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America’s Great Outdoors and Urban Waters Federal Partnership
Urban Ecosystem Services and Decision Making:A Roundtable On A Green Philadelphia
The Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaMay 23, 2013
David 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
EDDOE
with
WH-DPCWH- CEQ
5
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
6
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)
4
• 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 Locations
1. 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)8
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