One of the most fundamental aspects to achieving sustainability of efforts in natural resource protection is education.  Successful education relies on several key factors: quality of information, ease of access to information, motivation on the part of the message deliverer, and incentives for responding to the message delivered.  Efforts have been made to incorporate all of these considerations into the educational aspects of this plan.

Without commitment on the part of local citizens or leaders to acknowledge the plan’s goals and objectives, the WMP will not yield continuing success.  Presently, there is a strong commitment among Steering Committee members to continue participation and maintain some type of a Steering or Oversite Committee.  This group will convene periodic meetings, encourage new participants, evaluate actions taken and consider the overall status of the WMP.

Continuity, maintenance and updating of the existing website are targets for sustaining the plan.  Other key efforts are:

• Report/document accomplishments through the website.
• Periodic digital photo documentation and rescoring of the current stream stretches using the same physical characteristics.
• Verification of phosphorus reductions via monitoring on a yet-to-be-determined schedule.
• Update specifically targeted BMPs for post-implementation load reduction estimates to determine efficacy and promote results.
• Maintain the existing database; incorporate and interpolate new data as available.
• Reprioritize “Projects to be Completed” lists for each subwatershed, once every three to five years or more frequently if needed.
• Continue to involve local governments and citizens in all facets of the plan.
• Seek synergistic partner cooperation wherever feasible to strengthen projects.
• Implement elements of the Education Plan wherever and whenever opportunities, especially partnering possibilities, appear (e.g., Phase II entities, TMDL actions, other watershed management plans).
• Maintain the existing capability of the website and expand it for the process for public feedback.
• Seek public evaluation (website use of a Microsoft Access questionnaire) for each project element implemented and maintain results as part of an overall database for the watershed.
• Determine and record the number of relevant projects undertaken each year that will have an impact on water quality in the subwatersheds.
• Promote the timely implementation of prioritized projects whether large or small.
• Provide publicity for noteworthy voluntary implementation efforts in the hope of stimulating others into similar actions. 
• Obtain sustainable funding from Steering Committee members.
• Have the SC identify, direct and/or write proposals for new grants (Section 319, Clean Michigan Initiative, USEPA, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, etc.) to maintain these efforts.
• Have the Forum of Greater Kalamazoo continue to facilitate WMP implementation efforts.

Over time, the effectiveness of this WMP will be determined by answers to these key questions:

The Steering Committee will refine these questions by June 2003.  Annual press releases will be developed to promote the WMP and the efforts completed during the year.  Biennially, notice of the public response/survey to the above questions through the website will be made in these releases.  Cross-postings of the press releases will be made electronically to list serves including: Great Lakes Information Network, and other local and municipal web sites.