RE: "Environmental Linking Agents"

[Al Evans <aevanssr@home.com>]

"Linking agents" are persons who work with others persons to help them address their concerns or problems. They assist, encourage, and facilitate access to and utilization of information resources (in this case, environmental information resources) to help solve identified problems and/or to improved existing conditions. EPA has collected and published a lot of environmental information resources, most of which are published in formats for EPA and others governmental users. The general public, it seems, is unaware or unable to retrieve and utilize the information in a timely manner. In most instances, understanding the information is difficult.    

The "environmental linking agent" concept is based, in part, on the "agricultural extension agent" model utilized in agriculture. This model, utilized with rural farmers, provided one-on-one and group contacts in acquiring and utilizing  research information and products to help improved the quality of life of farmers. "Extension agents" live and work in geographic areas (counties) and assist farmers in utilizing new and/or improved methods in farming and the production of farm products. 

 The "extension agent" model was pilot tested in education in the early 1970's as  "Information Dissemination Capacity Building" Projects. The dissemination capacity building projects utilized educators, at the local or regional school district levels, who resided in the area. They worked with educators in the acquisition and utilization of educational information resources to help close the gap between educational research and educational practice. The "linking agents" assisted state and local educators to build capacity in acquiring and utilizing proven educational methods and practices. This required access to informational databases from which needed and timely information could be retrieved and subsequently used to help solve educational problems. The agents provided knowledge of and access to available information resources and assisted in information retrieval, transformation, and application.  

EPA has focus, to some degree, on capacity building in environmental improvement. Revisiting capacity building via the "linking agent" may help improve local public participation and help address many environmental "place-based" concerns and issues.