(43) Extension Capacity Building in Land Use: The Michigan Case Study

Melissa A. Gibson, Land Policy Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; and Mary Beth Lake, Land Policy Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

Session: Concurrent session C1:  Assessment Connecting Research and Education

The land use framework in the U. S. differs from much of the rest of the world.  Decision making is vested in local units of government, many of which do not coordinate their activities or cooperate with each other.  Information, data, analysis, options and strategies are needed to support communities who often have limited capacity to resource themselves to be strategic in their land use decision making.  Also, more states are demanding guidance with smart growth.  Land grant universities, which were created to address problems facing individuals, communities and industries are increasingly being asked to play a greater role in filling the knowledge gap.  

Providing mission oriented research and relevant outreach is often a challenge for universities, especially given their nature and the complexity of land use problems.  Academic research programs must meet the dual objectives of academic rigor and stakeholder relevance; however, Extension must be well connected to clientele and to researchers.  The Land Policy Institute (LPI) at Michigan State University (MSU) was developed to address, amongst other things, the effectiveness of university land use impact.  By using a demand driven model, LPI funded relevant and integrated land use research and outreach to aid citizens, communities and policy makers in solving land use/policy problems.  It also invested heavily in extension capacity building initiatives.  The creation of new extension positions to enhance land use outreach created significant impact.  This paper discuss the strategies used to integrate research and extension efforts, presenting the process, strategy and outcomes.

Soji Adelaja
Land Policy Institute
Michigan State University
1405 South Harrison Road
East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
Phone: 517-432-8800 ext 101
Fax: 517-432-8769
adelaja@landpolicy.msu.edu

Melissa A. Gibson
Land Policy Institute
Michigan State University
1405 South Harrison Road
East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
Phone: 517-432-8800 ext 110
Fax: 517-432-8769
gibson@landpolicy.msu.edu

Mary Beth Lake
Land Policy Institute
Michigan State University
1405 South Harrison Road
East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
Phone: 517-432-8800
Fax: 517-432-8769
lakemary@msu.edu

ORAL