4.1.1. Use power of place to co-identify issues, goals, and objectives Co-identifying place-specific issues and needs - along with continual reinforcement of the specific project purpose - is an effective strategy for many well-established projects uncovered through our analyses. For example, the New Hampshire Annual Loon Count plays a strong policy role in New England advocating for loon conservation. The census engages volunteers on lakes across the state to count and observe loons for 1 h during the breeding season. The project makes explicit the purpose of the census for informing stewardship and policy: “Data are used to guide the sighting and construction of loon nesting rafts [and for] state policy changes… New Hampshire was the first state in
the nation to restrict the use of small lead fishing tackle in lakes and ponds, which was extended to all freshwaters in NH (2005) and the ban of the sale of this tackle (2006). A new law was also passed in 2013 restricting larger lead sinkers. The Loon Preservation Committee data… also inform[s] legislation restricting mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.”