Developing environmental report cards

12 Dec 2012Conference

Corvallis, Oregon

Bill Dennison

Chesapeake Bay report card

Chesapeake Bay Program indicators

• In 2005, there were 101 indicators; mixed ‘state’ and ‘response’ indicators

• No hierarchy or combined indices

• Presented as stand alone style - didn’t tell a complete story

• Long lag time between monitoring and indicator availability

• Often with poor spatial representation

Current list of Chesapeake Bay Program indicators as they appear on the website

Chesapeake Bay report card developed

Chesapeake Bay report card

Environmental report cards identify ecological tipping points

Citizen scientists increasingly involved in regional report cards

Innovations in governance: CompStat

• CompStat developed in New York City in 1995• Jack Maple, William Bratton• Crime reductions• Spread to other cities

Innovations in governance: CitiStat• CitiStat developed in Baltimore in 2000• Mayor Martin O’Malley• Crime reductions, absentee reductions, improved city services

BayStat: Developed for Chesapeake Bay

• BayStat developed in Maryland in 2006• Gov. Martin O’Nalley• Chesapeake Bay nutrient reductions• Timely, accurate intelligence shared by all

Five steps for reporting

Createconceptual framework

Chooseindicators

Definethresholds

Calculatescorecard

Communicateresults

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

Step 1: Create conceptual framework

Step 2: Choose indicatorsthat convey meaningful ecological information and can be measured

reliably

Step 3: Define thresholdsand reporting regions to establish environmental benchmarks and spatial

details

Step 4: Calculate scorecardfor dissemination to decision-makers, resource managers, and interested

public

Chesapeake Bay report card

Step 5: Communicate resultseffectively through mass media with supporting material in technical or

web-based venues

Great Barrier Reef Report Card• Pressure – state – response indicators• Response indicators reported by industry

sectors (canegrowers, farmers, graziers)

Environmental report cards can be a tool within a broader environmental campaign

Why do environmental report cards work?

• Peer pressure is a powerful human motivator

• Educational report cards are a common experience

• Report cards synthesize large amounts of data