Virginia Coastal Program: 2000 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2000 Task 49
Grantee:
Northern Virginia Planning District Commission
Project Title:
Coastal Resources Technical Assistance Program
Project Description as Proposed:
NVPDC's Coastal
Resources Technical Assistance Program, which is entering its 13th
year in 2000, provides ongoing support to Northern Virginia local
governments by coordinating and implementing coastal and environmental
programs of a regional nature. For FY 2000/2001, this grant-funded
program will consist of three distinct tasks.
(1) Technical Assistance. NVPDC will continue to provide technical
assistance to local governments on coastal and Chesapeake Bay issues
and will serve as a proactive point of information exchange between
State, local, federal, and regional parties involved in coastal
resouces management. Specific initatives that NVPDC will be involved
with include the continued establishment of a Chesapeake Bay Program
Metropolitan Areas Workgroup, the formation of a Potomac Watershed
Roundtable, and the convening of an ad-hoc regional committee to
review how Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Resource Protection Areas
are defined and mapped.
(2) NVironment Newsletter. NVPDC will produce two NVironment newsletters
as the program's primary public outreach tool. Articles will focus
on analysis of coastal and environmental issues affecting the region
and will highlight Northern Virginia's unique role in coastal resources
management.
(3) Northern Virginia Chesapeake Bay Partner Community Award Initiative.
NVPDC will work with Northern Virginia localities that have not
yet applied for a Chesapeake Bay Program Partner Community Award
(which includes all governments with the exception of the cities
of Alexandria and Fairfax and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax
County, and Prince William) to apply and/or assess how their programs
could be modified to qualify for a Partner Community Award.
Federal Funding:
$25,000
Project Contact:
Katherine Mull, 703.642.0700
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
NVironment Newsletter- NVRC published one edition of its NVironment newsletter. The newsletter included articles on the challenges associated with population growth in the Occoquan Reservoir watershed, efforts to streamline Virginia's various stormwater management regulations, upcoming water and waste regulations, and new gubernatorial appointments.
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
NVRC
continued to provide a critical link between Northern Virginia local
governments and State and federal environmental agencies, including
the interstate Chesapeake Bay Program. Projects in which NVRC took
an active or leading role include the recent amendments to the Chesapeake
Bay Preservation Area Designation Management Regulations, the Shenandoah
and Potomac Basins Interim Nutrient Cap Strategy, the National Redevelopment
Roundtable, and the Bay Program Local Government Participation Action
Plan. NVRC coordinated an August 28, 2001 regional meeting with
CBLAD to discuss proposed amendments to the Bay Act as well as a
proposed local government "implementation review process."
NVRC served on the DEQ/DCR Interim Nutrient Cap Strategy Team and
coordinated an October 5, 2000 non-governmental stakeholder input
forum. NVRC also took the lead in writing the urban stormwater technical
analysis that was used in the final strategy document. NVRC participated
in a National Redevelopment Roundtable, sponsored by the Center
for Watershed Protection, which has resulted in the publication
of a "Smart Site Practices for Redevelopment and Infill Projects
Consensus Agreement." NVRC lead and coordinated and effort
with the Bay Program Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC)
to update the "Local Government Participation Action Plan."
The purpose of the update is to develop strategies to strengthen
local government participation in the Bay Program in light of the
many commitments affecting local governments in the 2000 Chesapeake
Bay Agreement. NVRC, with assistance from HRPDC and Crater PDC,
coordinated two local government focus groups in July, 2001. The
purpose was to gather input from local staff and elected officials
on areas of the Agreement critical to local governments and to discuss
ways for Virginia and the Bay Program to better engage local governments
in the decision-making process. The final revised document will
be acted on by LGAC in February, 2002.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Commitments Task Force - NVRC was
appointed to the Bay Program's Watershed Commitments Task Force,
which is charged with coordinating the Bay Agreement commitment
that two-thirds of the Bay watershed be covered by watershed management
plans by the year 2010. As part of this process, NVRC agreed to
chair the Inventory and Tracking Committee, which was responsible
for gathering information on existing efforts and determining how
the commitment will be tracked in the future. As a result of NVRC's
efforts, a survey was sent to all Community Watershed Organizations
identified by the Bay Program to assess the degree to which planning
was taking place. NVRC also worked with LGAC and the Department
of Conservation and Recreation to include watershed planning questions
in Chesapeake Bay-related surveys being conducted by the two groups.
The resulting product is a draft map of where Bay watershed planning
efforts are taking place as well as a database of local contacts.
This information will be used by Virginia and other states in targeting
their watershed outreach efforts.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
