Southeast New England Program and New England Environmental Finance Center Launch SNEP Network
February 2020
Do you live in a community that struggles to finance water quality improvements? Have you looked for ways to bolster resilience to storms and reduce frequent flooding? Are you happy with your town's ability to manage environmental programs? Do you worry about the loss of the special places that make your town "home"?
You are not alone. Flooding, harmful algal blooms, shellfish bed and swimming beach closures, fewer boating and fishing opportunities, and lost aquatic habitats are all shared problems --- problems on track to get much worse and more widespread as our climate changes.
Stress no more. Help is at hand. The Southeast New England Program (SNEP) is here to offer no-cost training and technical assistance to address these and other local needs to communities, tribes and environmental organizations. Under a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New England Environmental Finance Center (NE EFC), is gearing up a team of local experts, the "SNEP Network", to offer financial and technical services encompassing stormwater management, water quality and habitat restoration, green infrastructure, low impact development, climate resiliency, and environmental restoration.
And because we know that the specific causes of poor habitat and water quality vary by watershed, the services will also vary --- customized to provide one-on-one assistance not only in water quality resources and habitat restoration, but also in financing, consensus building, stakeholder engagement, and project management. With decades of experience working in New England, the network's broad range of experts and local organizations will act as partners to communities, tribes, and environmental organizations, helping them figure out what they need to do and building a regional community of practice that encourages collaboration, communication, and innovation.
SNEP Network Partners include:
- Audubon Society in Rhode Island
- Mass Audubon's Shaping the Future of Your Community Program
- Brown University
- Cape Cod Commission
- Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University
- Environmental Finance Center at University of North Carolina
- Elizabeth Scott Consulting
- Kimberly Groff Consulting
- The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Save the Bay
- Throwe Environmental
- University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center
- University of Rhode Island
Look for future announcements on how you can request assistance and join the Network.
SNEP Network Works in Progress
"This is an important milestone for EPA's Southeast New England Program," said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. "Establishing this technical network will fill a significant need, helping communities, tribes, and local organizations build and enhance their abilities to manage their programs in ways that produce multiple environmental and fiscal benefits."
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"One-Day Primer for Elected/Appointed Officials in State/Local Government" workshops in MA and one in RI on March 11 & 12, 2020. The workshops are to build awareness and galvanize action by community decision makers around climate resilience.
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A series of 5 "Show Me The Money" workshops, starting February, 2020. Funding and Financing workshops to address and prioritize sustainable financing for stormwater management, improved water quality, and more successfully funded grants.
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Mapping existing partnerships with a stewardship "StewMap" to glean strengths and gaps in provider networks in the SNEP region.
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Climate financing conference in Massachusetts in April.
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Development of a New England Stormwater Retrofit Manual which will provide innovative ways to fix stormwater problems in highly impacted areas.
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A "Leadership Exchange" program to spur the emergence of new local leaders who can inspire and mentor others working on stormwater, resilience planning, and environmental financing into the future.
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Access to "on-call" assistance, a prequalified consultant pool, and an opportunity for communities to receive assistance through a "call for participants" process is set up to help communities plan and execute activities and projects, and to tap into the expertise of the SNEP Network.
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More information can be found on snepnetwork.org with more content coming soon!
For more information please contact Project Manager, Jon Kachmar (jon.kachmar@maine.edu)