Knowing that all Eagle Scout requirements and the Eagle Project must be completed before your 18th birthday how much time do you have to complete your project? Or asked another way "How old are you"?
This might be a very important given the slowness of getting approval from some governmental agencies.
"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
I would suggest you start compiling all the information you have been given from here. Then one of us that has experience writing a proposal should be willing to help you put it all together.
I would suggest following this as a guide to what you need to accomplish Writing a proposal
Before writing the actual content put together an outline of what you want to say. For example:
Executive Summary -
Enhance Pond Conditions
Remove detrimental material
Reduce plant and structure coverage to 20% total area
Remove plants that hamper fishing and public utilizations
Survey and remove excessive fish population
Create hiding and living structures for fish species
Plant non-invasive grass species that encourage fish spawning and increase survival chances for fry
Introduce artificial structures to provide year round support for fish species
Improve area around ponds
Remove excess grass from banks
Trim back some tree coverage to encourage public access
Project results
Improved fish population and sizes
Public finds it more appealing
Now this example is very rough grabbing somethings from your thread as well as using what little knowledge I have. One thing you must remember throughout this document is that you are selling this to them. You must write this in such a way that they want to come out and volunteer to help you with the project.
I would say the best thing to do with something like this is to do an entire presentation. You give them the proposal at the same time you stand in front of them and present it. You guide them through the proposal and paint a picture of what can see for these ponds. It has that human element that makes the see you actually care to get this project done and not just that you are looking for another pin to earn your Eagle Scout.
If you do get a chance to present it to them practice in front of your troop or at least some of the leadership as well as parents and possibly some of the locals in the area. Doing it in front of some of the community leaders and residents might even allow you to get them to sign a petition agreeing to support what you want to do.
Since you are 15 you have some time to work on this and do the research. That is a lot of what you are going to have to do for the proposal. How will it impact the ponds, the purpose of the ponds, the community, and the ecology nearby.
This is some off the cuff information and I am sure some of the others here are willing to offer you some more advice. Use it all and don't be afraid to keep trying if your first try isn't successful.
Thanks. I hope the information proves to be useful and he is able to do something with those ponds.
One thing that I thought of later on is that if at first you don't get approval for altering the ponds that you temporarily reduce your scope and proposal to trimming back the trees cleaning up the brush and making the area right around the ponds more attractive. Organizing some community involvement (even if at first it is just your troop) will allow you to snap some photos of the area. I would do some before and after shots.
If you look through this site you will see some before shots of peoples ponds and then the after shots of them just cleaning up some brush and trimming/thinning out some trees. It makes a world of difference just in the appeal.
I would then set out a campaign promoting people to utilize the area for fishing/picnicking and start snapping photos.
Then when you go back with your proposal you can show them. Here is what a weekend's worth of labor and some maintenance has garnered us. A much more appealing area. Then show them pictures of how the pond still looks and suggest that if the same effort was put forth for the ponds it will make them more attractive as well.
If some of the folks here are willing to share pictures of their own ponds or even local pond they have worked with that were in bad shape to start with and the shape they are now in you can also you those as argument points.
Also do some research into the purpose of the ponds and highlight how you will not be altering the fundamental purpose of the pond. Getting some local ecology and biology experts on board for the proposed changes for things such as reducing the fish population and introducing helpful plants will also gain you points.
As I said before do the research and put the time in it and I am sure not only will I be willing to help you but I am sure you will see an outpouring of effort from people on these forums and the people in your community.
I will tell you what. I develop website for a living and I will willingly get a domain, hosting, and website developed if you show me that you are putting the time and effort into this. We can talk about what content will be on the website for the project at that point.
Here is some info That I got from a meeting about one of the ponds in september: - Creek channel runs outside of the island - Too small for stormwater management - An inline pond - WILL NOT be dreged - Considered a sediment pond - Water has to flow through the pond - The Parks and planning's plan is to reconnect the stream by the pond to get the water to move - Considered a Regulatory wet land - No large sediment source - In 1996 there was a metal outlet structure in order to retro fit it - Used to be deep enough where it was not considered a wetland - Pond is in a flood plain - The parks wants it to be a Meto management area - Sediment is from development in 1970s - Used to be desilted - Failing emergency spillway
Scanned. On smartphone and not an expert; but have to ask about 6 foot depth being deep enough to avoid winterkill in MD. Would he go to all that work only to have periodic kills?