VA SOS Services

VA SOS Services

Despite funding shortages, VA SOS is committed to providing opportunities for citizens to become VA SOS monitors. We will continue to research new methods for volunteer monitors and continue to provide quality assurance services including our database of water quality information. We also can assist you in locating funding for your training and certification needs. Please contact us regarding this (804-615-5036 or stacey @ vasos.org)

However, our training and certification services to your organization may be limited and there may be a charge for demonstrations and teacher workshops. Please read the information below about our services and how VA SOS can assist your organization in meeting your outreach and education goals.

Read Memo from Jay Gilliam regarding changes in VA SOS services

Organizations with existing VA SOS monitoring programs

Organizations wishing to establish a VA SOS monitoring program

Organization wishing to host teacher workshops

Organization wishing to have VA SOS participate in a demonstration for an earth day or similar community event.

Counties and cities wishing to have VA SOS provide services to prepare Watershed Management Plans or to meet Stormwater Phase II requirements.

Memo

From : Jay Gilliam – Coordinator VA SOS

To : anyone requesting services from VA SOS

Concerning : our transition to “fee for service”

Date : April 2003

Va SOS has been supported by public and private grants since 1996. We have been able to supply services and support to many schools, grass roots groups, SWCDs, and localities at no charge during this period. This support has been greatly appreciated.

Due to cutbacks in support provided by the Commonwealth and private foundations we are no longer in a position to provide the services at no charge. We are hard at work looking for new sources of funding but to date have been generally unsuccessful in this search.

As a result we are beginning to charge a fee for the work that we do. The fees will in all likelihood not cover all of the costs associated with providing the services, but will be necessary and help us to cover our expenses. We reserve to right to discount the fee to groups that can hardly afford it and in some (rare) instances I expect that I will be working as a volunteer when I provide a training session. I do not expect the rest of the staff to do this and reserve the right to choose this option rarely.

We hope that, in the future, folks who want to avail themselves of our services, will work with us to project the total amount of time and services that will be needed over the course of a year and then help us look far and wide for a sponsor to cover these costs. Please do not let this turn of events diminish your interest in our services. It costs nothing to begin the conversation and we hope that there will continue to be a demand for the services that we love to provide.

Jay Gilliam jay @ vasos.org 540 377 6179

Organizations with existing VA SOS monitoring programs

We will continue to provide you with services to the extent possible utilizing our existing funding sources. This will include all database and quality assurance services and we will try to continue providing training and certification services.

If you receive funding from other sources, please include some funds to reimburse VA SOS for our services to your organization. If you need help determining these costs, please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org.

We would like to continue to offer our services and expand our services and your monitoring program. We would like to meet with you to discuss the future of your monitoring program and devise a plan for funding that program. An outline of this process can be found at this link: vasos future

Organizations wishing to establish a VA SOS monitoring program

In order to best serve the needs of your organization, we would like to help you devise a monitoring plan for your organization. An outline of this process can be found at this link: vasos future

Organization wishing to host teacher workshops

Teacher workshops are a great way for your organization to create a constituency and meet outreach goals. Unfortunately, teacher education is not a primary mission of VA SOS, and we must charge a fee to cover our costs for administering teacher workshops. These costs vary and depend upon the detail and format of the session. Please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org for details on the costs of teacher workshops.

We are committed to providing resources and opportunities for teachers and will have a SOL guide to the Virginia Save Our Streams monitoring method available by early fall.

If you receive funding from other sources to fund teacher workshops, please include some funds to reimburse VA SOS for our services. If you need help determining these costs, please contact please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org.

Organization wishing to have VA SOS participate in a demonstration for an earth day or similar community event.

Community events are a great way for your organization to create a constituency and meet your outreach goals. Unfortunately, this type of outreach is not a primary mission of VA SOS and we must charge a fee to cover our costs for these events. Costs vary and depend upon the detail and format of the event. Please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org for details on these costs.

If you receive funding from other sources to fund community events, please include some funds to reimburse VA SOS for our services. If you need help determining these costs, please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org.

Counties and cities wishing to have VA SOS provide services to prepare Watershed Management Plans or to meet Storm Water Phase II requirements.

VA SOS has many programs and services that can be utilized by counties and cities to develop Watershed Management Plans and to meet Storm Water Phase II requirements. Our citizen driven data collection efforts are perfect for soliciting citizen support needed to develop Watershed Mangement Plans while collecting valuable data necessary to identify and prioritize planning for each watershed in your locality. Costs vary and depend upon the scope of services desired by your community. Please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org.

Many of our outreach and training programs comply with the public outreach, education, involvement and participation requirements of Storm Water Phase II. In addition, we can also develop a program to include detection of illicit discharges, while implementing the public outreach and participation requirements. Costs vary and depend upon the scope of services desired by your community. Please contact Stacey Brown at 804-615-5036 or stacey at vasos.org.