The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) is a collaborative program involving 12 organizations, coordinated by UNH Cooperative Extension. Its purpose is to support communities facing rapid growth by helping them understand the status of their natural resources, the potential impacts of growth on those resources, and techniques for natural resources-based management and protection. NROC, which began in 1999, has served 15 communities through 2005.

The NROC team delivers a customized educational presentation to communities called Dealing with Growth, followed by long-term assistance developing and implementing an action plan for protecting natural resources. NROC also offers a choice of educational workshops and referral to sources of financial and other assistance. NROC tailors the program to communities’ specific needs and typically works with community members for 6-12 months.

In 2005, the New Hampshire Coastal Program, a financial sponsor of NROC, commissioned the Institute for New Hampshire Studies (INHS) at Plymouth State University to conduct an independent study of NROC’s effectiveness. The INHS used a literature review, program content analysis, interviews with NROC staff and a survey of NROC clientele to obtain its findings.

The conclusions indicate NROC is effective in:
• recruiting, mobilizing and maintaining involvement of citizens in their communities
• increasing the capacity of citizens to protect their communities’ natural resources
• providing assistance and education in a cost-effective manner.

The INHS study cited the following as strengths of NROC:
• NROC’s role as a facilitator: “It provides resources and support, and prods a community to meet and stay effective during meetings, while staying on schedule.”
• NROC’s function as an “umbrella organization providing one source shopping with customization of programs, bringing together disparate resources, with a unified message, and a coordinated effort.”
• NROC’s “considerable expertise and commitment that matches well with the structure of community-defined goals.”
• The NROC coordinating process, which “enhances communication within communities.”
• “Community and personal empowerment are outcomes” in NROC programs.

For more information on the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition or the INHS study, contact NROC Coordinator Amanda Stone at 364-5324 or Amanda.Stone@unh.edu