GAINESVILLE, Florida — Need information about water policies in a pinch? A new program from the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education helps people access and decipher complicated policy information in the palm of your hand.

The PIE Center’s Policy Extension Program, a mobile-friendly website found at piecenter.com/pep, features several tools that help residents understand Florida water policies and provide thoughtful questions that can encourage conversations about water. Users can find information on seven state and federal policies:

• Basin Management Action Plans
• Total Maximum Daily Loads
• Florida Spring Initiative
• Water Quality Assurance Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
• Clean Water Act

In addition to the policy information, users can search a comprehensive library of UF/IFAS research into water issues from the PIE Center, the UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, the UF Water Institute and EDIS documents.

PIE Center associate director Alexa Lamm, an assistant professor of agricultural education and communication, developed the mobile site as part of her Wells Fargo Extension Professional and Enhancement Award.

“We truly want this to be a one-stop shop for people wanting to know more about water issues in Florida,” Lamm said. “By taking this complex information and explaining it in a way that more people can understand, the policies can become part of the work people do every day.”

Lamm added that the site includes instructions for visitors to add a shortcut to their smartphone’s home screen. She will discuss the Policy Extension Program at the Extension Professional Associations of Florida conference in early September.

By: Laura Bernheim, 352-273-0793, bernheim@ufl.edu

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