Stewardship Assessment and Mapping Project
What is STEW-MAP?
The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is a survey and public database designed to map where stewardship organizations work and how they are connected, with the goal of strengthening community capacity for environmental stewardship within the region. STEW-MAP was developed by the USDA Forest Service in New York in 2007. Since then, the framework has utilized from Seattle to Beijing. Each project is conducted separately by a local research team in partnership with local agencies and organizations.
STEW-MAP addresses the questions:
- Who are the environmental stewardship groups in the region?
- Where do they work, how do they collaborate and what type of work do they do?
- Where are there gaps and where are there concentrations of care?
What is a Stewardship Group?
The developers of the STEW-MAP program at the USDA Forest Service define a “stewardship group” as a civic organization or group that works to conserve, manage, transform, fund or provide in kind material support, monitor, advocate and/or educate others about their local environments. Groups span from neighborhood organizations to government organizations supporting stewardship within the region. Are you a part of a local stewardship group and interested in learning more? Go to the bottom of the page to review the kickoff meeting further detailing the project.
Educate
Monitor
Fund
Transform
Conserve
Advocate
Manage
What are the benefits?
- Maps and STEW-MAP databases highlight stewardship gaps and overlaps
- Enhance citizen monitoring programs and promote greater community engagement with on the ground environmental stewardship
- Build partnerships among stakeholders of similar focus areas
- Natural resource managers, funders, policymakers, civic groups, and members of the public understand where environmental stewards are in a landscape of interest
- Strengthen disaster preparedness and response, from heat waves to riverine flooding
- Helps stewards develop stronger funding proposals
What is the Project Area?
For this STEW-MAP Project, the focus is groups working on land and water stewardship in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. These six member governments comprise the Thomas Jefferson Planning District who serves these jurisdictions by providing regional vision, collaborative leadership, and professional services which include planning, technical assistance, data gathering, and grant administration.
