Funders & BFFs

The NEMO Network has proven to be an excellent vehicle for developing and then disseminating educational resources and tools to communities across the country. Several funders have therefore provided funding specifically to support a targeted educational initiative.

The USDA NIFA Forestry Program provided funding to integrate the forest resource more fully into NEMO educational efforts. Dubbed “FREMO” (Forest Resource Education for Municipal Officials), this effort resulted in collaborations between NEMO educators and extension foresters and the development of new educational materials focuses on forests, water quality, and land use planning.

NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), provided funding to the Network to take CT NEMO’s Community Resources Inventory tool and adapt it to other states. NEMO programs in Delaware, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina have now launched similar tools to help communities take the critical first step in good land use planning—putting together an inventory of what resources you have.

The U.S. EPA Smart Growth Office sponsored an Open Space Boot Camp to help NEMO programs in 13 states develop open space planning education efforts to help communities establish a plan for prioritizing and protecting critical open space properties.

Until the Network is discovered by a rich philanthropist who agrees that outreach education to local land use officials is the answer, the National NEMO Hub is not sufficiently endowed to be able to provide funding to its members. Each NEMO program is independently funded from a wide variety of local, state and federal sources. 

The Network has many friends and partners who provide support to the network in the form of resources, expertise, training and cheerleading.

	The Center for Watershed Protection and the National NEMO Network go way back—practically growing up together in the 1990’s. We collaborate on projects and share resources every chance we get and have a Memorandum or Understanding (MOU) to ensure we stay connected and periodically exchange our latest organizational sportswear.
	NOAA’s Coastal Services Center has provided geospatial training to Network members, collaborated with us on development of the Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT), and frequently uses the Network as a sounding board for new ideas.
	NOAA Sea Grant Sustainable Coastal Community Development (SCCD) network is extremely closely connected to the Network. Their goals are symbiotic with ours and in many cases NEMO coordinators are also members of the SCCD network.
	NEMO programs are increasingly collaborating with members of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system. Like the NEMO Network NERRs folks bring good science and communities together.

Certain individuals, through their dogged, unwavering, and relentless support of the National NEMO Network, have made it necessary for us to recognize their stalwartitude. We have bestowed upon this fortunate few the honorable title of NEMO Mensch. Recipients to date include:

• Michael O’Neill, USDA NIFA Water Program Director (photo, right)
• Ed Monahan, CT Sea Grant (photo, left)
• Jim Murray, NOAA Sea Grant
• Dov Weitman, U.S. EPA
• Ron Baird, NOAA Sea Grant

Read award presented at NEMO University 4 in Washington, DC

For services rendered to NEMO and the NEMO Network above and beyond the call of duty, including but not limited to: providing funding (of course!); encouraging others to provide funding; speaking glowingly of NEMO to colleagues both around the water cooler and in national conference settings; supporting and attending NEMO University conferences; wearing NEMO sportswear to work on the occasional "casual day;" undergoing the agonies of increased paperwork for the good of NEMOdom, and; remaining committed to the idea that educating local land use officials is critically important, even in the crush of everyday agency activities and directives…

• Mel Cote, U.S. EPA Region 1

Read award presented at NEMO University 5 in Middletown, CT

For services rendered unto NEMO and the National NEMO Network above and beyond the call of duty, including but not limited to: praising NEMO's virtues on multiple occasions to various skeptical federal and state regulatory types of the Long Island Sound Study; braving a drizzling boat ride at the original NEMO U when even we weren't sure just what NEMO University was; making the case for NEMO funding during Section 319 funding discussions, year after year after year after year after (you get the picture …); extolling NEMO's virtues to a packed house at NEMO U3 and leading the Jordan Cove tour; proudly wearing NEMO sportswear at the Region One offices in Boston; playing a mean third base (nothing to do with NEMO but we appreciate virtuosity at the "hot corner" more than most), and; steadfastly understanding the critical role of education of local officials in nonpoint source control and watershed protection, regardless of what the latest directives from DC may say ….

• Art Gold, University of Rhode Island and USDA NIFA NESCI Boss

Read award presented at NEMO University 6 in Monterey, CA

For services rendered to NEMO and the NEMO Network above and beyond the call of duty, including but not limited to: nominating NEMO for various awards, prestigious and otherwise; supporting NEMO University fiscally, morally and physically; raising the profile of NEMO within the CSREES Regional Water Quality world; blatantly rechristening URI's water quality program as RI NEMO in the face of overwhelming staff queasiness; exposing yourself to ridicule by publicly calling Arnold a "genius" despite a staggering amount of evidence to the contrary, and; being the principal champion within the Land Grant and USDA world for the critical importance of dealing with the water resource issues of urbanizing communities and watersheds….

• Center for Watershed Protection (CWP)
• Tom Schueler, CWP Co-Founder and head of the Chesapeake Stormwater Network
• Rich Claytor, CWP Co-Founder and stormwater engineers extraordinaire The Center for Watershed Protection

Read award presented at NEMO University 7 in Portland, ME