For your course project, you're tasked with proposing an initiative to help solve a sustainability challenge in the fictional town of Seaview, North Carolina. You'll act as a member of a consulting team that has been hired to help Seaview develop sustainability initiative proposals (SIPs) and prioritize their use of resources. Your team has consultants with diverse professional and academic backgrounds to ensure that the challenges Seaview faces are looked at through many different lenses and varied solutions are offered. You'll consider the perspectives of multiple interested and affected parties (IAPs), evaluate tradeoffs associated with different approaches, and apply the knowledge and skills you've acquired throughout your baccalaureate studies to develop an SIP. There are a multitude of potential approaches to addressing each challenge Seaview is facing; it's up to you to propose what you believe will be a productive initiative that balances IAP needs and helps achieve sustainability goals.

Identify one regulatory agency and one professional organization relevant to your sustainability initiative proposal (SIP).

Begin your post by providing your peers with an overview of your course project. Include the problem you previously identified for the focus of your SIP and the solution you chose. Once you have chosen one regulatory agency and one professional organization, discuss how both are relevant to your solution. How are the parties you have chosen relevant? What role do the parties play in implementing your sustainability initiative proposal (SIP)? Are there any relevant policies, standards, or guidelines outlined by the group? For example, an Animal Scientist might refer to a livestock professional organization to obtain more information on husbandry standards, such as space requirements for pigs. Please include links to your select agency and organization websites in your post.

Given what you have learned about the roles of these parties, is your SIP feasible? If not, what changes do you need to consider to ensure the feasibility of implementing your SIP?

Given the policies, standards, or guidelines you explored, is your SIP aligned with best practices and/or legal requirements? If not, what changes do you need to consider to more closely align your SIP with best practice and/or legal requirements?

Include in-text citations and a reference section in APA 7 format. You may use your Weekly Learning Resources and agency/group websites as references.

Problem

The Chesapeake Bay Program Problem: The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, faced severe pollution issues due to agricultural runoff, urban development, and overfishing. These factors led to degraded water quality, loss of habitat, and declining fish populations, which threatened both the ecosystem and the livelihoods of local communities dependent on fishing and tourism.

Solution

Constructed Wetlands System for Wastewater Treatment

1.

• One realistic and effective sustainability solution for Seaview is the implementation of a constructed wetlands system near critical pollution sources such as the municipal landfill and downstream of the hog farms. Constructed wetlands are engineered ecosystems that mimic the natural filtration processes of wetlands by using vegetation, soils, and microbial activity to remove pollutants from water. This solution addresses water quality issues caused by runoff from hog farming operations, leaky sewage systems, and solid waste management. Specifically, these wetlands would intercept and treat water before it flows into the Aucummato River, thereby reducing nutrient pollution, pathogens, and sedimentation. As a result, this system can mitigate harmful algal blooms, improve the health of aquatic life, and enhance the quality of recreational and drinking water (Kadlec & Wallace, 2009; USEPA, 2021).

2.

• The stakeholders who would benefit most from this solution include Sully, the marine tour business owner, as improved water clarity and quality would support a healthier marine ecosystem, boosting ecotourism appeal. Meera, the veterinary behaviorist, would also support the initiative since cleaner waterways directly contribute to the health of marine and coastal wildlife, which aligns with her interest in animal welfare. Local residents, who have expressed concern about the dead fish and declining water quality, would also benefit from safer recreational and drinking water.
• However, Micah, the farmland development consultant, may be less satisfied with this solution, especially if constructed wetlands use land that he had envisioned for agricultural redevelopment. Additionally, developers might oppose the plan if they see it as a constraint on future land use or profitable real estate expansion. Successful implementation would require cooperation among local government officials, hog farmers, conservationists like Lee from the land trust, civil engineers, and environmental scientists to design and maintain the wetlands and ensure regulatory compliance (Mitsch & Gosselink, 2015).

References:

• Kadlec, R. H., & Wallace, S. D. (2009).Treatment wetlands(2nd ed.). CRC Press.
• Mitsch, W. J., & Gosselink, J. G. (2015).Wetlands(5th ed.). Wiley.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2021).Constructed wetlands. https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/constructed-wetlands