MAY 19, 2015LISA PELSTRING

ADVISOR, URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUESU.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

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Urban Waters Federal Partnership 14 Federal agencies Vision: Protect and restore America’s urban waters and the lands that

surround them. Reconnect communities, especially economically distressed communities, to those waters.

Program Components• 19 Locations w/ Ambassadors• HQ Team• 28 NGOs• Grants• Urbanwaters.gov

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DOI Urban Waters—Four BureausInterior has multiple bureaus bringing resources and expertise to pilot

sites—USGS, FWS, NPS, and Reclamation

DOI lead/co-lead at 3 pilots: Washington, DC; Grand Rapids; NYC

Address climate resilience, GI, economic development, recreation and access, restoration, public health, contaminants, water quality, urban habitat

DOI is an urban agency

101 urban refuges across the country within 25 miles of cities with a population of 250,000 or moreMore than 75 urban National Parks featuring both historic and natural areas

245 million acres of Recreational lands that serve millions of urban residents

USGS already working in cities across the country providing water quality and quantity research, addressing contaminants, land-use data, flooding and hazards research, and more.

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Early Wins Interior awarded ~$5M for New York city for restoration projects along

the Bronx and Harlem Rivers; recently successful in persuading state to devote $8M for park access project

DOI providing VISTAs to five pilot sites (college graduates helping alleviate poverty; work with Ambassadors)

Interior LOS helped secure ~$25M in TIGER funds for 2 pilots—Washington, DC, and Boston

FWS funding environmental assessment for dam removal on the Grand River; USGS $100K for mapping; NPS RTCA technical assistance grants

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Growing the Partnership

28 National NGOs = New PartnersThe Sierra Club

Trust for Public Land

The Conservation Fund

The Nature Conservancy

American Planning Associations

The Chesapeake Conservancy 

US Water Alliance

American Rivers

National Assoc. of Clean Water Agencies

Izaak Walton League

Society of Municipal Arborists

Wilderness Inquiry

….more

GrantsNFWF—~$6M to 160 local groupsEPA Small UW Grants--$6M to 140 groups

National Invitee Workshop in 2016Open-to-all conference in 2017

Private sector interest

Organizations representing communities of color

Office of Management and Budget = national metrics

Local NGOs signatory effort

Growing interest on Capitol Hill

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Powerful Inter-Agency Platform supported by WH CEQ and DPC

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Urban Waters Federal Partnership Locations

Original UWFP Location

UWFP Location Announced in 2013