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VISIONS II: What lies ahead for ERF?
Linda Schaffner, Past President
linda@vims.edu
The last formal strategic planning by the Estuarine Research Federation
took place during the early 1990s. A "Visions Report", published in the
October 1993 Newsletter, made numerous recommendations for strengthening
the Federation by extending our focus beyond estuaries to coasts,
wetlands and coastal waters; increasing member participation in the
organization; and increasing communication among members and between ERF,
other stakeholders, students and more.
Over the years since 1993, the Federation has grown significantly.
For example:
- Membership has increased by more than 60% and conference attendance
has doubled.
- The number of pages published in our journal Estuaries has tripled and
the journal has made the transition from paper to electronic format.
- Two new regional Affiliate Societies joined the Federation.
- We created four scientific awards to recognize outstanding achievements.
- We now have three special funds to support projects.
The growing numbers indicate important momentum toward our goals of
promoting estuarine and coastal research, management and public awareness
of these important ecosystems.
In Fall 2003, the ERF Governing Board restructured the way we "do business"
to incorporate regular strategic planning exercises. After identifying broad
strategic goals, we engaged in structured planning activities in the areas of
Affiliate Societies, Communications, Education, Fundraising, International
Activities, Membership and Policy.
The results of nearly two years of work on these topics were discussed with
the membership at a Town Hall Meeting held at the Biennial Conference on October
18, 2004. You shared your ideas with us on topics such as how to enhance
international participation in the Federation, how to best enhance the exchange
of technical information between scientists involved in research and those
involved in management and policy, and how to maintain steady membership
growth and enhance the diversity of the Federation.
We Welcome your Comments!
We are using feedback from members to guide us through a refinement of the draft
plan prior to implementing the specific strategies. We invite you to learn more
about the plan and potential activities in each area by reading the section
drafts below. Please feel free to contact us with feedback at any time by
filling out the comments form at the bottom of the page.
Visions II Section Drafts
Comment Form
Please tell us a little about yourself, so that we may better understand
the needs of our different constituencies.
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