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What Is The Natural Resource Action Team (NRAT)?
The Natural Resource Action Team (NRAT) is one of eight committees formed through a Barry County community planning and visioning process called Vision 20/20 that began in 2002.
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The NRAT committee has met regularly since the original Vision 20/20 kick-off event, and has gone through a strategic planning process to create a mission and vision, along with short-term and long-term goals and objectives.
The mission of NRAT is to motivate and lead community efforts to ensure that the natural and managed ecological resources of Barry County are preserved and protected.
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This mission is based on the following principles:
- Ecological resources are essential to quality of life
- Losses of ecological resources are a threat to our lifestyles
- Human populations alter ecological resources
- People have a responsibility to manage alteration of ecological resources
- Every citizen can participate in protecting our natural resources
- We will promote open and honest discussions about ecological resources
- Any citizen can best learn from and participate in activities when there is unbiased information and open dialogue
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What Are Its Goals?
NRAT's short-term goal is to increase awareness and interest in the preservation of natural resources in Barry County through effective education. The committee's long-range goal is to preserve and protect the important natural resources of Barry County through informed land-use planning and community participation. Increasing community awareness and interest in land-use issues are the first step in accomplishing this long-range goal.
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What Has NRAT Done?
The series included three workshops, bringing in top speakers from across the state: "Naturally Barry County", "A Win-Win Solution to a Balanced Barry County", and "Tools and Techniques for Preserving Barry County". Since then, NRAT has hosted addition workshops, including a recent "Got Wetlands" workshop in the fall of 2007 that provided valuable information to landowners on the Department of Environmental Quality regulations that govern their wetland property.
NRAT members also provided valuable assistance to the County as they develop a new Master Plan to govern county land use.
Committee members continue to identify projects and educational efforts that will further the mission of NRAT, to motivate and lead community efforts to ensure that the natural and managed ecological resources of Barry County are preserved and protected.
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How To Get Involved
NRAT is open to anyone interested in helping with its mission. If you would like to join our would like more information, please feel free to call Michelle Skedgell, Committee Co-Chair. We would love to have you involved.
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