The UNH Cooperative Extension’s Strategic Planning Implementation and Leadership Teams believe it’s important for staff to consider recently identified and reviewed significant issues by our stakeholders and work towards strengthening or refocusing existing programs to address them.

The teams also encourage staff to develop and support new program initiatives that further address the issues, through existing staff, strategic grant opportunities, and partnerships with other UNH colleagues and state agencies.

Close to 30 staff members, including all program leaders and every program area, met recently to discuss the next steps needed to address identified significant issues. Further input towards a final version of these statements is now taking place, along with identifying campus and agency partners to work with as responses are developed.

One of the next steps is to form issue “teams,” which may be virtual in nature, and/or there may be several "subteams."

Goals of a significant issues teams will be to:

• Identify existing programs/projects UNH Cooperative Extension already does relating to the issue,
• Maintain communication/coordination among those who provide programming/projects relating to the issue,
• Seek out faculty and agency partners to work with Extension on the issue,
• Identify grant opportunities for external funding to support our responses to the issue, and
• Develop new projects/programs that complement our existing programs.

If you're interested in becoming a member of one of these “issues” teams, speak with your program leader or Lisa Townson about your interest.

These highest priority significant issues will become the basis for re-framing existing programs (including the expansion of some,), strategically seeking external funding resources, and developing new programs in 2010 and beyond. These issue statements will remain as drafts through formation of teams and as they begin framing Extension’s responses.

Highest Priority Significant Issues

High Stress on Community Members, Community Services and Civil Life (Sustainable Communities)

Excessive Reliance on Unsustainable Fuel Systems (Energy)

Increasing Rates of Financial Instability Among Families, Individuals and Seniors

Increasing Rates of Obesity and Rising Health Care Costs

Lack of Support and Infrastructure for Small Businesses

Land Use Patterns that Threaten Natural Resources and Rural Character (Community Character and Housing)