Overview of the PPBEP Grant and Elements of an Estuary Program

Transcription

1 Overview of the PPBEP Grant and Eements of an Estuary Program November 1, 2017 Amy Newbod RESTORE Projects Manager Guf of Mexico Program U.S. Environmenta Protection Agency

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3 History of Estuary Program u U.S. Congress amended the Cean Water Act (Section 320) to estabish a Nationa Estuary Program (NEP) to identify, protect and restore estuaries of nationa significance. u programs were created Another 10 were under deveopment, but had not been federay approved u Congress reauthorized and updated the NEP in the Estuaries and Cean Waters Act of This expanded roe to deveop and impement CCMPs.

4 Recenty u 2016 Reauthorized unti Authorizes $26 miion per year for 28 individua programs. Caps EPA admin expenses to 5%. 15% for grants for NEPs to address chaenges facing estuaries u 2017 Congressiona Estuary Caucus was formed now more than 27 house members. Loca Members: Rep. Bradey Byrne (R-AL-01) Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL-06 Rep. Gus Biirakis (R-FL-12) Rep. Charie Crist (D-FL-13) Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL-17) Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-18) Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL-19) Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schutz (D-FL-23)

5 Current Estuary Programs under CWA Section 320

6 Cean Water Act Section 320 u Nominations by the Governor to Congress u Defines purpose of the conference u Defines membership of the conference u Instructs Mgt Conf to survey and utiize existing reports, data, and studies reating to the estuary that have been deveoped by or made avaiabe to Federa, interstate, State, and oca agencies. u Mgt Confs are re-authorized every 5 years. u CCMP pans must be approved by EPA within 120 days of competion. Upon approva, funds authorized to be appropriated under tites II and VI and section 319 of this Act may be used to assist with the impementation of such pan.

7 Purpose of a Management Conference 1. Assess trends: water quaity, natura resources, and uses of estuary 2. Coect, characterize and assess data: toxics, nutrients, and natura resources to identify causes of environmenta probems 3. Deveop the reationship between point and nonpoint oadings of poutants to the estuarine zone, and the potentia uses of the zone, water quaity, and natura resources 4. Deveop a CCMP that recommends priority corrective actions and miestones to restore and maintain the chemica, physica, and bioogica integrity of the estuary 5. Deveop pans for coordinated impementation of the pan 6. Monitor the effectiveness of actions taken pursuant to the pan 7. Review a federa financia assistance programs to determine whether such assistance programs woud further the purposes and objectives of the pan

8 u EPA Exampes of Federa Funding Sources Cean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Poution Management Programs State grant program (FL ~$6M in FY17) 5 Year Pans Priorities on Watershed basis for the State Provide technica Assistance Guf of Mexico Program Cooperative Assistance Water Quaity, Habitat protection and restoration, and Education/Outreach Up to ~$300k/CA Other EPA Grant Programs (Urban Waters, Heathy Watersheds, Env Edu, Brownfieds, Wetand Program, ORD Research, etc) u Other Feds USDA (NRCS, Forest Service) DOE NOAA DOI (Fish and Widife, USGS) RESTORE DOT

9 CWA Section 320: Management Conference Members u The members of a management conference convened sha incude, at a minimum, the Administrator (EPA) and representatives of: 1. Each State ocated in whoe or in part in the estuarine zone of the estuary for which the conference is convened; 2. Interstate, or regiona agencies or entities having jurisdiction over a or a significant part of the estuary; 3. Each interested Federa agency, as determined appropriate by the Administrator; 4. Loca governments having jurisdiction over any and or water within the estuarine zone, as determined appropriate by the Administrator; and 5. Affected industries, pubic and private educationa institutions, and the genera pubic, as determined appropriate by the Administrator.

10 Section 320 Grants u RECIPIENTS The Administrator is authorized to make grants to: State, interstate, and regiona water poution contro agencies and entities, State coasta zone management agencies, Interstate agencies, Other pubic or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, organizations u PURPOSES Grants sha be made to pay for assisting research, surveys, studies, and modeing and other technica work to support CCMP u FEDERAL SHARE The amount of grants for a fisca year sha not exceed 75 percent of the costs of such research, survey, studies, and work 25% provided from non-federa sources.

11 Organization of Current NEPs u Most estuary programs choose a management framework that incudes: Poicy Committee made up of high-eve representatives from federa, state, and oca government agencies sets poicy and usuay has one byaws outining voting process. Management Committee to oversee routine operation of the program (reps from same agencies as poicy committee pus chairs from TAC and CAC) Technica Advisory Committee to guide technica decisions Citizens Advisory Committee to represent the interests of estuary user groups and the pubic

12 Exampes Poicy Board Management Board Technica Advisory Committee Citizen Advisory Committee Management and Poicy Board Technica Advisory Committee Community Advisory Committee Manatee Awareness Coaition Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium

13 Exampes Cont d 1. Executive Committee (Poicy Board) made up of chairs of a the other committes 2. Government Network Committee - county commissioners, mayors, state reps, congressiona reps, state and fed env agencies) 3. Science Advisory Committee (simiar to TAC) 4. Project Impementation Meeting - focused on the on-the ground impementation (state/fed agencies, contractors, engineering, and nonprofits) 5. Citizen Action Committee - oca watershed groups and citizens 6. Community Resource Committee - arger nonprofit groups 7. Business Resource Committee - oca businesses that support the CCMP efforts

14 RESTORE Funded Estuary Program u Set up in ikeness to Section 320, but not currenty covered by the Cean Water Act Section 320. u Required to meet the grant conditions for EPA & RESTORE u Goas: Deveopment of Management Conference Estuary Program Infrastructure (Staff, buiding space, etc) Deveopment of CCMP Annua Work pan

15 Next Steps u EPA /RESTORE Interagency Agreement EPA appies to RESTORE (RAAMS) for the funding RAAMS appication eements are currenty under deveopment u EPA Cooperative Assistance Agreement with Escambia County Standard EPA grant/ca appication process through Grants.gov u Goa is to have funds awarded by eary 2018.

16 Any Questions? My Contact Information: Amy Newbod EPA Guf of Mexico Program th Street, Suite 1212 Gufport, MS (228) (office) (228) (ce)