Mid-Atlantic Green Highways Partnership Building Bridges through Collaborative Partnerships Overview & Progress Update

How do you define a Green Highway? Cleanse all runoff from highway without adversely affecting adjacent areas sources of hydrology or habitat values Complies with all environmental laws Net increase of chemical, biological, physical functions and values of watershed Reducing the disruption of basic ecological processes Identify, avoid and protect critical resource areas Meet green highways principles Better than before Collaborative Evaluate need and benefit of regulatory flexibility Cost Effectiveness Minimize land clearing within right of way Plant and seed with native vegetation

What is the Green Highways Partnership? Voluntary – Not Regulatory Collaborative –a “network of industry, trade, & environmental organizations, private sector (consultants & contractors), and government (local, state, & federal). Public – Private Partnership Goal is to promote innovation, stewardship, streamlining, and regulatory consistency & flexibility. To provide greater incentives for streamlining & environmental stewardship in transportation.

Why are we doing this?  Demand & Expectations from the Public for both agencies  Complexity of transportation & environmental problems – environmental & transportation problems not as simple as they used to be.  Economic cost of delay – for both building grey infrastructure & solving environmental problems  Shrinking Resources … WE need Innovation, Smart Thinking & Good Government to address our common future!

Pillars of GHP Partnerships Rewards & Recognition Recognize programs, projects, and activities for excellence in achieving of “better than before” defined for each focus area. Economic efficiencies and regulatory flexibility Opportunities –Pilots –Training –Green Highways Partnership Network Information HUB for all activities related to Green Highways

Green Highways Roadmap Major Mile Markers Establishment of Pilot or Demonstration Projects –to inform & inspire the implementation of practices/actions that are: Innovative (policy & practice) Efficient & cost effective ($$$ and time) Environmentally sound & protective Establishment of the Green Highways Partnership Network –to promote information exchange & partnership in the Mid-Atlantic Website & Virtual Private Network State specific workshops to discuss opportunities & present innovative practices Build a Business Plan –to develop a self-sustaining Public-Private Partnership

What’s happened so far? Stakeholder meetings (ongoing) Mid-Atlantic Green Highways Initiative Planning Charrette – June 2005 Green Highways Ad-Hoc Committee Formed –Definition, Mission Statement, & Objectives created. Green Highways Forum – November 2005 –Executive Session – Agency and Industry leaders discussed the goals and objectives of GHI and provided input into the future direction of the effort. Green Highways Partnership Retreat – March Development of the Roadmap & formation of Theme Teams Regulatory Roundtable – October 2006

Theme Teams Innovative Watershed-Driven Stormwater Management –Promote the integration of public and private stakeholder interest toward the mutual goal of supporting sustainable use of natural resources. Recycling and Reuse –To promote the environmentally sound and technically acceptable use of industrial materials in the transportation infrastructure Conservation and Ecosystem Protection –A regional ecosystem framework scaleable to support decision-making, implementation & monitoring that incorporates a set of tailored core data sets/maps & a tailored decision-making process depending on the audience engaged from planning to O&M

Identify state DOT projects to optimize the beneficial use of industrial by-products. –Target 3 states: PA,MD,VA –Work with DOTs & DNR’s/DEQs jointly Identify Existing Regulations & Specifications –Target states for follow up after information is gathered –Provide technical information to help them overcome hurdles –Exchange best practices Collection & Dissemination of Information –Develop a toolkit for implementers –House the information/toolkit on GHP website Contacts & Sources of material Green Highways Roadmap Recycle/Reuse Theme Team Plan

Success! GHP fosters collaboration and leveraging of funding among public and private entities… –GHP leverages several MILLION Dollars for Anacostia River Urban Watershed Partnership – Focuses on innovative partnerships between transportation organizations & watershed groups to address stormwater & nutrients in the Anacostia Watershed Funded by $700K EPA Targeted Watershed funding & $300K Department of Transportation – FHWA funds Matching funds from proposals well over 1 million dollars –American Concrete Pavement Association focusing it’s current research agenda on green practices pervious concrete & technologies to reduce heat island effects

Success! GHP working with Villanova University and Prince Georges County –to investigate the effectiveness of pervious concrete and porous asphalt –the potential applications of these techniques in roadway construction. GHP partnering with Maryland State Highway Administration –to develop successful watershed approaches to stormwater management –the application of a Green Infrastructure approach in the project development of Maryland Route 301. –Maryland SHA is striving to make MD 301 a "green highway" through the application of innovative "green" techniques and processes. GHP influenced Transportation Research Board’s to focus it’s May 2006 Peer Exchange on the Mid-Atlantic Region –Environmental Geospatial Information for Transportation Peer Exchange

Contact Information Denise Rigney US EPA Region III Dominique Lueckenhoff

Mid-Atlantic Green Highways Partnership Building Bridges through Collaborative Partnerships Theme Teams

Green Highways Roadmap Stormwater Theme Team Plan Promote the integration of public and private stakeholder interest toward the mutual goal of supporting sustainable use of natural resources. Address Regulatory flexibility & policy to support watershed based stormwater management –NPDES, 404, 401, state regulations, TMDLs, etc Develop white paper to identify needs, barriers, and actions needed to address barriers Develop business case for DOTs to justify watershed based stormwater management Research and Development

A regional ecosystem framework scaleable to support decision-making, implementation & monitoring that incorporates: –a set of tailored core data sets/maps –a tailored decision-making process depending on the audience –engaged from planning to O&M, identified as 5 process points Integration at project level Integration at planning level Employ it through upgrade of transportation system to accomplish retrofits Develop maps for MPO use Information sharing between us & local level to integrate into land use planning Green Highways Roadmap Conservation/Eco Mgmt Theme Team Plan

What’s Next? Listening sessions for State DOTs, Departments of Environment, the Federal Resource Agencies, Business and Industry Partners, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations. Refinement of Theme Team Plans –Development of work plans –Identification & selection of pilot projects –Identification of funding sources & mechanisms Coordination meeting for Mid-Atlantic Federal Resource Agencies - USEPA, USACE, US FWS and possibly NRCS and NOAA. Green Highways Partnership Network website

Forum Executive Session Integrated framework of information sharing and communication; Build on current successful efforts.. CSS A rewards/recognition program to provide incentives and showcase successes to inspire replication across the country. Turn the good ideas into practical realities by integrating & leveraging GHI stakeholders energies, interests & resources equitably. Silo-smashing effort that develops a framework for action which allows for market based solutions. Joint funding & integrated goals Joint research and technology transfer

Watershed Improvement Concepts Sawmill Creek

Weems Creek SHA developed a watershed improvement plan during design phase SHA implemented several retrofits and integrated BMPs County and City implemented stream improvements and stormwater improvements Navy Stadium implemented retrofits Transportation Enhancement Funding used to partner Private funds raised for some retrofits and improvements

2001 – corresponding manhole 2004 – Terrace and vane to protect manholes 2005 – receding leg of ~2-yr event Rock Creek - Joseph’s Branch, Montgomery County Rock Creek

Green Highways Roadmap Stormwater Theme Team & the Bay Pilots are proposed for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through partnership with Maryland State Highway Administration, District of Columbia DOT, PA DOT Md SHA utilizes a watershed approach in addressing stormwater requirements & retro-fits. Key Principles are: –Focus on best solution considering cost and the environment ex. Combination of traditional BMPs & LID –Collaboration in a watershed – needs of the watershed & proposed actions - bring together all developers, users, watershed groups to develop a collaborative & coordinated solution –Collaboration includes funding… no individual agency or group should be targeted to fund all improvements.

~ THE GREEN HIGHWAY ~ “Meeting transportation requirements and applying environmental stewardship so both are better than before” EDUCATION PLANNING SMART GROWTH CSS NEPA STEWARDSHIP RECYCLING MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS MATERIALS The “ON RAMPS” TO A GREEN HIGHWAY ~ THE GREEN HIGHWAY FORUM ~ “On Ramp” Stakeholders Enhance Partnerships Exchange Information Innovate Recognition Solve Cross Cut Issues

Transportation Community State DOTs FHWA Contractors Universities Consultants TRB Trade Assc A Bridge between Environmental & Transportation Communities Relationship of Green Highway Partnership Network & The Center for Environmental Excellence Environmental Community State DEPs Army Corps EPA FWS NGO’s, Contractors Universities

Goals & Missions of Environmental Protection and Transportation are Merging! “In the beginning” NEPA Environmental Stewardship Green Highways Environmental Protection Transportation