The Pinelands Development Credit Program

The “Pine Barrens” are a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve encompassing about 1.1 million acres in southern New Jersey. A state agency, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, in conjunction with county and local governments, works to implement land management and environmental protection goals via a comprehensive management plan. The pinelands development credit (PDC) program is one tool aimed specifically at land preservation outcomes. The PDC program is a regional “transfer of development rights” market allowing landowners to sell their rights to further develop their property and enter their land into permanent protected status. Since the program’s inception in 1982, over 55,000 acres of sensitive and rare ecosystem have been protected; the more than 1,200 transactions account for US$63 M of economic value. The PDC program is a clear illustration of the role that financial instruments and market mechanisms can play in achieving environmental protection outcomes. This case study offers an overview of the pinelands area, PDC program, and the transfer of development rights concept before examining the PDC program and its outcomes in greater detail. While the program has been hailed as a success, it will face challenges in the coming years, including a relatively inefficient process for converting PDCs into protected lands and the question of how the program can evolve once eligible lands become more scarce.

Commoning the State Forest: Crafting Commons through an Indonesian Social Forestry Program

Studies of the commons grew out of responses to Hardin's bleak prediction of “tragedy of the commons,” that without state intervention or privatization, any commons will eventually be destroyed by allegedly self-interested users. As such, the commons studies traditionally tend to demonstrate cases where common pool resources (CPR) can be sustainably managed by groups of people beyond the state and market interventions. This paper shows a case from Sulawesi, Indonesia, where a state social forestry program can create a space for the program beneficiaries to build a commons. Through fieldwork that involves participant observation and in-depth interviews with program extension workers and beneficiaries in two social forestry farmer groups, this study found that the program can stimulate beneficiary groups to build collective action in managing the state forest plots admitted to them and that the two groups are the only successful ones among 14 neighboring groups that are involved in the same program. The study also shows that the management of the state-sponsored commons requires extension workers with deep knowledge about local people and landscape, economic incentives, and the flexibility of the local state agency in bending the rules based on bottom-up demands. Therefore, the case study shows that, on the one hand, the state program can actually stimulate the creation of the commons. On the other hand, commoning seems to be the only way to ensure a successful social forestry program.

Solar power for some? Energy transition injustices in Kerala, India

The Indian government advocates for a major shift from national reliance on coal to more renewable energy sources. While these aspirations are laudable, a political ecology review reveals the uneven power relations associated with the introduction of renewable energy in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Drawing from fieldwork, research traces how Kerala government solar projects, including schemes to promote rooftop solar, prioritize middle- and upper-class consumers. Historically marginalized communities, including people living below the poverty level and Adivasis (indigenous peoples), are not a priority for the state agency implementing renewable energy and thus are not beneficiaries of cleaner energy. This disconnected approach builds from and exacerbates historical political and resource inequalities and enables the persistence of social and environmental injustices, even while moving towards a lower-carbon future. This model does not allow for all residents to actively engage in decision-making about energy processes and proves to be a missed opportunity to think holistically about development and energy in tandem. Energy democracy provides ideas to disturb this uneven power structure, with cooperatives being one possible way to implement this change. As the case of Kerala underscores, India may undergo an energy transition, but it will not be a just energy transition without significant changes.

Irrigation efficiency depending on water cost

The article provides an analytical review of the achieved crop yields under irrigation in experimental and production conditions. For today, the best production experience in the use of irrigated land indicates that, subject to all agrotechnical requirements, the yield of early grain crops reaches 8-10 t / ha, corn - 10-14 t / ha, oilseeds - 4-6 t / ha, vegetable crops - over 60 t / ha, which is about 90% of their productivity achieved in the experiments of scientific institutions. The comparative assessment of grain production in different climatic zones of Ukraine for the period of the most intense climatic change shows that over the past thirty years, the share of grain production in the Steppe zone has decreased from 45 to 35% of the total in Ukraine. The analysis of service cost for the transportation of water for irrigation in the southern regions of Ukraine is given. It was revealed that, despite a unified standard method for calculating the cost of water transportation, its price varies significantly by operational units of the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine. The main factors of fluctuations in the cost and fees for the transportation services of water for irrigation are the budgetary funding level of operating organizations, providing these services, the number of water transfers, the volume of actual irrigation on irrigated lands, the share of irrigated areas in the service area. The economic assessment of irrigation efficiency when having different water and other technological costs, taking into account the depreciation of capital investments, indicates that having a water price of 4,0-5,0 UAH/m3, the gross profit from growing the most profitable field crops is 35-40 % higher than the efficiency in rainfed agriculture. At the cost of water is 3,0-3,5 UAH/m3 and the use of the production capacity of the inter-farm irrigation network by 60-70%, financial prerequisites will be created for the effective operation of these networks.

What Predicts Job Quality of Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision?

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act emphasizes promoting high-quality, competitive employment for people served by vocational rehabilitation (VR), but few studies have assessed VR consumers’ job quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate job quality and factors that predict the job quality of VR consumers with blindness or low vision (B/LV), taking into consideration their employment status at application. We utilized RSA-911 data of VR consumers with B/LV who were closed in competitive employment during 2015, creating two separate hierarchical linear models to predict job quality for VR consumers (a) who were employed at application and (b) who were not employed at application. We investigated individual-level (consumer personal characteristics and VR services) and state/agency-level predictors. Job quality and some predictors of job quality differed by employment status at application, although the strongest predictors (education level at application, gender, benefit receipt at application, receipt of a bachelor’s or higher degree) were consistent across the models. While several additional individual-level variables were significantly associated with job quality, their effect sizes were very small. With the exception of advancing education to a bachelor’s degree or higher while receiving services, consumer characteristics at application were the primary determinants of their job quality.

Using Voice and Touchscreen Technology to Protect Vulnerable Clients in Residential Care Facilities

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum for long term care facilities to restrict visitation by all nonessential personnel, including guardianship case managers. To enhance caseworker access to their guardianship clients, an eastern seaboard state agency distributed Amazon Echo Show devices to clients in long term care facilities. These touchscreen and voice-activated devices have both video and audio capabilities. This study reports the results of the first phase of a comprehensive evaluation, pilot testing the devices via a group of “superuser” case managers to understand the potential challenges and benefits of using these devices. Sixteen case managers participated in two virtual focus groups before and after the installation of an Echo device with one of their guardianship clients. Participants were asked to discuss experiences in accessing clients and client engagement before and after device installation. The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and two researchers independently identified themes using open and axial coding. Major themes identified included: challenges to device installation and use, strategies to overcome challenges, benefits to using Echo devices, and ethical concerns. These findings suggest that touchscreen or voice-activated devices with video capability can assist case managers in protecting vulnerable clients and ensuring their well-being when in-person access is restricted. Additionally, the devices can be used to enable isolated residents to connect to the outside world, including family, friends, and case managers through technology. Strategies for replication of this innovative program will be discussed.

Do State Agency on Aging Strategic Plans Include Terms Related to Malnutrition?

Demand for federal nutrition assistance programs is increasing as the older population grows and further accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adult nutrition programs are based on federal nutrition guidelines that have traditionally focused on healthy populations, yet many older adults have multiple chronic conditions/advanced age. Some guidelines are changing; the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize older adults’ risk for malnutrition and also need for adequate protein to prevent lean muscle loss with age. The 2020 Older Americans Act (OAA) reauthorization included reduction of malnutrition in OAA’s official purpose and added program participant screening for malnutrition. The OAA requires State Agencies on Aging submit multiyear strategic plans to receive program funding, but it is unknown how the plans address risks for malnutrition, including overweight, underweight, and muscle loss (sarcopenia/frailty). We searched 51 State Agency on Aging strategic plans posted at advancingstates.org to determine their frequency of mentioning nutrition, malnutrition/underweight/undernutrition, obesity/overweight, frail/frailty, sarcopenia, and dietary supplements/oral nutrition supplements (DS/ONS)/meal replacements. Every state plan included nutrition but less than a third included malnutrition. There was wide variability in how nutrition and malnutrition were incorporated into state goals and strategies. Very few plans included obesity, frailty, and DS/ONS terms; none included sarcopenia. Although there has been some movement, there is need for many State Agencies on Aging plans to address all aspects of malnutrition including overweight, underweight/other factors related to muscle loss (sarcopenia/frailty) that adversely impact healthy aging. Wide disparities in plan structure/use of terms create opportunities for more common approaches/definitions.

Hannah Arendt and International Relations

International relations (IR) scholars have increasingly integrated Hannah Arendt into their works. Her fierce critique of the conventional ideas of politics driven by rulership, enforcement, and violence has a particular resonance for theorists seeking to critically revisit the basic assumptions of IR scholarship. Arendt’s thinking, however, contains complexity and nuance that need careful treatment when extended beyond domestic politics. In particular, Arendt’s vision of free politics—characterized by the dualistic emphasis on agonistic action and institutional stability—raises two crucial issues that need further elaboration for IR research that appropriates her thinking. One involves the orientation of her international thoughts. Although Arendt showed “idealistic” aspirations for authentic politics practiced by diverse equals in an institutionally articulated space of freedom, she never lost interest in the extant situation of “non-idealistic” politics. Engaging with Arendt’s theory orientation requires a careful analysis of difficult topics, such as her distinctive conception of the political and her critiques of the nation-state and international law. The other topic that needs clarification when Arendt’s thoughts are applied to IR involves specific ways of associating different sites of power. A close examination of Arendt’s council-based federalism reveals her distinctive idea of international politics, based on her acute awareness of the fundamental complexity that lies in power association and state agency. Bringing IR topics like state agency into conversation with her works generates illuminating questions for Arendt scholarship. Likewise, the ongoing debate on agonistic and institutional features of Arendt’s thoughts can provide crucial insights into critical studies of international politics.

STUDY OF CHANGES IN THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE PSEL RIVER

The article analyzes the changes in the ecological status of the water of the Psel River and identifies possible causes of pollution. The change of ecological status of the surface water source was carried out by analyzing the data of monitoring and ecological assessment of water resources of Ukraine of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine for the period 2012 – 2020. The analysis was performed according to the control of water intake from 6 posts within the river Psel. As a result of the analysis, it was found that further change in the ecological status of the surface water body in the direction of its improvement requires the development and implementation of a reliable and effective model for forecasting its ecological status. In the future, the results of the study can be used in the development and implementation of a reliable and effective model for forecasting the ecological status of the river Psel.

Incorporation of coarse-grained dredged material into marsh and shoreline restoration projects in coastal New Jersey

Millions of cubic yards of sediment are dredged every year in coastal New Jersey for the operation and maintenance of an extensive marine transportation system stretching from the New Jersey Harbor south along the Atlantic Coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May and north up the Delaware River. Dredged material from these public and private projects has been managed using a variety of placement approaches and technologies, from open-water disposal to landfilling to construction materials. For the past several decades, the State of New Jersey has advocated for and implemented a policy of beneficial use of dredged material rather than its disposal. The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Office of Maritime Resources (NJDOT/OMR) is the lead state agency for research and implementation of beneficial use statewide. NJDOT/ OMR is also responsible for the recovery of the 200-mile network of shallow-draft navigation channels along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey that was damaged by a series of severe coastal storms, most notably Superstorm Sandy in 2012. For the past decade, considerable effort has been made to develop methods that use clean dredged material from the Atlantic region to rebuild and improve coastal features such as marshes, dunes, and beaches, thereby retaining the sediment in the ecosystem. Although there have been a number of successful beneficial use projects, concerns remain about the long-term sustainability of the program due to high cost, timelines, scalability, habitat sensitivity, resiliency, aesthetics, and other factors. This paper explores some of these issues and proposes solutions. It focuses on the use of available coarse-grained material as a way to provide resiliency to these restored features while increasing scale and efficiency, protecting aesthetics, and providing increased habitat value.