Meet C.M. Kohlenberg

C.M. Kohlenberg is a homeowner and business owner in the Nanticoke watershed.  He owns a lawn care and landscaping construction company and became involved in the Nanticoke Tributary Action Team about two years ago after attending a public meeting he had read about in the newspaper.  Intending to only be an observer, C.M. has been an active contributing member of the team since that first meeting.  He considers himself to be a student and sees his role on the team as an opportunity to learn the most appropriate techniques and management practices he can apply to his business and to be a steward for the environment as both a business owner and a homeowner.  C.M. admits that he has become more aware of the impact he and his family leave on the environment since becoming involved with the team, and is now "more attuned to the interactions of man with the environment and the potential impact to our lifestyle."

C.M. feels the Pollution Control Strategy (PCS) recommendations will be successful in meeting the total maximum daily load (TMDL) reductions required to meet water quality standards for nutrients. He feels that the process being used to develop the PCS is a step in the right direction. As someone likely to be impacted by the recommendations made in the PCS,  He has brought this valuable perspective to the team as an integral part in the development of an achievable strategy.  

In C.M.'s opinion, "...a strategy has to be realistic; to accomplish this we need to balance future needs/requirements with what has happened in the past and current conditions and methods to control pollutants.  A lot of times developers and farmers are put in the spotlight; however, each one of us can and should be a member of this ongoing strategy.  You can find many examples of harmful practices in our daily lives that could be changed into positive actions to help preserve and improve our environment.  This is absolutely necessary as our environment is a major factor in the formula for a healthy quality of life and recreational opportunities.   Some basic considerations would be proper maintenance of our septic systems or taking soil samples to assist us in determining the right and correct amount of fertilizer for our lawns.  Some more complex considerations are wet land and farm land management, population density planning, and safe disposal of waste material.   Additionally, to accomplish a realistic overall PCS, we need to have effective communications and disseminate accurate data at all levels." 

He recognizes that even though a goal may be established, sometimes that goal, as well as your strategy, may need to be altered based on evolving technology or new available data.  C.M. is impressed by the involvement of the state agencies and their representatives in the team's activities and the interaction with the other members. "The dialog that has taken place on the various topics has been informative and congenial, resulting in a general consensus" between all stakeholders.

C.M. Kohlenberg lived in Delaware until he joined the military at the age of 18,  where he served in the Air Force and Navy for 34 years.  While in the services, he earned a degree in psychology with minors in sociology and international relations from the University of Nebraska in Omaha.  He is married and has two grown children, Charles and Kim.  In the winter of 1998, C.M. and his wife returned to Delaware to settle in Sussex County because they find it a great place to live, and because of the people and comfortable atmosphere.  His interests, besides the Nanticoke team, are being outdoors, exercising, and tinkering with old cars, especially his 1969 Chevy, which he has had since it was new.

C.M. can be reached at cmkohlenberg@mail.bwave.com.