Watershed News

February 2006

Watershed News is a publication of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. It is designed to provide timely information to groups working at the watershed level.

In this month's newsletter

1) Funding Opportunities: USDA announces Cooperative Conservation Grants-Proposals Due March 7 to NRCS Offices
2) Webcasts: EPA's Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on Plan2 Fund
3) Izaak Walton League to host Wetlands Webcasts
4) New Publications and Tools: Growth Readiness Report issued by Southeast Watershed Forum
5) EPA Releases Four New Smart Growth Publications
6) Outreach and Education: 10,000 Rain Gardens
7) Nonpoint Source News Notes highlights Environmental Education and Outreach
8) New Partnership between Big Box Retailers on Low Impact Development
9) Upcoming Conferences in 2006

Funding Opportunities

USDA announces Cooperative Conservation Grants-Proposals Due March 7 to NRCS Offices

arial shot of pastural landscape The Natural Resources Conservation Service is funding a two component grant program under the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI). The CCPI was established to foster conservation partnerships that focus on conservation priorities in watersheds and airsheds of special significance. Two million dollars are available through the Conservation Priorities Component, which offers a mechanism to foster partnerships that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds (8-digit HUC or smaller) or airsheds of special significance. An additional $2 million is available through the Rapid Watershed Assessment component, which provides funding for locally-led resource assessment and planning on an 8-digit HUC watershed basis. Complete details can be found at ( http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ccpi/index.html).

Webcasts

EPA's Watershed Academy Sponsors Webcast on Plan2 Fund

service support person in front of a computer screen EPA's Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts to offer free for watershed practitioners around the globe. On Wednesday, Feb.15, Bill Jarocki, Director of the Environmental Finance Center at Boise State University, presented the "Plan2" Fund, a new tool to help watershed organizations develop long-term funding strategies for watershed plans. On Jan. 18, the Academy hosted a Webcast on EPA´s new Draft Watershed Planning Handbook. Audio versions of these and past Webcasts are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. For more information about the Draft Watershed Planning Handbook, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook/.

The Next webcast, slated for March 22^nd, will feature Wendy Wilson and Pat Munoz from the River Network who will discuss sustainable financing for watershed organizations.

Izaak Walton League to host Wetlands Webcasts

The Izaak Walton League is hosting two webcasts: "Wetland-Friendly Lawn and Garden" (March 28, 8:00-10:00pm, EST), which includes information on how to create rain gardens, install rain barrels, landscape with native plants, and reduce pesticide and fertilizer use; and "Wet Spots into Wonderlands" (April 25, 8:00-10:00pm, EST) to discuss the benefits of having wetlands on your property, how to protect those wetlands, and how to create vernal pools or bog gardens. http://www.iwla.org/sos/sosweb.htm

Wetlands Photo by Jay O´Brien

New Publications and Tools

Growth Readiness Report issued by Southeast Watershed Forum

The Southeast Watershed Forum recently released a progress report on the Tennessee Growth Readiness Program - Tennessee Growth Readiness: Water Quality Matters. The report focuses on the development of the training and technical assistance program, the best management practices and model development principles used in its training. More than 40 communities have incorporated the program's best management practices into their local development regulations. The Growth Readiness program was developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Southeast Watershed Forum and the University of Tennessee Water Resources Research Center to help local officials make informed decisions about managing growth while protecting valuable water resources in their communities. Funding was provided, in part, through the EPA 319 Grants and the EPA's Targeted Watershed Grants programs. Copies of the report are available free of charge from the Southeast Watershed Forum. Email kd@southeastwaterforum.org or call 615-627-1310 for a copy. For more information about the Southeast Watershed Forum, visit http://www.southeastwaterforum.org/.

EPA Releases Four New Smart Growth Publications

Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development (EPA publication 231-R-06-001)

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that U.S. population will grow by 50 million people, or approximately 18 percent, between 2000 and 2020. This study intends to help communities better understand the impacts of higher and lower density on water resources. To more fully explore this issue, EPA modeled stormwater runoff from three different densities at three scales-one-acre level, lot level, and watershed level-and at three different time series build-outs to examine the premise that lower-density development is always better for water quality. The findings indicated that low-density development may not always be the preferred strategy for protecting water resources. Higher densities may better protect water quality-especially at the lot level and watershed scale.

Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices (EPA publication 231-B-05-00)

To comply with the Clean Water Act, over 6000 communities across the nation are developing municipal stormwater permitting programs (also known as Phases I & II). Many of these communities are also implementing programs that encourage development in existing communities, redevelopment of vacant properties, promote transportation options and facilitate efficient use of land and infrastructure. "Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices" reviews nine common smart growth techniques and examines how they can be used to prevent or manage stormwater runoff. This publication will help communities encourage smart growth and meet the new regulatory requirements.

Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies (EPA publication 230-R-06-001)

This publication focuses on the relationship between development patterns, water use, and the cost of water delivery. It reviews literature that shows how large-lot, dispersed development patterns cost more to serve because of the length of pipe required, pumping costs, and other factors. The literature also shows that large-lot, dispersed development uses more water. "Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use" concludes with policy options for states, localities, and utilities that directly reduce the cost and demand for water, while indirectly promoting smart growth. These policies offer opportunities for more efficient water use at a time when many communities face water shortages. http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/water_efficiency.htm

Parking Spaces / Community Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions (EPA publication 231-K-06-001)

This report highlights proven approaches that balance parking with broader community goals. Current codes typically apply inflexible minimums that ignore community and developer priorities including environmental quality and human health. An oversupply of unnecessary parking wastes money and creates places that degrade water quality and encourage excess driving and air emissions. The highlighted solutions cover a range of supply management, demand management, and pricing strategies. Communities have found that combinations of parking pricing, shared parking, demand management, and other techniques have helped them create vibrant places while protecting environmental quality and still providing for necessary vehicle storage.

For FREE HARD COPIES of any of these publications, please send an e-mail to nscep@bps-lmit.com or call (800) 490-9198. Electronic versions of these publications are available at: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.

Outreach and Education

small curbside garden 10,000 Rain Gardens
An exciting new initiative- 10,000 Rain Gardens - is underway in Kansas City to educate the public about what citizens can do to improve water quality and manage stormwater on personal and community property. Rain gardens, rain barrels and other green solutions can have a powerful cumulative effect in reducing pollutants such as fertilizer a nd pet waste, in our rivers and streams,. Check out this new outreach effort at http://www.rainkc.com/index.asp.

Nonpoint Source News Notes highlights Environmental Education and Outreach

EPA's latest issue of Nonpoint Source News Notes includes stories of innovative environmental outreach efforts, including a new project by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation to engage meteorologists in watershed education efforts. . Dozens of meteorologists in several major media markets are receiving ready-to-use watershed tips and images, and many are making it to the airwaves. Be sure to check out other stories, reviews, and announcements in this highly informative newsletter.

New Partnership between Big Box Retailers on Low Impact Development

The Low Impact Development Center, Inc. has developed stormwater management strategies for Big Box Retailers that incorporate Low Impact Development (LID) techniques. These techniques are intended to reduce runoff volume and peak discharge rates, as well as improve the water quality of stormwater. Typical LID Best Management Practices include techniques such as bioretention rain gardens, vegetated swales, permeable pavement, planter boxes and green roofs. Most of the techniques can be applied to retrofit projects as well as new development. In a collaborative effort, the Target Corporation provided input on typical industry planning, design and operations considerations. The goal was to present the LID techniques and concepts in a format that fosters a dialogue between corporate developers, local engineers and local government to adapt and integrate LID into the local regulatory and watershed protection programs. More information can be found at http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org. .

Upcoming Conferences in 2006

National Green Building Conference
March 12-14 2006. Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM. Organized by the National Association of Home Builders.
http://www.nahb.org/meeting_details.aspx?meetingID=3249

Safe Drinking Water: Where Science Meets Policy
March 16-17, 2006, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Organized by the Carolina Environmental Program/Drinking Water Research Center/Environmental Finance Center USA.
http://www.cep.unc.edu/symposium/2006/index.html

WORKSHOP: Marketing 101 for Stormwater and Watershed Professionals
March 29, 2006, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Fairfax, VA. Organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Contact: kmull@novaregion.org or http://www.novaregion.org

6th Biennial Great Salt Lake Issues Forum: http://www.fogsl.org/
May 4, in Salt Lake City, Utah and 5&6th at the James V. Hansen Wildlife Education Center at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Brigham City, Utah. The focus of the Forum is Range-wide Migratory Bird Conservation and Great Salt Lake´s Role in Linking Partnerships Within the Western Hemisphere.

2006 National River Rally
The Mount Washington Resort near Bretton Woods, New Hampshire May 5-9, 2006
http://www.rivernetwork.org/rally/

5th National Monitoring Conference-Monitoring Networks: Connecting for Clean Water
May 7-11, 2006. San José McEnery Convention Center, San José, CA. Organized by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council.
http://www.tetratech-ffx.com/nwqmc06/

2nd National Water Quality Trading Conference
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/training Pittsburgh, PA May 23-25, 2006.
The conference is being hosted by EPA and USDA. A 1-day pre-conference workshop on Trading Basics, taught by EPA, will be held on Monday, May 22, 2006. For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/training.

Be sure to check our EPA's new Watershed Discussion Forum! This new on-line message board offers watershed practitioners and citizens a platform to exchange ideas, so that innovative solutions and ideas can be easily shared. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedforum/ and join in! Anyone can view the discussion, but one must register to post messages.

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Mention of any commercial enterprise, product, or publication does not constitute endorsement by EPA. Also, EPA does not endorse any group's policies, activities or positions on any federal, state or local legislation.

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