Our Florida Reefs Community Working Group Communications Plan Prepared for: Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Coral Reef Conservation Program Prepared by: Annie Reisewitz & Jim W. Harper Strategic Ocean Solutions June 17, 2013 Our Florida Reefs Community Working Group Communications Plan This communications plan is designed to solicit nominees for Community Working Groups, in fulfillment of deliverables for Task 5. In addition, it provides advice for how Working Group members can communicate the process to their constituents and community groups. Community Working Groups, formerly known as Stakeholder Working Groups, form the basis for Step 2 of the Our Florida Reefs process, as illustrated below. They will be working with Our Florida Reefs from approximately August 2013 to the end of 2014. Step 2 of Our Florida Reefs In order to recruit sufficient numbers of applicants before the application deadline of July 31, 2013, this plan offer elements of a dual strategy to use both the media and direct outreach to constituents, as summarized below. Media Outreach and Advertising • Press release to various outlets inviting community participation in Community Working Groups • Advertising campaign to limited outlets to solicit members for Community Working Groups Direct Outreach • Email announcement for SEFCRI e-mail contact list • Our Florida Reefs website updates and announcements Our Florida Reefs Website 1. The Our Florida Reefs website will serve as a hub of information for Community Working Groups. The main page is located at: http://ourfloridareefs.org/community-working-group 2. It includes the application form that can be downloaded for completion. The Community Working Groups are also featured on the Get Involved page: http://ourfloridareefs.org/get-involved/ Additionally, an announcement can be added to the Homepage slideshow and News pages. 3. Text for Homepage slideshow: OPTION 1: APPLY NOW Add your personal knowledge about our reefs as a Community Working Group representative for your area. LEARN MORE OPTION 2: APPLY NOW We invite you to speak up for your local reefs as a Community Working Group representative. Applications due by July 31. LEARN MORE 4. Add to News Page http://ourfloridareefs.org/news/ - text from e-announcement Media and Advertising Details The intention of media outreach is to announce the current effort to solicit Community Working Group representatives (who, what, where, when, why) and to drive visitors to the Our Florida Reefs website to learn more about the Community Working Group process and how to apply. Paid Advertising Local Newspapers: Paid online and/or print ads may run in major newspapers in the four- county region: Palm Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald, and El Nuevo Herald during the month of July. Social Media Advertising Paid ads on Facebook during the month of July that target users in the four- county region and direct them to the Community Working Group webpage (www.OurFloridaReefs.org/community-working-groups) for information on how to apply. Radio PSA Distribute the text of this 15-second radio PSA in English to the following stations in four-county region: JOIN THE “OUR FLORIDA REEFS” PLANNING PROCESS AS A COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP REPRESENTATIVE TO ADD YOUR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CORAL REEFS. FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO APPLY, VISIT “OUR FLORIDA REEFS” DOT O-R-G. OUR FLORIDA REEFS IS HOSTED BY THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA CORAL REEF INITIATIVE. OUR FLORIDA REEFS: YOUR VOICE, OUR FUTURE. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale Media Market Public Radio Stations: WLRN-FM, WDNA-FM, WKCP-FM Commercial Stations: WKIS-FM, WLYF-FM, WBGG-FM, WHYI-FM, WFEZ-FM, WSHE- FM Spanish-language stations: WCMQ-FM, WMGE-FM, WXDJ-FM, WRMA-FM, WAMR- FM Palm Beach-Stuart Media Market Public Radio Station: WXEL-FM Commercial Stations: WRMF-FM, WAXY-FM, WLDI-FM, WIRK-FM, WEAT-FM, WZZR-FM News Release Distribute the news release to a targeted SEFCRI media list of environmental and outdoors reporters in the four-county region and outdoor trade publications. (See media list for targeted reporters). Conduct follow-up calls and emails with specific reporters. (see page 7 for draft news release text) Social Media Announce Community working Group application process via the FDEP-CRCP “Florida’s Coral Program” Facebook page. Encourage SEFCRI partners to share, like, retweet info on the OUR FLORIDA REEFS Community Working Group application process. E-Announcement Send an announcement through FDEP/SEFCRI Constant Contact subscribers list on the OUR FLORIDA REEFS Community Working Group application process. (see page 6 for draft e-announcement text) Listserves/Direct Community Outreach Send targeted audience announcements through various electronic communications, including the following: NOAA Coral listserve: [email protected] UMiami RSMAS Info listserve: [email protected] On diving, fishing, boating discussion boards, such as: ScubaBoard: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-dive-clubs-groups Florida Divers Forum: http://floridadiversforum.com/vb3/index.php Scuba Diving Forum: http://forums.scubadiving.com/forum.php?s=dc4c07c628c00f380eb532111c740b 28 Spearboard: http://forums.scubadiving.com/forum.php?s=dc4c07c628c00f380eb532111c740b 28 Cave Diver’s Forum: http://www.cavediver.net/ ReefCheck: http://forum.reefcheck.org/phpbb3/index.php Florida Fishing Forum: http://www.flafishingforum.com/ubbthreads.php Florida Surf Casters: http://www.surfishingflorida.com/Forum/tabid/153/Default.aspx Florida Sportsman: http://forums.floridasportsman.com/ FinTalk: http://www.fintalk.com/boards/ Fishin: http://www.fishin.com/forums2/florida-discussion-board/ The Hull Truth: http://www.thehulltruth.com/index.php SF Kayak Fishing: http://www.meetup.com/SFLKayakFishing/ SF Kayak Fishing Club: http://teammalibu.ning.com/group/south-florida-kayak- fishing-club Florida Kayak Club: http://thekayakclub.com/forum/index Email Announcement Text Subject line: Apply by July 31 to represent Our Florida Reefs Our Florida Reefs invites you to join a Community Working Group. Your personal knowledge about our coral reefs is vital to this process. Speak up for your local reefs by serving your community as a Community Working Group representative. The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI) is currently accepting applications for participation in Community Working Groups that will develop management recommendations as part of the Our Florida Reefs community planning process for southeast Florida’s coral reefs. Working Group representatives will represent a wide range of different interests who each have a stake in the wellbeing of our coral reef communities. Members will develop recommendations to be used in the development of a comprehensive management strategy to ensure healthy coral reefs in the future. Applications are due by July 31. Click here to learn more and how to apply. [link to http://ourfloridareefs.org/community-working-group] Our Florida Reefs is a community planning process of the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), a collaborative, local effort started in 2004 to understand and protect our coral reefs for the benefit of all. SEFCRI is coordinated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. NEW RELEASE For immediate release June 27, 2013 Media Contact: Christopher Boykin 305-795-1222 [email protected] OUR FLORIDA REEFS Seeks Community Participation in Southeast Florida Coral Reef Management MIAMI – OUR FLORIDA REEFS, a community planning process for southeast Florida’s coral reefs, is currently seeking community members to participate in Community Working Groups to develop management recommendations for southeast Florida’s coral reefs. Community Working Groups applications are due by July 31, 2013. “Local knowledge about our coral reefs is vital to the community planning process,” said Jamie Monty, manager of Florida’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. “We invite community members with various perspectives about our coral reefs to work together to provide recommendations on how to manage our coral reefs.” Hosted by the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), the planning process seeks input from community members on the development of recommendations that can become part of a comprehensive management strategy to ensure healthy coral reefs in the southeast Florida region in the future. More information on Community Working Group participation and instructions on how to apply are available at: http://ourfloridareefs.org/community-working- group/. Applications along with letters of recommendation can be submitted to Jamie Monty by email to [email protected], or by fax to 305-795-3470 by July 31, 2013. The OUR FLORIDA REEFS planning process brings together local residents, reef users, business owners, visitors and the broader public in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties to discuss the future of coral reefs in this region. Working Group representatives will represent a wide range of interest groups who are concerned about the wellbeing of coral reef communities. OUR FLORIDA REEFS is a multi-year, community-driven planning process for the nearshore reefs across a four-county region, stretching from the northern border of Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County. # # # For more information about the Our Florida Reefs community planning process, please visit www.OurFloridaReefs.org Our Florida Reefs is a community planning process of the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), a collaborative, local effort started in 2004 to understand and protect our coral reefs for the benefit of all. SEFCRI is coordinated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. .