An Introduction and Update of the Urban Water Federal Partnership (UWFP) NOAA Brown Bag Presentation August 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.

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 ; 4 th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration, Aug 4, 2011 Baltimore MD Urban Waters Federal Partnership 4 Agencies EPA* USDA* DOI* HUD DOT USACE NOAA EDA CDC NIEHS CNCS with WH-DPC 4

Federal Partnership Timeline 5 Administrator’s Charge Launch 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, 2011 Baltimore, MD UWFP National Training Workshop July 21-22, 2011 EPA Potomac Yards Facility Alexandria VA Next Steps: Community Engagement Local Events Roundtables Shared work plan development Spring - Fall 2009 Winter – Summer 2010 Fall 2010 – Spring 2011 Summer - Fall 2011

6 Urban Waters Project Locations 6

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 8 Pilot Selection Process Nominated 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 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 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: – 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