Virginia Coastal Program: 2000 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2000 Task 51
Grantee:
Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
Project Title:
Coastal Resource Technical Assistance Program
Project Description as Proposed:
1. Regional Coastal
Resources Program, including:
- Educational component: presentations to commission members, local
governments, etc., hosting a regional workshop developed with the
Regional Environmental Committee
- Local assistance: implementation of tributary strategies for James
and York rivers, assist local governments in applying for funding
through Water Quality Improvement Fund
- Update of regional environmental maps: continued updates to regional
GIS system, assistance to local governments
- Environmental reviews
- Regional environmental technical committee: Regular meetings to
discuss pertinent issues and share information
2. Technical assistance to local governments: Grant assistance with
applications, requests for proposals, etc.; review of development
proposals, including potential environmental impacts; Review and,
where appropriate, assistance with updating local codes and ordinances
3. Liaison with Federal/State/Local, public and private agencies
and commissions: Participate in meetings and workshops covered under
the Regional Cooperation Act and the Chesapeake Bay Act as well
as attendance of meetings of the Metro City Work Group, designed
to provide input to other committees working with the Chesapeake
2000 agreement
4. Provision of grant administration: Staff will perform necessary
financial and administrative tasks to manage grants, including regularly-scheduled
reports and meetings with DEQ officials.
Federal Funding:
$25,000
Project Contact:
Jackie Stewart, 804.367.6001
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Final report (11-15-01, Form C). Maps, Apr. 2001 Wetlands Workshop summary, and guidance document for Wetlands Compensation Permit Conditions and Perfomance Criteria (12-04-01).
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
The
primary activity undertaken by the Richmond Regional Planning District
Commission this past year dealt with the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement
(C2K) and assisting our localities in continuing to meet additional
commitments of this agreement. PDC staff educated our Board as well
as our Environmental Committee on issues relating to sound land
use, water quality, vital habitat restoration & protection,
and other important goals of the C2K agreement.
Staff took part in a number of committees as a representative of
our region and our local governments. One commitment of the C2K
agreement calls for a revision of the Local Government Participation
Action Plan which attempts to ensure more input from local governments
into meeting the commitments of the agreement, and RRPDC staff were
asked by the Chair of the RRPDC to attend and actively participate
in the revision process for this action plan. Meetings were held
monthly in Northern Virginia and the group communicated through
email on a number of issues including reviewing and revising draft
plans, gathering comments on proposals, and organizing meetings.
Staff took part in a workshop for local government officials to
gather input for the LGPAP. This information was used in developing
the primary goals of the revised LGPAP.
Staff was asked to develop a scope of work to accompany a comprehensive
land use assessment in FY01-02. Interest in this project stemmed
from a joint effort between RRPDC and MPO to map relationships between
land use plans and transportation plans for the Richmond Region.
This map was included as a component of the 2023 Long-Range Transportation
Plan, available from RRPDC.
Staff held a third and final environmental workshop in the series
begun in 2000 at the request of our Environmental Committee. This
workshop dealt with wetlands regulations and mitigation banking.
Dale Davis from DEQ and Elaine Holley from the Army Corps of Engineers
talked about changes in regulations and how local governments will
be affected. The first two workshops dealt with the State environmental
review process and the use of Geographic Information Systems in
environmental planning.
Staff is currently developing an interpretive map in cooperation
with the James River Advisory Committee of the middle James River
for use primarily by boaters. This map will include key environmental
features and historical facts. Another project that staff assisted
JRAC with this year was an effort to get signage installed on bridges
to provide directional information to boaters and other recreational
river users.
Staff continued as active members in the Metropolitan Areas Work
Group of the Chesapeake Bay Program and hosted a meeting of this
group on September 11, 2001. This group was organized to ensure
that issues of importance to metropolitan areas in the Bay watershed
were brought to the attention of the Bay Program, such as urban
stormwater modeling. Staff also met with staff of the Piedmont Region
James River Tributary Strategy Roundtable and is committed to being
an active participant in the tributary strategy implementation process.
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
