The CHNEP is a partnership that protects the estuaries and watersheds from Venice to Bonita Springs to Winter Haven. This partnership gives citizens, elected officials, resource managers, and commercial and recreational resource users in the 4,700-square-mile study area a voice to address diverse resource management concerns including fish and wildlife habitat loss, water quality and water flow. The watershed in the study area includes all or parts of Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Polk, Hardee and DeSoto counties.
Educational collage drawn by Shelly Castle.
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
1926 Victoria Ave
Fort Myers, Florida 33901
239/338-2556 ~ toll free 866/835-5785
Fax 239/338-2560
www.CHNEP.org
Program Staff
Lisa Beever, Ph.D., Director
Extension 235 * lbeever@swfrpc.org
Liz Donley, Deputy Director
Extension 234 * ldonley@swfrpc.org
Maran Brainard Hilgendorf, Communications Manager
Extension 240 * mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org
Judy Ott, Program Scientist
Extension 230 * jott@swfrpc.org
If you aren't sure who to contact, send your email to:
A brief description of each staff member's work experiences is available.
Internships are often available.
Program Scientist: Catherine Corbett's last day with CHNEP was May 2, 2009. She left to work for a sister National Estuary Program -- the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership in Portland, Oregon. She has been with CHNEP since February 2000. Catherine has made significant contributions and will be sorely missed. On July 1, 2009, Judy Ott accepted the position as the CHNEP program scientist.
The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program is funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 through a cooperative agreement.
EPA Project Officer
Bob Howard U.S. EPA, Region 4 Wetlands, Coastal, and Water Quality Branch
61 Forsyth St, Atlanta, GA 30303
404/562-9370, Fax 404/562-9343
Review Procedures followed for CHNEP Projects, Products, Grants and Contracts
Approved November 16, 2009
Introduction
The following procedures are used by the CHNEP to review project proposals, grant applications, publications, and project deliverables. Documents are reviewed for their consistency with the CCMP, project goals, technical accuracy and professional quality. Funding agencies which direct funds contributed to specific projects are given the opportunity to review and approve draft scopes of work and draft deliverables prior to approval.
Assistance with technical review is requested from experts in specific topics and TAC subcommittees as needed. Review comments are compiled and summarized by staff. The Management Conference reviews and accepts or approves final documents as appropriate. Reviewers are recognized annually for their assistance evaluating and improving CHNEP documents.
CHNEP Reports
Many of the reports produced by the CHNEP are initiated by the Program Director. Staff and members of the Management Conference are asked to help develop and review the final products. These reports include such things as annual work plans and the state of the watershed. These reports are considered by the Management Conference before they are published.
Public Outreach Grants
To further the partnership to protect and restore the greater Charlotte Harbor estuarine system and watershed, each year since 1999 (with FY2000 funds) the CHNEP offers Public Outreach Grants up to $3,000 to Florida citizens, organizations, businesses, government agencies, schools, colleges and universities. Successful applications help implement the CCMP.
Submitting an application is a two-step process. Draft applications are reviewed by the Communications Manager with comments provided to the applicant in hopes of increasing their chances of receiving funding. The final applications are reviewed by the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Grants Committee and, since 2005, made available to others by posting it on the FTP site. Other members of the Management Conference are asked to provide comments for the CAC Grants Committee’s consideration.
The CAC Grants Committee’s recommendations are considered by the CAC then by the Program Director. Prior to 2005, the CAC Grants Committee’s recommendations were considered by each of the four committees of the Management Conference. Projects and reports completed as a result of this funding are reviewed by the Communications Manager and the Program Director. Final products and reports are posted at www.CHNEP.org.
Micro-Grants
Since 2002, the CHNEP has offered "micro" grants, usually up to $250, to help forge partnerships and increase awareness with those who may not otherwise learn about the CHNEP, its partnerships throughout the watershed, and the CCMP. The grants also help the Program "establish and maintain environmental education efforts" with organizations, educational centers, government agencies and others, an activity that the CAC ranked as a high priority action item to help fulfill the CCMP.
These grants are available throughout the year by completing an online form found at www.CHNEP.org.
Applications are reviewed by the Communications Manager with funding decisions made by the Program Director. Projects and reports completed as a result of this funding are reviewed by the Communications Manager and the Program Director. Final products and reports are posted at www.CHNEP.org.
Harbor Happenings, the CHNEP quarterly newsletter
Since the spring of 1997, the CHNEP has published this free quarterly newsletter to provide information about the “happenings” in the CHNEP study area that help implement the CCMP. The number of subscribers varies with each issue. As of the fall 2009 issue, 8,000 copies were mailed and another 3,000 were distributed by centers and libraries and at events. The newsletters are also available as PDF files at www.CHNEP.org, with links to additional information, and Spanish translations are posted on the website. The CHNEP encourages everyone to submit articles or article ideas. The Communications Manager is the editor of this newsletter.
CHNEP Calendar
Since 2005, the CHNEP has published an annual calendar of donated images that depict the beauty of the natural environment The Communications Manager is the editor of this item. Staff and members of the Management Conference are asked to help develop and review the final product.
CHNEP Outreach Materials
In addition to the outreach materials described above, the CHNEP publishes a diversity of materials from brochures to videos to releases. The Communications Manager is often the writer/editor/producer of these items, but staff and members of the Management Conference are asked to help develop and review the final product.
Technical Work Plan Projects
For projects included in CHNEP annual work plans, project purposes and conceptual designs are developed by staff, with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed, followed by approval from the Management Conference. Depending on the scale of the projects, requests for verbal quotes ($2,500 - $10,000) or written quotes ($10,000 - $25,000) are developed by staff and approved by the Program Director.
Requests for Proposals (RFPs) (>$25,000) are developed by staff with assistance from technical experts as needed and approved by the Program Director as well as the Management Conference if requested. Proposals solicited through verbal and written quotes are evaluated and selected by staff with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed and final selection and funding are approved by the Program Director.
Projects solicited through RFPs are evaluated and ranked by a TAC subcommittee with assistance from technical experts as needed, and final project selection and funding are approved by the Management Conference. Scopes of Work (SOWs) and contracts are developed by staff and project managers with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed.
Final SOWs are approved by the Program Director as well as by the Management Conference as requested. Project deliverables are reviewed and evaluated by staff with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed, followed by final approved from the Management Conference.
Research and Restoration Partners Projects (RRPPs)
Annually, as funding is available, an RFP for RRPPs is developed by staff and approved by the Management Conference. RRPP Proposals are reviewed by a TAC subcommittee. The subcommittee members are identified and receive the proposals for review. Subcommittee members submit written requests for clarification and additional information to staff who compile the requests and forward them to the authors. Authors submit written responses to the requests. The subcommittee meets to evaluate and rank the proposals (without the authors present). Staff compiles a summary of the subcommittee rankings (without individual subcommittee member rankings). The Management Conference approves the final RRPP ranking, selection and funding. SOWs and contracts are developed by staff and project managers and are approved by the Program Director. RRPP deliverables are reviewed and evaluated by staff with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed, with final approved by the Management Conference.
Workshop and Conference Proceedings and Reports
Workshop and conference agendas, abstracts and presentations are posted on the CHNEP website. RFPs for proceedings of technical workshops and conferences are developed by staff and approved by the Management Conference. Proposals are evaluated by staff with assistance from a TAC subcommittee as needed. The final vender selection and funding is approved by Management Conference. SOWs are developed by staff and project managers and approved by the Program Director. Workshop and conference proceedings and reports are reviewed and evaluated by staff with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed, followed by approved from the Management Conference.
Technical Journal Special Issue Publications
The project purpose and conceptual design (including peer review procedure requirements) for technical journal special issue publications are developed by staff with assistance from technical experts and a TAC subcommittee as needed, followed by approval from the Management Conference. Requests for quotes are developed by staff and approved by the Program Director.
Technical journal publication proposals are evaluated by staff and a TAC subcommittee as needed. Final selection and funding of the vender is approved by the Management Conference.
SOWs and contracts are developed by staff and project managers, followed by approved from the Program Director. Articles contributed for consideration to be included in the special journal issue are reviewed, evaluated and accepted according to procedures used by the specific journal, as described in the SOW and contract. The names of potential reviewers are submitted by the article authors and reviews are coordinated by the journal editors. Reviewers for the technical journal articles are formally recognized by CHNEP.