N a t ur a l Y a r d C a r e Comparison and Evaluation of Regional Programs

Project Sponsor

Snohomish County Public Works Department Surface Water Division

in collaboration with North Puget Sound STORM* partners:

Arlington, Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek,

Mountlake Terrace, Monroe, Mukilteo, and Snohomish; and South Puget Sound STORM partner:

City of Olympia *STormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities

FY 2013 Municipal Stormwater Grant of Regional or Statewide Significance

offered by the Water Quality Program

Washington State Department of Ecology Olympia, Washington

Federal ID: 91-6001368

Suzi Wong Swint Snohomish County Public Works, Surface Water Management

3000 Rockefeller Avenue, MS 607 | Everett WA 98201 swswint@snoco.org | (425) 388-6476

ABSTRACT Affecting behavior change is the consummate but frequently elusive goal of community outreach. Affecting such change takes time and requires significant resources and continuous program adaptation. This project proposes to fast-track this process across the Puget Sound region by comparing and evaluating two distinctively different storm water management outreach and education approaches specific to Natural Yard Care practices targeting homeowners. North Puget Sound partner communities will conduct multi-session lecture series, while South Puget Sound partners will host small group workshops which combine backyard demonstrations with personal garden coaching. A rigorous evaluation component will identify the approach and individual program elements yield the best rate of new behavior adoption and largest return on public investment. This information will help jurisdictions refine their programming to affect the desired behavioral change in the most cost effective means available. Comparison of programs and evaluation of their effectiveness has regional significance, as many across the Puget Sound region already implement some type of Natural Yard Care program or plan to make one available. This project will also help fulfill requisite Western Washington Phase I and II 2013 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Stormwater Permit outreach and education requirements for the fifteen participating jurisdictions (Permittees).

WORK PLAN 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this project is twofold: 1) to identify effective Natural Yard Care outreach and education program strategies and their individual elements, which bring about the greatest behavioral change among residents, and 2) to evaluate the benefits perceived in relation to the cost of delivery. This project builds on prior Natural Yard Care outreach and education program success by incorporating a robust evaluation component and leveraging multiple partners. This performance-based approach will enable STORM members to further refine existing Natural Yard Care programming, or develop new programs which yield a higher return (in desired behavior) for resource investment. Project outcomes will also enable regional and statewide jurisdictions, networking with STORM, to make more informed decisions around natural yard care program development and adaptation.

Chemical-dependent yard care practices are a systemic problem that contributes to environmental and human health issues. Heedless overuse of pesticides and nutrients poses a direct risk to children, pets, and beneficial insects and birds. These contaminants also impact aquatic life; leaching into groundwater, lakes, streams and rivers; many of which support threatened and endangered species of Pacific salmon. Such chemical cocktails show up regularly in water quality tests across the Puget Sound region, the state and beyond. Scientists have found more than 35 different pesticides in Northwest region streams, 16 of them in amounts above safety standards for fish1. Excess nutrients, such as inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, are the second largest cause of water impairment for our nation’s rivers and streams2. Locally, more than ten thousand tons of inorganic nitrogen and total phosphorus are being fed into our region’s major rivers and Puget Sound.3 Residential homeowner over-application of lawn fertilizers is contributing to excess nutrient loading in Puget Sound. Typical application rates are equivalent to 130 – 170 pounds per acre; approximately three times the recommended rate of 50 pounds per acre for pasture.4

Chemically treating gardens and lawns has become the norm and this practice is relatively unregulated. The near-term benefits perceived, however, come at the high cost of long-term water quality and habitat degradation. This is exemplified across Puget Sound watersheds by noncompliance with federal Clean Water Act-directed, state-defined, water quality standards. Watersheds within Snohomish County and City of Olympia jurisdictions have water bodies

1 Washington Toxics Coalition Fact Sheet – partially funded by the WA Department of Ecology. Pesticide is defined as any substance intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate pests. Examples common to residential use include herbicide, insecticide, molluscicide, fungicide, antimicrobial. 2 U.S. EPA My WATERS Mapper, nutrient impairments layer details, http://watersgeo.epa.gov/mwm/. 3 USGS Fact Sheet FS-009-98, March 1998, http://wa.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/fs.009-98/. 4 Embry and Inkpen,1998.

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identified by the state as “impaired”; 303(d)-listed, having or needing a TMDL, and in some cases, having NPDES permit-mandated water quality improvement actions5.

Tackling this kind of non-point water pollution issues presents particular challenge for government. Outreach and education are crucial elements, by improving general understanding and working to engender behavior change. NPDES Permit compliance is fostering this necessity by requiring that jurisdictions implement Stormwater Management (SWM) Program public outreach and education activities “designed to reduce or eliminate behaviors and practices that cause or contribute to adverse stormwater impacts and encourage the public to participate in stewardship activities”. NPDES Permittees may accomplish this requirement through SWM programming which:

• Builds public awareness of stormwater impacts upon surface waters, • Effects behavior change among residents by promoting targeted BMPs, such as yard care techniques protective

of water quality, • Creates stewardship opportunities by encouraging participation in education activities, and • Measures behavior change with targeted BMPs and adapt programming accordingly.6

Across the nation, Natural Yard Care best management practices (BMPs) have been proven effective with improving garden health and protecting water quality. The sixteen participating Permittees have identified residential Natural Yard Care as the NPDES Permit, public outreach and education subject for this performance measurement. In addition to meeting this NPDES Permit requirement, the program delivery will emphasize program delivery in areas with 303(d)-listed and TMDL-specific water bodies.

2. DESCRIPTION Two distinctively different Natural Yard Care program delivery strategies will be implemented and evaluated to reveal which program and individual program elements yield the best rate of new behavior adoption and largest return on investment. The strategies are: 1) Lecture Series being presented in North Sound (Snohomish County) communities and 2) Hands-on Workshops being conducted in South Sound (Olympia) neighborhoods. Behavioral change being measured for effectiveness will be selected from the five Steps to Natural Yard Care: Build Healthy Soil, Plant Right for Your Site, Smart Watering, Rethink Pesticide Use, and Natural Lawn Care. The target audience for study will be single family homeowners residing in urban and suburban areas and having lot sizes 2-acre or less.

Each of these two program strategies has been tried and well received within their respective communities. Each program is ready to implement by an experienced team. For example, partnership commitments and project management controls are in place, a selection of vetted educators and specialists is available, target audience recruitment plans are complete, selection is currently underway for a contracted performance measurement specialist, and project sponsor, Snohomish County, has a streamlined grant contract execution protocol in effect.

This project is of regional significance in that many jurisdictions across the Puget Sound region currently implement a variation on one of these Natural Yard Care program strategies, or plan to in future. Few programs, if any, have undergone a rigorous performance-based evaluation or have compared their overall approach with that of another, entirely different approach. This project provides a valuable opportunity to investigate the level of behavioral change each approach may promote, assess participant feedback with individual program elements, compare documented benefits with cost, engage numerous NPDES Permittees in program implementation and information and cost-sharing, and disseminate findings regionally through web-based and STORM networking and symposium presentation opportunities.

Engaged Partners Information Committee (EPIC) and Project Duration To maximize organizational learning, participating jurisdictions will be encouraged to participate in regular conversation and information-sharing throughout the project timeframe. This Engaged Partners Information Committee (EPIC) is being coordinated and facilitated by Snohomish County and will be convened for the overall project duration (December

5 Monitoring indicators of nutrient impairment may include phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia and ammonia nitrogen. The North and South Sound project areas having or needing a TMDL for any of these indicators include: Puget Sound, Deschutes River, Snohomish River Estuary, Stillaguamish River Watershed, and Snoqualmie River. Examples of relevant water bodies include Loma Lake, Ballinger Lake, Snohomish Estuary, and Stillaguamish River in Snohomish County, and Budd Inlet and shoreline perimeter, Deschutes River, Capital Lake, and Percival Creek in Olympia. 6 NPDES Permit requirement paragraph S5.C.1.c/ S5.C.10.c.

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2013 – February 2016). This timeframe encompasses the grant period of performance, December 2013 through January 2015. It also extends beyond grant contract closure, to February 2016; at which time, in accordance with NPDES Permit requirements, program performance measurement must be complete, BMP adoption conclusions available, and their results be used to most effectively direct subsequent education and outreach resources. Participating jurisdictions will share the direct cost projected for beyond grant contract closure. EPIC conversations will focus on issues of mutual interest and concern, such as:

• Meeting these NPDES section S5.C.1.c/S5.C.10.c permit requirements, • Conducting meaningful program performance measurement, • Tools for strategically targeting a program audience, • Weighing in on program benefits versus cost, • Networking and cost sharing for maximum value, • Show and Tell – how and where to find program BMPs, practitioners and speakers, top venues, etc., and • Lessons Learned (beyond Natural Yard Care) – performance measurement, networking, and cost-sharing.

Project Element Detail North Sound Program Strategy - Lecture Series Snohomish County and partnering municipalities will conduct Natural Yard Care lecture series for up to 525 individuals from single-family households. Lecture series will be conducted at a total of seven locations across Snohomish County during the 2014 spring and fall season. The spring lecture series will be held in three locations (nine evenings overall). The fall lecture series will be held in four locations (twelve evenings overall). This strategy employs a “classroom” model, with up to 75 participants per series primarily receiving information, supplemented with opportunities to observe demonstrations and occasionally engage in activities. Invitations will be extended to homeowners from incorporated and unincorporated areas not previously served by this program. Participants will be encouraged to attend the entire lecture series, which involves three, 2-hour, mid-week evening sessions. Each evening in a lecture series will typically cover two topics, for a total of six different Natural Yard Care subject areas. Lecturers will be selected from a pool of knowledgeable specialists known effective communicating the targeted behaviors effectively to suburban and urban audiences. The six topic areas include: Natural Lawn Care, Building Healthy Soil, Sustainable Landscape Design, Right Plant/Right Place, Smart Watering, and Natural Pest, Weed and Disease Control.

Each lecture series will target a selected community or neighborhood. The selection process will pay particular attention to areas having state-acknowledged “impaired” or TMDL water bodies. Participant recruitment will be customized toward localized issues (rural, suburban or urban and particular water quality concerns). Venues will also be as centrally located within the target area as possible for ease of access and to encourage dissemination of Natural Yard Care BMPs among neighbors. Each evening lecture will include either a small-scale, hands-on activity or demonstration to reinforce the evening’s BMP topic. Examples include evaluation of soil texture, composting demonstration, native plants show and tell, beneficial insect identification. Also, Washington State University Master Gardener volunteers will be on-hand each evening. These volunteers are trained in Natural Yard Care techniques and will support speakers by fielding questions before sessions, during breaks, and at the conclusion of each evening.

South Sound Program Strategy: Hands-On Workshops The City of Olympia is conducting small group, natural lawn care workshops for up to 180 individual, single-family households in predetermined target neighborhood locations. Groups of no more than eighteen persons from unique households will receive personalized lawn coaching and participate in hands-on, backyard demonstrations. This strategy seeks to affect neighborhood-wide behavior change by targeting specific neighborhoods within the Deschutes and/or Budd Inlet watershed; these being identified as having “impaired” TMDL water bodies. Further, potential participants will be screened to ensure they currently use chemical lawn fertilizer products and agree to adhere to lawn coaching recommendations and maintain a log of their lawn care activities. Also, a minimum number of participants per neighborhood is being required so as to maximize the benefit among each target area. Recruitment methods will be via mail and email to previous participants in City-sponsored neighborhood lawn aeration, grasscycling, and water conservation incentive programs. In addition, applicants are encouraged to recruit neighbors so that their neighborhood qualifies for program participation. This strategy represents a more active, experiential approach than the North Sound, classroom model. On the other hand, the breadth of reach is narrower and the cost per participant cost higher. Homeowners are required to sign a participation agreement stipulating they will provide

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detailed information on their yard, participate in a 1-hour long, neighborhood group, hands-on BMP demonstration session, accept individual lawn coaching, follow coaching recommendations, report lawn care actions for one summer season, and participate in a fall BMPs debriefing.

Comparison, Evaluation and Dissemination Snohomish County, as the evaluation lead, will contract with an independent, specialist to provide comparison and evaluation expertise. The County and evaluation specialist will work closely with a select group (including Olympia’s South Sound program manager), technically knowledgeable about Natural Yard Care BMPs, to develop evaluation goals and objectives, select BMPs for measurement, and develop specific questions for each survey instrument. The Engaged Partners Information Committee (EPIC) will be invited to comment on draft evaluation materials. Components of this work will include baseline and follow-up reference surveys, lecture series and workshop participant survey, and follow-up participant survey for Natural Yard Care BMP behavior adoption. Specifics involve: • Baseline and Reference Survey - information will be gathered from individuals at random to help identify current

yard care behavior trends, serve as a analysis control, and detect statistically significant differences in adoption of Natural Yard Care BMPs with each program strategy. A mailing with web survey link will be distributed within the North and South Sound study areas prior to program implementation and again following conclusion of programming.

• Lecture series and workshop surveys - participant will be encouraged to complete a questionnaire at the start and conclusion of events to document impressions of featured topics and provide feedback on individual session elements.

• Follow-up survey - participants will be encouraged to complete a questionnaire exploring levels of adoption of Natural Yard Care BMPs and barriers to behavior change. This will be conducted approximately eight months after completion of the lecture series and workshops, at the close of the 2015 growing season.

• Analysis of information gathered will assess each program strategy for overall effectiveness (behavioral change outcomes, cost, marketing strategy, etc.), identify from participant feedback the strengths and weaknesses of individual program elements (topic areas, approach, speakers/coaches, etc.), and forecast return on investment scenarios with differing program scenarios.

Dissemination of information among project partners will occur principally through regular EPIC conversations. Near-term comparison and evaluation of findings will be presented to the EPIC near closure of the grant timeframe. Regional dissemination of project information will occur via project manager briefings at the STORM Annual Symposium, held each November. This year, project STORM representatives will communicate the project methodology and propose online opportunities for broadcast to NPDES Permittee education and outreach practitioners progress, finding and lessons learned with this multijurisdictional endeavor. At the 2014 Symposium, project STORM representatives will convey near-term findings and preliminary conclusions drawn from lecture series and workshop surveys. At the 2015 Symposium (post-grant), project STORM representatives will present analysis of individual strategy performance, benefit:cost information and various return of investment scenarios. Feedback and recommendations from STORM members will be incorporated into the final project report; distributed to participating organizations, funding partners, and made available regionally and beyond using STORM and identified web-sources.

2.1 Objectives The key project objective is to help fifteen jurisdictions collectively meet their respective NPDES Permit requirements (S5.C.1 or S5.C.10). Another key objective is to increase Permittee understanding around:

• Employment of performance-based measurement and benefit:cost analysis with Natural Yard Care (and other) program resource decision-making,

• Cost-sharing as a means of increasing program impact, • Ways to target program delivery more consciously, • Experimenting with various methods of inspiring Natural Yard Care behavior change among homeowners, and • Developing an evaluation plan that has statistical significance.

This opportunity to pursue grant funding has already proven successful by: • prompting multi-jurisdictional collaboration and cost-sharing with North Sound program delivery, • inspiring the rigorous comparison and evaluation component, and • promoting networking and organizational learning opportunities not previously considered.

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2.2 Activities and Tasks Table 1 summarizes principal project activity and task categories.

Activities & Tasks Lead(s) 1). Project and Grant Management

Task 1: EPIC Coordination Snohomish County Task 2: Grant & Consultant Contract Management Snohomish County Task 3: Fiscal Agent Snohomish County Task 4: Grant and Project Reporting Snohomish County

2). Comparison, Evaluation and Dissemination Task 1: Consultant Selection and Management Snohomish County Task 2: Evaluation Tool Development Snohomish County/ Evaluation Specialist Task 3: Baseline and Reference Survey Evaluation Specialist Task 4: Lecture Series & Workshop Surveys Evaluation Specialist Task 5: Follow-up Participant Survey (post-grant) Evaluation Specialist Task 6: Analysis and NPDES Reporting (near-term and post-grant) Snohomish County/ Evaluation Specialist Task 7: STORM Symposium Briefings Snohomish County

3). North Sound Lecture Series Task 1: Speaker Selection, Materials/Supplies Procurement Snohomish County Task 2: Speaker/Venue Scheduling Snohomish Conservation District Task 3: Lecture Series Promotion Snohomish County Task 4: Participant Registration Snohomish Conservation District Task 5: Lecture Series Facilitation Snohomish Conservation District Task 6: Program Reporting Snohomish County

4). South Sound Workshops Task 1: Coach Selection, Materials/Supplies Procurement City of Olympia Task 2: Workshop Promotion City of Olympia Task 3: Participant Screening/Registration City of Olympia Task 4: Workshop Facilitation City of Olympia/Coaches Task 5: Program Reporting City of Olympia

2.3 Outcomes Near-term outcomes are those with measurable results available during the project grant period of performance. Examples of these include the following.

• Establish collaborative, multi-jurisdictional partnerships in Snohomish County and in Olympia which implement Natural Yard Care programming designed to promote participant adoption of Natural Yard Care BMPs proven to reduce behaviors that contribute to adverse stormwater impacts.

• Develop a plan and tools for comparison and evaluation of the two distinctive programs being implemented. • Complete a statistically valid baseline analysis of participant existing awareness of and behaviors related to

Natural Yard Care issues and BMPs. • Obtain and assess participant perception of Natural Yard Care topics presented and feedback immediately

following presentation. • Disseminate project methodology, performance measurement tools and near-term findings using various

means; EPIC conversations, STORM networking and Annual Symposium presentations, WA Department of Ecology reporting, and web-based vehicles.

Long-term outcomes will become available at the close of the overall project timeframe, February 2016, following conclusion of this grant period of performance. A main, measurable outcome will be satisfaction by all fifteen jurisdictions of their respective NPDES S5.C.1 or S5.C.10 permit requirement. Additional long-term outcomes include:

• Demonstrable adoption of Natural Yard Care BMPs among program participants, and thus increased levels of water quality stewardship among residents. Specifics measurable may include the following, reported from participants:

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o Reduced nutrient loading and pesticide use, o Reduced water use, o Increased use of compost, o Increased use of native, drought-tolerant plant species, and o Increased grasscycling.

• Increase in understanding among NPDES Permitees around: o Employing performance-based measurement and benefit:cost analysis with program decision-making, o Cost-sharing as a means of increasing program impact, o Ways to target program delivery more consciously, o Experimenting with methods of inspiring Natural Yard Care behavior change among homeowners, and o Developing an evaluation plan that has statistical significance.

• Conscious refinement of existing program strategies to obtain higher levels of Natural Yard Care BMP adoption within the confines of organizational budgets (including information exchange and cost-sharing).

• Provision of consistent and unified Natural Yard Care BMP messaging across jurisdictions. • Leverage of community based social marketing (neighbors talking to neighbors), expanding program benefits via

demonstrated success and peer influence from participants.

2.4 Schedule The grant project period of performance represents the first, approximately 14-month phase of this overall, approximately 28-month long, NPDES Permit-based initiative. Table 2 illustrates the timeframe for each project activities and task category.

Table 2 Overall Project Timeframe Activities and Tasks Grant Period of Performance Timeframe

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 Month O/N D J F M A/M J/J A S/O N D J F M/M J/J A/S O/D J F

1). Project and Grant Management Task 1: EPIC Coordination Task 2: Grant Contract Management 6th 31st Task 3: Fiscal Agent Task 4: Grant and Project Reporting

2). Comparison, Evaluation, Dissemination Task 1: Consultant Selection/ Mgnt Task 2: Evaluation Tool Development Task 3: Baseline and Reference Survey Task 4: Lecture Series/Workshop Surveys Task 5: Follow-up Participant Survey Task 6: Analysis and NPDES Reporting Task 7: STORM Symposium Briefings

3). North Sound Lecture Series Task 1: Speaker Select, Materials/Supply Task 2: Speaker/Venue Scheduling Task 3: Lecture Series Promotion Task 4: Participant Registration Task 5: Lecture Series Facilitation Task 6: Program Reporting

4). South Sound Workshops Task 1: Coach Select, Materials/Supply Task 2: Workshop Promotion Task 3: Participant Screening/Reg Task 4: Workshop Facilitation Task 5: Program Reporting

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2.5 Deliverables Products from each of the four main activity groups are summarized as follows. Deliverables which will be made available to the WA Department of Ecology following the grant project timeframe are indicated with an (*). As noted previously, these products will be distributed to participating organizations, funding partners, and made available regionally and beyond using STORM and identified web-sources.

• Activity 1: Project and Grant Management o Quarterly and final grant progress and financial reporting o EPIC conversation agendas and notes

• Activity 2: Comparison, Evaluation, Dissemination o Evaluation plan and tools (survey materials and saw data) o Baseline survey report and analysis to identify whether significant differences in Natural Yard Care-

related awareness and behaviors exist between the various North and Sound study areas o Analysis report of Lecture Series and Workshop questionnaire results and participant feedback to detect

if significant differences exist in awareness of Natural Yard Care-related issues and BMPs before and after session participation and to measure participant intent to change behaviors

o Comparison of baseline survey findings and pre-Lecture/Workshop questionnaires to determine if program participants may be representative, or a subset of the population

o 2013 and 2014 STORM Annual Symposium briefing report o 2015 STORM Annual Symposium briefing report* o Final project comparison and evaluation report to identify the veracity of anticipated program

outcomes* o Reporting of NPDES Permit compliance progress*

• Activity 3 and 4: North Sound Lecture Series and South Sound Workshops o Target audience identification criteria, invitations and associated outreach materials o Summary of curriculum, copy of syllabus and handouts o Lecture Series and Workshop sessions debriefing notes

3. PARTNERSHIPS Fifteen NPDES Permittees are participating in this Natural Yard Care project: including program delivery, comparison and evaluation and the EPIC dialogues (Table 3). In addition, King County is encouraged to participate in the project’s EPIC conversations; as their successful Natural Yard Care neighborhood model was the basis for North Sound Lecture Series programming. Table 3: Natural Yard Care Project Partners

ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBILITY LEAD/ROLE EMAIL/PHONE NORTH SOUND: LECTURE SERIES

Snohomish County Project sponsor/manager, contract administration, program oversight and participation, EPIC facilitator, STORM communications, cost-sharing

Suzi Wong-Swint, Project Manager

swswint@snoco.org 425-388-6476

Snohomish Conservation District (SCD)

Program coordination, Series facilitation, EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Stacy Aleksich, Project Manager

stacy@snohomishcd.org 425-335-5634 x112

City of Arlington Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Bill Blake bblake@arlingtonwa.go 360-403-3440

City of Bothell Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Janet Geer janet.geer@ci.bothell.wa.us 425-486-3256 x 4416

City of Brier Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Nicole Gaudette ngaudette@ci.brier.wa.us 425-775-5440

City of Edmonds Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Mike Cawrse michael.cawrse@edmondswa.gov 425-771-0220 x 1322

City of Everett Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Apryl Hynes AHynes@ci.everett.wa.us 425-257-8992

City of Granite Falls Program and EPIC participant, cost-sharing

Brent Kirk brent.kirk@ci.granite-falls.wa.us 360-691-6441

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City of Lynnwood Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Leah Grassl lgrassl@ci.lynnwood.wa.us

425-670-5217 City of Marysville Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Kari Chennaul kchennault@marysvillewa.gov

360-363-8277 City of Mill Creek Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Marci Chew marci@cityofmillcreek.com

425-921-5709 City of Monroe Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Vince Bertrand vbertrand@monroewa.gov

360-863-4552 City of Mountlake Terrace Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Mike Shaw mshaw@ci.mlt.wa.us

425-670-8264 City of Mukilteo Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Challis Stringer plove@ci.mukilteo.wa.us

425-263-8041 City of Snohomish Program and EPIC participant, cost-

sharing Max Selin selin@ci.snohomish.wa.us

360-282-3196 King County EPIC participant Doug Rice doug.rice@kingcounty.gov

360-568-3115 x 196 SOUTH SOUND: HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

City of Olympia Project manager, program oversight and participation, EPIC participant, STORM communications, cost-sharing

Patricia Pyle, Project Manager

ppyle@ci.olympia.wa.us 360-570-5841

COMPARISON AND EVALUATION Consulting Performance Measurement Specialist

Baseline and program data collection and analysis

Evaluation Lead Not yet available

4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Snohomish County is serving as grant project sponsor, project manager, fiscal agent and evaluation lead. Staff with the County’s Department of Public Works, Surface Water Management Division will be responsible to all aspects of grant administration. As indicated previously, the overall project extends beyond the grant period of performance. Project management team structure and internal controls will remain consistent through this longer, overall timeframe.

4.1 Team Structure and Internal Controls Table 4 depicts the project team schematic. Snohomish County is serving as project team lead, assuming the role of grant sponsor, fiscal agent and evaluation lead. Partnering Permittees will all be encouraged to participate regularly in the EPIC dialogues referenced with Section 2. North Sound Lecture Series program delivery will be coordinated by the Snohomish Conservation District (SCD), under contract with Snohomish County. South Sound Program delivery will be coordinated by the City of Olympia. Participating Permittees, plus the SCD, will share project costs not covered by this grant. In-kind contributions of staff, materials and supplies will be put forth throughout the overall project timeframe. Direct costs for post-grant evaluation activities will be shared by Permittees on a pro rata basis.

Snohomish County has the following internal controls in place to promote effective grant administration and overall project success.

• Project Managers with significant experience with Natural Yard Care program planning and implementation and having excellent working relationships with all project partners.

• Grant funding coordinator, grant compliance specialist and contracting compliance specialists on staff. • Snohomish County uses Cayenta financial software to track actual expenses of payroll and purchases. This

software, in place since FY 2000, has successfully tracked revenue and expenses for numerous Ecology grants and others funders.

• Recently adopted, streamlined Snohomish County protocols for grant contracting in order to expedite award acceptance and thus project implementation.

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Table 4: Team Schematic

4.2 Staff Qualifications and Experience As project and grant sponsor, Snohomish County is assuming a leadership role. Principal County staff implementing this project include Suzi Wong Swint, Stef Frenzl and Peggy Campbell. All have worked closely on previous Natural Yard Care initiatives and have been members of Snohomish County Surface Water Management’s NPDES Residential Outreach and Education team for more than six years. Together this trio has charted the course for the County’s outreach and education portion of the 2013-18 NPDES Permit.

Suzi Wong Swint, Senior Planner with Snohomish County, will serve as grant project manager, responsible for overall administration of this grant and serving as the EPIC liaison. Suzi served as project manager for the County’s GROSS-funded “STORM Integrated Public Education Campaign” - G1000476. This project, completed in June 2011, was on time and within budget. In addition to excellent grant and project management experience, Suzi is brings to this position significant expertise with inter-organizational coordination. Suzi facilitates SnoSTORM, the subgroup of Puget Sound’s STORM organization with representation from NPDES cities across Snohomish County. Suzi also coordinates the exchange of information between SnoSTORM and the local Snohomish-Camano ECO Network, an organization funded by the Puget Sound Partnership. Approximately 224 hours of Suzi’s time are being budgeted toward project activities during the grant period of performance.

Stef Frenzl, Communication Specialist II with Snohomish County, will serve as Snohomish County project lead for all evaluation elements of the project. Stef will be the primary contact for the evaluation consultant and will lend them the expertise he has gained from working on the 2012 Don’t Drip and Drive campaign and the 2011 Septic program. Stef has been with Snohomish County Surface Water Management since 2005. Approximately 360 hours of Stef’s time are being budgeted toward project activities during the grant period of performance.

Peggy Campbell, Watershed Steward with Snohomish County, will serve as lead for North Sound Lecture Series program delivery. Peggy will serve as the primary contact for Snohomish Conservation District staff, who in turn are coordinating all logistics related to production and hosting of the series. Since joining Snohomish County Surface Water Management in 2007, Peggy has been the project manager and producer of the NCY grant-funded series in 2010 and the three session series held in fall 2012. Approximately 200 hours of Peggy’s time are being budgeted toward project activities during the grant period of performance.

Patricia Pyle, Senior Program Specialist with the City of Olympia, will serve as Project Manager coordinating South Sound Workshop program delivery. Patricia has coordinated Natural Yard Care workshops three times in the past. She is also the project manager for Olympia’s 2013 National Estuary Program Toxics and Nutrients grant project. Approximately 390 hours of Patricia’s time will be devoted to these project activities during the GROSS grant period but will be contributed as match.

BUDGET 1. BUDGET TABLE

Table 5 GRANT MATCH GROSS Grant Request 256,300 Match 106,260 Project Total 362,560

EPIC (project cost-sharing and organizational learning)

Snohomish County (grant sponsor, project manager, fiscal agent, evaluation lead)

Snohomish Conservation District(North Sound program delivery coordination)

Lecture Seriescontracted speakers

City of Olympia(South Sound program delivery coordination)

Workshop Series contracted coaches

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Salaries & Benefits:

Snohomish County - Project Manager (~224 hrs) 11,680 Snohomish County - Evaluation Lead (~360 hrs) 11,830 5,580* Snohomish County - North Sound Lecture Series Lead (~200 hrs) 9,880 City of Olympia - South Sound Coordination (~390 hrs) 0 19,500

Contractual: Evaluation Consultant 58,860 73,000* Snohomish Conservation District - North Sound Coordination 15,200 8,180 North Sound Lecture Series Speakers 10,500 South Sound Workshop/Demonstrations Speakers 12,100 South Sound Garden Coaches 36,000 South Sound Video Coaches 2,900

Supplies: Marketing Materials/Mailing 53,100 Lecture Series Materials, Supplies and venues 11,250 Demonstration Materials/Supplies 15,400 Video Tutorial Production Materials/Supplies 300

Indirect: 22 % of Staff Salaries and Benefits 7,300

2. BUDGET NARRATIVE Matching funds are included to demonstrate the direct and in-kind resources being committed to this project. Match items identified with an (*) are direct costs toward project management and evaluation activities to be undertaken following close of this grant period of performance and shared by Permittees on a pro rata basis. Match items not so indicated are in-kind contributions to be expended during the grant period of performance.

Salaries and Benefits - Snohomish County Public Works and City of Olympia will provide more than 1,100 hours of staff time toward project activities during the overall, three year, project timeframe. Staff project management, partner coordination and evaluation will help participating jurisdictions achieve NPDES Permit compliance and are crucial to successful program preparation and execution. Benefits include FICA, medical, vision and dental insurance, leave time, retirement and disability costs. Rates are FY 2014, excluding cost of living adjustment, to be assumed by the employers.

Contractual - Snohomish County will contract for the professional services of an independent evaluation specialist to provide comparison and evaluation expertise central to identifying the Natural Yard Care approach (and program elements) which yield the best rate of new behavior adoption and largest return on public investment. Outcomes of this information will help refine Natural Yard Care programming to cost-effectively increase desired behavioral change. Snohomish County is contracting with the Snohomish Conservation District to coordinate North Sound program logistics, such as lecturer solicitation and scheduling, venue procurement, promotion, session set-up, and supply preparation. The District is a long-standing programming partner with the County and participating cities. They have provided Natural Yard Care instruction to local residents in the past and this provides a means for them to add value to their programming by becoming familiar with NPDES Permit-required levels of service. In addition, an array of program service providers will be procured to provide North Sound Lecture Series instruction and South Sound Hands-on Workshop coaching. Each trainer will be selected from a regionally-accepted listing of vetted individuals, expert in their Natural Yard Care BMP topic area.

Supplies - Marketing to target audiences represents the largest cost for program delivery. Outreach to prospective participants is an essential component of program delivery. Each program strategy is currently employing standard marketing response statistics to determine promotion and mailing needs to attain desired participation. Evaluation of this, and each program cost, will help to quantify the return on these investments and possibly recommend lower-cost or higher return options.

Indirect - As grant project sponsor and fiscal agent, Snohomish County will accrue indirect costs associated with management and administration of the grant and professional services contracts. These costs have been conservatively estimated to be 22% of Snohomish County personnel salaries.

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