Performance Measures
Volunteerism
Parks Division
Volunteer hours
About this measure: King County Parks works to engage the community, educate park visitors, and provide basic enhancements to the park system and the environment through our volunteer program. In addition to the added resources volunteers bring to park projects, people leave with a greater knowledge and appreciation for the park system. The degree of community involvement with the King County parks and natural lands system is an important measure of how engaged the community is with this vital public asset.
2007 results: 50,300 volunteer hours
2007 target: 70,000
2008 target: 60,000
Influencing factors: The volunteer hours did not increase over 2006 numbers as desired due to both outside influences (such as non-profit and other agencies increasing their volunteer outreach efforts) and internal challenges (such as getting volunteers to report actual hours — a universal dilemma faced by volunteer programs).
A very successful event that engaged a range of volunteer resources was the 'extreme makeover' of White Center Heights Park. Combining Starbuck's financial generosity, the volunteer efforts of individuals, organizations, and schools in the White Center community, and the expertise of University of Washington School of Architectural Design students, a non-descript underutilized 6 acre park was transformed. Now renamed Steve Cox Memorial Park, this park is now vibrant gathering area and enhanced natural area that sees daily use by families and friends as well as weekend group picnics and community events.
Natural areas throughout the park system realized over 2,540 feet of new trail construction and 5,000 feet of finished trail, over 10,600 tree and shrub plantings for native restoration, and almost 290 cubic yards of invasive weed removal.
As usual, United Way's Day of Caring in September was a great day for Parks with over 390 volunteer providing 2,060 hours of tasks including weeding nursery stock, pulling Scot's Broom and other invasives, and working on trails.
Strategy going forward: We will implement improved methods of tracking and accounting for volunteer hours. The program will continue its efforts to build volunteer recruitment by focusing on key program elements such as improving and increasing volunteer recognition, strengthening existing partnerships with communities and organizations while building new ones, and developing more consistent messaging and advertising.
Solid Waste Division (SWD)
About This Performance Measure: This measure represents the number of volunteers trained by the Master Recycler Composter Program each year. The volunteers receive free training in waste prevention, recycling, home composting and alternatives to household hazardous wastes. In return, participants agree to share their knowledge and skills through various community outreach efforts.
2007 Results: 24
2007 Target: 25
2008 Target: 25
Influencing Factors: It is unclear why attendance dropped from 31 in 2006, as marketing for the program did not change.
Strategy Going Forward: MRC program marketing will be the same for 2008 as it was in 2007 .
Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD)
Salmon watcher program
About this measure: Salmon Watcher is a multi-jurisdictional effort focused at protecting a Pacific Northwest treasure and educating the community in the process. The twelve year old program involves volunteers watching streams for spawning salmon in King and Snohomish Counties. This effort mainly focuses on waters within the Lake Washington Watershed and on Vashon Island.
Influencing factors: The Salmon Watcher program is voluntary and new watchers enter the program upon their interest and request. Budget allocations and proactive recruitment of watchers can influence how many and the location of monitoring locations.
Status: As of 2007, a total of 429 sites on approximately 145 streams have been watched in the program to date. The number of sites and their locations vary from year to year. For example, in 2007, 134 sites were watched on streams.
Strategy Going Forward: Continuing to educate property owners with salmon streams on their property by participating in the program about things they can do to improve aquatic habitats.
Technical Notes
For definitions and more detail.