What changed
A shared story for the watershed restoration industry.
Members now share an evidence-based narrative, and a toolkit that answers the tough questions up front.
The client
CWRP unites the businesses and practitioners restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Its members (ecologists, engineers, contractors, developers, and mitigation bankers) work through stream restoration, wetlands, living shorelines, upland BMPs, and green infrastructure. They span the region and contribute significant jobs and economic activity while improving environmental health and community resilience.
The challenge
Restoration delivers benefits, but the story can be fragmented.
Ahead of the 2025 Maryland legislative session, CWRP needed an integrated plan to:
- Educate policymakers and the public
- Unify messages across members
- Proactively address frequent questions, such as heavy equipment use, selective tree removal, timelines, and TMDL context
Our approach
We designed and launched a clear, credible engagement engine.
Impact narrative and message architecture
We translated science into plain-English benefits (cleaner water, flood reduction through floodplain reconnection, habitat gains, public access, property value stability, and sector jobs), anchored in Chesapeake realities.
Stakeholder mapping
We prioritized legislators, agency leaders, local officials, partner NGOs, and community voices for targeted outreach aligned to key milestones.
Toolkit and assets
A modular set: explainer one-pagers and decks (such as Healthy Stream Characteristics and Streams in Context), visuals of restoration techniques (bank protection, cross vanes, step pools, brush layering, root wads), and a concise FAQ to pre-empt objections.
Activation
We sequenced member briefings, policymaker meetings, earned media, and digital content around the session calendar, with survey options to track awareness and message uptake.
Governance and cadence
A fast four-to-eight-week build for assessment and strategy, then ongoing implementation through and beyond the session.
The outcome
Policy momentum follows trusted messages and organized voices.
- A shared, evidence-based narrative members can carry with confidence, backed by visuals that show stream and floodplain connections and real techniques used in the field
- A ready-to-use communications kit (FAQ, one-pager, presentations, social content) that answers the tough questions succinctly, from heavy equipment, selective tree removal, timelines, and costs to TMDL, while reframing the long-term benefits
- A focused stakeholder pipeline and outreach plan keyed to session moments and local opportunities
- A stronger coalition voice across practitioners, helping policymakers and the public see restoration as science-based, community-benefiting, and economically smart
With a unified story and credible assets, CWRP can grow lasting support for nature-based restoration that strengthens the Bay and Chesapeake communities.
From the client
“Thanks to Council Fire, we finally had one story, many voices, and the right audiences listening.”
The people behind the work
Meet the team
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John Griffin served as Maryland’s Secretary of Natural Resources and as Chief of Staff to Governor Martin O’Malley.