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About CSP.
Crawford Stewardship Project was founded in 2007 by a grassroots group of local residents in response to the first industrial-scale CAFO proposed in Crawford County, an area beloved for its rolling patchwork of small farms stitched together with clean-running trout streams. They weren’t able to stop that CAFO, but by trying a lot of people who love this area met each other, found common ground, and learned to work together. In the words of one of our founders, “This first experience taught us to fully appreciate and celebrate this truly unique and amazing place we live.”
Since then, CSP has built on our grassroots networks to host challenging proactive conversations about the future of our rural area, bringing together the voices and values of area communities to identify what we care about, how we can protect and enhance our region, all while building engagement in local control. Empowering communities to manage & take responsibility for their own landscape, we've led community science projects that catalyze and augment institutional research, generating important data on local watersheds and geology. … … … … now we’re ….
CAFO = Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation.
In Wisconsin this means .......
These operations are of concern because .......
Mission
Uniting neighbors in care of natural and human communities.
Vision
We envision stewardship through immersive experiences where together into creeks, caves, pastures, and boardrooms we go, raising understanding, connection, & appreciation of our landscape and each other.
Values
Local & grassroots: we are locally grown & rooted in place, rolling up our sleeves to work on the ground right here, in ways that fit & strengthen driftless communities.
Holistic approach: we believe that stewardship includes responsibility to both the land and each other, we hold these two as inseparable.
Inclusivity: we trust that the best decisions are made with all stakeholders at the table, using good process to meet divisive issues with collaboration and teamwork.
Drive & dedication: we are committed to doing the right thing even when uncomfortable. We run towards the trouble & stay with it, hope & humor intact.
Adaptability: we hold stewardship as an ongoing interactive activity. We participate by remaining flexible, responsive, creative, and always learning.
Strategic Goals
[karst] Karst topography is widely understood, cherished, & celebrated. Karst maps and considerations are included in planning & regulations.
[protect] Resources & quality of life are protected now & for the future. CSP is watchdogging for threats, monitoring risks, instigating and working towards actions & policies of responsible planning and governance.
[local control] Local governance is a lively space with an informed and involved public stewarding our natural and human communities. CSP builds community capacity through education, facilitation, and support, empowering, equipping, and connecting both decision makers and those affected by decisions.
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More involved & informed public
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Local meetings attended by more than just Board members
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Public more informed about their rights/responsibilities within community as community member
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Folks understand what local govt can/can’t do
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Folks understand why local govt is important
[grazing] Ag is sustainable economically, environmentally, socially. Rural community quality of life, human-scale farms & communities. CSP is a hub facilitating peer-to-peer community groups.
[land ethics] Lively ongoing community conversations around stewardship ideas that supercede political divisions, such as fundamentally questioning industrialization. CSP is a host, instigator, and facilitator of thought, active in passing on stewardship values to youth & new neighbors.
[internal org operations] CSP is sustainable and effective as a nonprofit org. CSP is held in such regard by the entire local population that, if we raise a red flag, a large and diverse swath of the population mobilizes to investigate.
