The AAWRA meeting, held at the Edgewater Police Station on December 7, 2004,
was attended by community representatives both new and familiar with the
Alliance.
The scheduled guest speaker, Ron Bowen, provided a summary
of the county's successful dredging program development over the past 10
years. He emphasized that retrofits for stormwater management often
absorbed the energies and funds allocated to the Department of Public Works.
He outlined that dredging funding from the state was normally 50% matched by bond
funds from county bond efforts. He emphasized that there are limited dollars and that
we need to acknowledge this. He said that the DPW was well organized,
has a very good permitting and dredging program, has been offered as a model for
counties nationally to follow, and that the Army Corps of Engineers has
taken parts of the program for implementation around the country.
The DPW budget cycle was reviewed by Chris Phipps, Chief Engineer and by
Merril Plait, Environmental Engineering. Merril also outlined the grant
cycle and described the following funding sources that could be exercised by alliance
and community efforts working with the DPW:
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
-
| Type: |
Various Grant Programs (many are passed through DNR) |
| Grant Size: |
Small, generally under $50,000 |
| Matching: |
There is a 50/50 or greater non-Federal matching requirement. |
| Purpose: |
Varies, but generally for stream, wetland or bog enhancement,
rehabilitation, restoration, or expansion also may be for community outreach.
|
-
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
-
| Type: |
Various Grant Programs (many are passed through DNR)
|
| Grant Size: |
Small, generally under $50,000
|
| Matching: |
There is a 50/50 or greater non-Federal matching requirement.
|
| Purpose: |
Varies
|
-
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
-
| Type: |
Various Grant Programs (many are passed through DNR)
|
| Grant Size: |
Varies between small (under $75,000) and large under $ 1,000,000),
but are generally around $100,000
|
| Matching: |
There is a 50/50 or greater non-Federal matching requirement.
|
| Purpose: |
Varies, but generally for stream, wetland or bog enhancement,
rehabilitation, restoration, or expansion; also may be for community
outreach.
|
-
The Chesapeake Bay Trust
-
| Type: |
Various Grant Programs
|
| Grant Size: |
Small, generally under $75,000
|
| Matching: |
Typically 50/50 match
|
| Purpose: |
Varies but generally for monitoring of wetlands (there has been a change in recent months toward community outreach).
|
-
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
-
| Type: |
Various Grant Programs (many are federal grants passed through DNR)
|
| Grant Size: |
Varies between small (under $75,000) and large under $ 1,000,000)
|
| Matching: |
Some require 50/50 match
|
| Purpose: |
Varies, but generally for dredging (Waterway Improvement Funds (WIF), or Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG)) or stream, wetland, or bog enhancement, rehabilitation, restoration, or expansion as well as for community outreach.
|
-
Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA)
-
| Type: |
Transportation Enhancement Program
|
| Grant Size: |
Varies by project between small (under $75,000) and large under $1,000,000)
|
| Matching: |
There is a 50/50 or greater non-Federal matching requirement.
|
| Purpose: |
Varies, but generally concerns environmental enhancement projects that stem from
transportation related work.
|
-
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)
-
| Type: |
Two Grant Programs - "Small Creeks and Estuaries" and "Stormwater Pollution Control"
|
| Grant Size: |
Varies by project between $10,000 and $375,000
|
| Matching: |
Requires 50/50 match
|
| Purpose: |
Includes dredging, stream, wetland or bog enhancement, rehabilitation, restoration, or
expansion as well as stormwater management retrofits and conversions with innovative
approaches.
|
The DPW representatives made the following observations about the dredging process:
- Projects that provide the most community & boating public benefits
are the most likely to get funded.
-
DPW can mentor communities to go after grants.
-
DPW conducts workshops for dredging spurs off of approved channel projects.
-
Dredging permits are usually acquired faster by the community vs DPW.
-
Retrofits to waterways correct the source of the silting problem and
are most expensive.
-
Typical time line is 3 to 4 years for community to go through the dredging
approval process.
-
Two Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) tests are typical required
in May & Aug during the approval process.
-
The sites managed by the DPW to re-cycle dredging materials can
only accomodate a limited amount of material per year.
The Fiscal Year Dredging Project Plan for DPW is:
FY06: Rockhold, Clements, Bodkin, & Selby
FY07: Town Point, Parrish Creek, & Pooles Cut
FY08: Locust Cove and Broadwater
President Bob Whitcomb emphasized the effort by AAWRA to reinstitute the
county Dredging program, and to fund all nineteen projects in the May
2004 request using funds from the State Waterway Improvement Fund. Bob
presented the letter emphasizing this funding to Ron Bowen which was
dated November 10, 2004.
Bill Edmonston presented organizational draft documents for review
and noted that the nominating committee was formed to seek candidates for
AAWRA office, as well as Director positions with the Board of Directors.
Charlie Burke, Secretary
|
