applied for EPA Environmental Education Grants.
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The MS4 clusters are in the process of
formalizing their relationship and incorporating (503C status).
This will insure the long term viability and commitment.
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Worked collaboratively with Maine DEP to develop
an area wide program for the beneficial use of storm drain
cleanings.
Innovative approaches:
We
have taken a number of unique steps to go beyond simply addressing
state and federal permit requirements. We have:
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Gone beyond federal requirements of informing
people to working to achieve behavior change.
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Applied social marketing principals to our
approach to outreach.
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Used
focus groups to determine our message and methods.
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Evaluated our efforts through phone & intercept
surveys.
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Been working together statewide and in local clusters to share
resources.
Funding for the original
thinkbluemaine.org website was provided, in part, by the Maine
Outdoor Heritage Fund - promoting recreation and conserving Maine's
special places, endangered species and important fish and wildlife
habitat; and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Ocean and
Coastal Resources Management, under the Coastal Zone Management Act
(CZMA) of 1972, as amended. The CZMA is administered in Maine
by the State Planning Office's Maine Coastal Program.
Technical assistance for the
original thinkbluemaine.org was provided by the University of Southern Maine Research Computing Group and
Aquarion Engineering Services. |
