Conservation within the Big Walnut Watershed of Ohio: Potential for rural/urban conflict

Excerpt

While much is known about farmers' orientations and behaviors associated with adoption of soil and water conservation practices at the farm level, relatively little is known about how urban/suburban residents perceive conservation issues at the local and watershed levels. This lack of information about how urban residents perceive conservation of soil and water resources is surprising since contemporary strategies for implementing conservation policies at the watershed level stress involvement of all watershed residents in the decision-making process. Proponents of holistic watershed planning assume that urbanites are aware of existing conservation problems within their watersheds and that they will act to protect natural resources from future degradation by investing in conservation efforts. It is also assumed that urban residents will exhibit positive attitudes toward conservation of natural resources and that they will act in a manner to maximize conservation benefits for all watershed residents.

Findings from research conducted within the Big Walnut watershed located within eastern suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, bring into question some of these assumptions. Study findings revealed that suburban residents in central Ohio were not well informed about soil and water conservation issues within the watershed. Respondents also indicated that they would require technical assistance to implement conservation …