America’s Great Outdoors and Urban Waters Federal PartnershipUrban Ecosystem Services and Decision Making:A Roundtable On A Green Philadelphia

The Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaMay 23, 2013David P. Russ, PhD, Regional Director, Northeast RegionU.S. Geological Survey

America’s Great Outdoors

• In the increasingly urbanized and plugged-in society of the 21st century, the threat of a diminishing connection between people and the outdoors has never been greater.

• President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative in April, 2010 to address this challenge, charging his cabinet … with developing a 21st century conservation agenda.

From AGO, 2012, Progress Report

America’s Great Outdoors

• Establishing Great Urban Parks and Community Green Spaces

• Conserving and Restoring Large Landscapes and Working Lands

• Enhancing Rivers and Other Waters

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

• Partnership of 11 Federal agencies designed to help urban communities – particularly underserved communities – as they restore and protect urban water quality, revitalize neighborhoods, and reconnect citizens to their urban waterways.

• Federal partners will begin by building upon current projects in specific localities that can enhance on-the- ground working relationships between Federal partners and local organizations.

• Federal partners will put communities first; we cannot do this alone; we will listen to and engage communities, ensuring that they are full partners.

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

• Visiono “Through our Partnership, we will

revitalize urban waters and the communities that surround them, transforming overlooked assets into treasured centerpieces and drivers of urban revival.”

• Multiple Administration Goals:o Natural Resource Restoration coupled

with Community & Economic Revitalization

o Environmental Justiceo AGO 5

Partnership Agencies

EPA USDADOIHUDDOT

USACE NOAA EDACDC

NIEHS CNCS

EDDOEwith

WH-DPCWH- CEQ

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Guiding Principles• Promote clean urban waters• Reconnect people to their waterways• Conserve water• Use urban water systems as a way to

promote economic revitalization and prosperity

• Encourage community improvements through active partnerships

• Be open and honest. Listening is the best way to engage communities.

• Focus on measuring results and evaluation to fuel future success

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Urban Waters Federal Partnership

More at:urbanwaters.gov

Progress to Date

77

First Year

Pilot Locations

Anacostia River (DC/MD)

Baltimore / Patapsco River

(MD)

Bronx & Harlem Rivers (NY)

Denver / South Platte River (CO)

Los Angeles River (CA)

New Orleans / Lake Pontchartrain (LA)

Northwest Indiana (IN)

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• 7 pilots have been launched.• 11 Federal agencies are participating.• Each pilot has one or more Federal co-

sponsors.• Federal partners have engaged local

partners, including municipal officials, watershed associations, NGOs, academia, and State agencies.

• Multiple meetings and workshops have been held to identify priorities and working relationships.

• Online digital mapping tools have been developed that portray spatial data and locations of projects and activities.

Eleven New UWFP Locations1. Albuquerque, New Mexico (Middle Rio Grande) 2. Atlanta, Georgia (Proctor Creek Watershed3. Chelsea/Everett/North of Boston, Massachusetts (Mystic

River Watershed)4. Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand River)5. Kansas City, Missouri (Middle Blue River)6. Passaic, New Jersey (Passaic River)7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Chester, Pa., Wilmington, DE,

and Camden, NJ) (Delaware River Watershed)8. San Juan, Puerto Rico (Martin Pena Channel9. Seattle, Washington (Puget Sound - Green - Duwamish

Watershed)10.St. Louis, Missouri - (Meramec and Big River Watersheds)11.Toledo, Ohio (Western Lake Erie Basin)

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Revitalizing the Delaware River

Watershed• Encompasses Philadelphia to Wilmington,

including Camden and Chester.• Area has lost significant economic benefits and

ecosystem services.• Numerous efforts underway to reduce impacts of

urbanization on water quality, wetlands, degraded habitats, biota.

• Federal co-sponsors – U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, DOI

• Michael Leff – U.S. Forest Service - Ambassador