PARENT SESSION
Symposium #11: Using Ecology to Build Sustainable Ecosystems: Approaches, Pitfalls and Successes.

Organized by: L Jackson, M Barber, and CM Pringle
Tuesday, August 6. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Leo Rich Theatre.

Governments enact land use policies developed by ecology and law students to protect aquatic biota.

FOWLER, LAURIE^*,1, ¹ University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

ABSTRACT- The University of Georgia has developed a service learning initiative whereby graduate students and faculty from various disciplines work together to develop polices to avoid/reduce impacts of development on aquatic ecosystems. The group focuses its efforts on the rapidly developing Upper Etowah River Watershed, north of Atlanta, which supports federally protected endemic aquatic species. Segments of the river fail to meet their designated uses under the Clean Water Act. UGA's involvement was prompted by requests from diverse stakeholders for information on how to manage growth. Among the first projects was the consolidation and expansion of this constituency by creating a multi-jurisdictional watershed organization which develops "best practice" demonstration projects and educational programs and resources. This group nominates projects for UGA students to tackle. For example, a planning director asked to what extent conservation subdivisions could be used to protect biodiversity and water quality and how local governments could promote them. Through literature reviews and interviews, a team of ecology and law students quantified environmental and economic benefits of conservation subdivisions, identified impediments to their development, and drafted an ordinance providing incentives for their use. Subsequent to the adoption of the students' ordinance, eleven conservation subdivisions have been approved in the county. Students are now developing criteria to evaluate to what extent ecological functions are being provided by these subdivisions. Likewise, policies on water withdrawals, protection of greenspace, and interbasin transfers have been informed by the students' work.

KEY WORDS: service learning, watershed protection, aquatic biodiversity, stakeholder involvement