An Introduction and Update of the Urban Water Federal

Partnership (UWFP)

NOAA Brown Bag PresentationAugust 11, 2011

Objectives

• Provide Background Information on the UWFP including the Vision, Timeline, Selection of Pilot Locations, and NOAA Participation

• Present Background Information from the UWFP Pilot Locations

• Discuss Relevance to NOAA Programs/Goals

UWFP – What is it?11 Federal Agencies, jointly signing a statement of Vision, Mission and Principles on June 24, 2011 to help urban and

metropolitan areas, particularly those that are under-served or economically distressed, as they restore and protect

urban water quality, revitalize adjacent neighborhoods, and reconnect to their urban waterways. With the application of

federal, state and local tools, the partnership will leverage existing assets to promote short-term and long-term actions

towards local urban water revitalization goals.

www.urbanwaters.gov

• Vision– “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.”

• Mission & Principles focus on:– Underserved and distressed communities– Integrating natural resource and community &

economic development agencies

• Advances:– President’s Urban Agenda– NOAA Next Generation Strategic Plan– National Ocean Policy

• Linking Land and Ocean – Plenary Session Presentation by Dr. Larry Robinson ; 4th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration, Aug 4, 2011 Baltimore MD

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

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Agencies

EPA* USDA*DOI*HUDDOT

USACE NOAA EDACDC

NIEHS CNCSwith

WH-DPC

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Federal Partnership Timeline

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Administrator’s ChargeLaunch an EPA-wide urban waters effort

Stakeholder Engagement “Urban Waters Conversations” Call for more effective federal coordination.

“One EPA” Inreach

Administrator Call to White House Domestic Policy Council Director

Federal Partnership Forum

Vision, Mission and Principles

Nomination of Pilot Locations (30)

Nominations Evaluated

First Phase Pilot Locations (7) Identified

“Fed-to-Fed” Assessments

Initial Local & Community Consultations

National Announcement June 24, 2011Baltimore , MD

UWFP National Training Workshop July 21-22, 2011 EPA Potomac Yards Facility Alexandria VA

Next Steps: Community Engagement Local EventsRoundtablesShared work plan development

Spring - Fall2009

Winter – Summer 2010

Fall 2010 – Spring 2011

Summer - Fall2011

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Urban Waters Project Locations

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NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Watershed Project Locations

Protecting and restoring coastal watersheds involves understanding an array of complex environmental issues and synthesizing various kinds of information. Because aquatic ecosystems are affected by so many different characteristics of the watershed,

impact assessment and management can be significantly improved by using a method that shows the geographic relationship between measurements taken at specific places and the characteristics specific to that region.

• First Phase Locations (with lead agency)

Anacostia (DOI)*Baltimore (USDA)*Bronx/Harlem (DOI)*Los Angeles (EPA)New Orleans (EPA)*NW Indiana (USDA)*Denver (USDA/EPA)

* Indicates where NOAA has participated in Fed to Fed Assessments/Meetings 8

First Phase Pilot Locations

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Pilot Selection ProcessNominated by agencies, led by EPA Regions Criteria included:

• Agency willing to lead• Multiple federal agencies

already engaged• Underserved and distressed

communities• Active state, local and

community partners• Also considered: Geographic

diversity

NOAA Participation to Date

-Signature of Mission, Vision and Principals Statement-Information Request to Line Offices-Attendance at Pilot Kick-Off Meetings with various levels of on-going participation- Participation in National Press Release and Stakeholder Training Workshop

Anacostia River

Watts Branch Stream Daylighting

Restoring Urban Streams

Reducing Trash

Economic Revitalization

Toxics Cleanup

Improving Water Quality

Riverwalk Trail

Green Infrastructure

Education

Baltimore/Patapsco River

Watershed Partnerships

Land Management to Restore Waters

Dam Removals

Green Infrastructure

Economic Development

• Urban Waters Initiative – Baltimore Pilot NOAA Activities • NOAA has a variety of programs in line with the vision of the Urban Waters Initiative, including those that

assess and aid the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, oil spills, and marine debris; implement ecological restoration; address the impacts of climate change; and build coastal community resiliency. Most, if not all, of these programs also engage communities in the process. The Patapsco Watershed in the Baltimore, Md., region will serve as one of seven pilot locations for this initiative, which the partners hope will help them understand environmental, economic, and social issues through a community’s eyes. NOAA has the following programs and projects in the Baltimore area that support this vision for cleaner urban waters and stronger urban communities.

Bronx/Harlem River

Urban Forestry

Education/Community Service

Ecological Restoration / Oysters

Brownfield Revitalization

Conservation

New Orleans/Lake Pontchartrain

Environmental Education

Greenway Revitalization

Facilities Reconstruction

Enhanced Access

Conservation

NW Indiana

Rivers Cleanup

Education

Revitalization

Brownfield Revitalization

Water Quality

Economic Revitalization/ More Jobs

Los Angeles River

Fire Restoration

Ecosystem Restoration

Wetlands Park

Green Infrastructure

Education

Drinking Water Supplies

Denver/South Platte River

Wildfire Management

Drinking Water

Brownfield Revitalization

Recreation

Green Infrastructure

Public Access

NOAA Programs Supporting Urban Water Efforts

-Responses from Line Offices to PCO request:-Remediation/Restoration (ex. DARRP)-Restoration/Conservation (ex. OCRM)-Environmental Monitoring (ex. Mussel Watch)-Assessment and Planning (ex. CSC data and tools)-Community Grants (ex. NMFS, Marine Debris)-Education, Training, and Research (ex. SeaGrant, BWET)

National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration Aug 1-5 2011 Baltimore MD

• Focus on Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration– Ches Bay, Everglades, GOM, Bay Delta, Great Lakes

• Several Sessions/Presentations on Urban Restoration Efforts– NY Harbor Estuary, Baltimore

• Discussion on the need for Local Watershed/ Community Focused Restoration

Ecosystem Importance of Urban Areas

• Large Human Populations – Socio-Economics; Awareness– Differing priorities but strongly linked to larger ecosystems– Brownfields– Ecosystem Services

• Regulatory Actions – TMDLs, LTCP’s, Cleanups/Spills, etc– CSOs, trash, habitat impacts, stormwater, toxics

• Relationship between Impervious Surface, Summer Dissolved Oxygen, and Fish Distribution in Chesapeake Bay Subestuaries (Uphoff Jr, et al , March 2011)

• Gov O’Malley NCER presentation– Police Analogy– Bay Stat

UWFP – Relevance to NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council (NOCC)

National Ocean Policy

-Integrating and coordinating ocean, coastal, and Great Lake activities across NOAA, including participation in or support for various Executive Orders and/or interagency fora (e.g., Executive Order 13508 on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration).

-Providing a forum for coordinating and strengthening NOAA’s participation in interagency collaborative efforts

Engagement Strategies-Regional Ecosystem Protection and Restoration - how do urban water areas effect coastal, estuarine, and ocean ecosystems? Socio-economic considerations? climate adaptation?

-Ecosystem Base Management

-Water Quality and Sustainable Practices on Land

Conclusions

• Further outreach within NOAA– August 11 NOAA Brown Bag Presentation– NOAA Regional Teams

• Coordination with National Ocean Policy efforts• Recommendation:

– Consider leading a pilot in areas with significant NOAA on-going projects

• Urban Delaware River/Estuary (Philadelphia, PA; Camden, NJ; Wilmington, DE)

• For more information visit: www.urbanwaters.gov• www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqQhhLwCVGk

– Video of National Announcement of UWFP

Participants

• Under Secretaries Dr Larry Robinson and Monica Modina; Jainey Bavishi

• NOAA Program Coordination Office – Lindsey Williams• ORR - Dave Westerholm, Alyce Fritz, Brendan Bray, Kate

Nielson, Mary Lee Haughwout, Lisa Pelstring, Celeste Leroux, John Ewald, Paula Bizot, Vicki Lowe, Glenda Powell

• NMFS – Mary Andrews, Kevin Schabow, Rich Takacs, Cheryl Broadnax, Jim Turek, Jean Cowan, Tim Osborn

• CSC – Nancy Cofer-Shabika