Congressman Matt Cartwright joins EPCAMR in congratulating our regional organizations in obtaining $50,000 in NFWF Federal Funding to assist in planning, assessing, and working towards the restoration, assessing areas for the removal of sediments and coal silts, identifying stormwater management issues, and assessing eastern brook trout and American black duck habitat for wildlife habitat improvements projects.

“When mining companies picked up and left Northeastern Pennsylvania, they weren’t held accountable for polluting our rivers and streams, and they left our communities to pick up the tab,” said Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I don’t believe our friends and neighbors should be on the hook financially for a problem they didn’t create. It’s why I’ve always fought hard to boost funding for initiatives like the Chesapeake Bay Program, money that is being put to work to help dedicated advocates like LRCA and EPCAMR clean up the pollution and restore our communities to new glory. These resources will allow for more projects that will leave a legacy of clean water and air for generations to come while lessening the burden on homeowners in our area today.”

Bernie McGurl, Executive Director of the Lackawanna River Conservation Association (LRCA) talks about the Leggett’s Creek greenway and stream restoration planning project.

“We are very pleased with the opportunity to fully develop the greenway and stream restoration plans for this stretch of Leggetts Creek. We will finish construction designs and permitting for a number of projects to begin stream channel restoration, address the impacts of coal mining and urban stormwater, and design recreational trail and stream access sites to enhance the quality of life for neighborhood residents and visitors. We expect to make progress on a range of projects that we will continue to build upon in the years ahead to bring about the restoration of this reach of Leggetts Creek,” said Bernie McGurl, Director of LRCA.

“EPCAMR is looking forward to assessing these historic mining-impacted watersheds along the eastern flank of the Southern Wyoming Valley in partnership with the local governments, community partners, and wildlife and conservation organizations,” said Bobby Hughes, Executive Director of EPCAMR. “We will develop recommendations and a plan following the assessment and monitoring within these watersheds that will lead to future implementation projects that will help our communities to reclaim, remediate, and restore areas that are critical to improving the old infrastructure, improve the water quality locally, and eventually the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.”

Bobby Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director explaining to the audience at the Nay Aug Avenue Natural Playground Pavilion the scope of the work that will be completed along the watersheds on the eastern flank of the Southern Wyoming Valley using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) watershed map created by his staff.

“After nearly 200 years of mining impacts to Northeastern Pennsylvania, worthy projects like this will receive important funding. This funding helps us better understand where our polluted waters are and how they can be cleaned up.  Most importantly, these projects present potential opportunities for recreation and economic development, so important for the future of our region,” said Jacqui Bonomo, President & CEO of PennFuture.

Jacqui Bonomo, President & CEO of PennFuture speaks at the press event to highlight the great work that EPCAMR and LRCA are doing in NE PA. PennFuture, LRCA, and EPCAMR are all members of the PA Choose Clean Water Coalition, who are many of the 250 leading environmental groups within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from multiple states who advocate and work towards having clean water within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, a National Treasure.

As part of the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process, Cartwright successfully increased funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program by $12 million, to a total of $85 million in Fiscal Year 2020. That included a $6 million increase to the Small Watershed Grants Program, for a total of $18 million in FY2020, which is funding the projects that LRCA and EPCAMR will oversee and manage. These federal programs aim to improve the water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries through the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) programs. They also can help lessen the burden on homeowners, who often have to pay “stormwater fees” imposed by municipal governments as the Commonwealth works to meet its obligation to restore our watershed.

The Leggetts Creek Greenway Project, managed by LRCA, addresses environmental concerns such as a compromised ecosystem lacking in biodiversity caused by the region’s anthracite coal mining and commercial residential development. The funds will be used to install bank stabilization measures, manage stormwater runoff, and run a monitoring and management program to maintain project efficiency.

EPCAMR will use its grant to fund their initiative, the Wyoming Valley Chesapeake Bay Tributary Field Assessments and Monitoring. The project will recruit volunteers to aid in restoring local natural resources impacted by past mining and provide hands-on field training and observation skills to identify sedimentation, stormwater, and aquatic organism passage in the Wyoming Valley. They also plan to develop and recommend conservation, watershed, and habitat management plans and implementation projects to guide landowners, organizations, and local governments in restoring areas for successful conservation outcomes.

The awards are distributed through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

The post Cartwright Joins Advocates (EPCAMR and LRCA) for Announcement of $100,000 in Federal NFWF Funding to Clean Up Area Waterways appeared first on epcamr.org.

This technical assistance grant project completed the planning and conceptual designs for water quality improvement projects in nine (9) public green spaces in the City of Wilkes-Barre at no cost to the City. The projects were identified in the City of Wilkes-Barre, PA’s Green Action Plan developed and written by EPCAMR Executive Director, Bobby Hughes, in consult with the City of Wilkes-Barre Bureau of Operations, and LandStudies, Inc. in 2017. In 2018, EPCAMR submitted the grant and partnered with Clauser Environmental, LLC, and the City of Wilkes-Barre to complete the Chesapeake Bay Technical Capacity Grant.  The project included the identification of green infrastructure and City greening opportunities, creating concept plans highlighting potential best management practice (BMP) locations, and the development of conceptual details for the various BMPs proposed. All of the watershed areas had also been previously mining impacted by historic anthracite deep and surface mining that have led to various environmental impacts to the land and streams.

Clauser Environmental, LLC  provided EPCAMR:

1. Conceptual designs for greening 9 public spaces.
2. A project implementation plan report highlighting green infrastructure opportunities & proposed BMPs.
3. An estimate of the efficiency of the proposed BMPs effectiveness for pollution removal.
4. An educational/ outreach component to include a presentation with local elected officials, volunteers, and staff responsible for the public spaces led by EPCAMR.

Project outcomes after many of the identified projects seek additional funds for implementation will include:

1. Improved water quality and reduced stormwater flows in the Susquehanna River Watershed & Chesapeake Bay
2. Education and outreach to local elected officials, volunteers, and staff regarding the benefits of urban greening within the City of Wilkes-Barre
3. An improved aesthetic in the City of Wilkes-Barre as the green infrastructure projects are completed
4. A plan for decreased infiltration to the underground mine pools that will aid in the reduction of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) volumes of polluted mine water and metal loading to the Susquehanna River and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay watershed

This project was a priority for funding because it met a critical area of need identified by the City of Wilkes-Barre, EPCAMR, and the previous partner, LandStudies, Inc. in the Green Action Plan. The complete report can be downloaded here.

EPCAMR and Clauser Environmental, Inc. completed the following recommendations from the Green Action Plan:

• Identified green infrastructure opportunities on Public Square in Downtown Wilkes-Barre (#14)

This image shows a few green infrastructure recommendations to the rooftops of the restrooms on the Square and shade tree plantings.

• Identified green infrastructure and city greening opportunities along Pennsylvania Blvd (#17)

This image shows some of the Green Infrastructure ideas recommended for along PA Boulevard.

• A plan for the establishment of riparian buffers and invasive species management along Laurel Run and Mill Creek in Hollenback Park and Golf Course and to identify green infrastructure opportunities (#22)

This image shows the Hollenback Park and Golf Course Green Infrastructure, Riparian Restoration and other BMPs recommended for the Park.

Japanese Knotweed Invasive Plant Species along the entire length of the dry Mill Creek streambed that is impacted by past mining before its confluence with the Laurel Run tributary along Hollenback Park and Golf Course.

• Identified green infrastructure opportunities in Scouten Lee Park to improve water quality and reduce runoff into Laurel Run (#23)

This poster shows the various Green Infrastructure examples and stormwater Best Management Practices at the Scouten Lee Park.

This shows a severely blocked stone masonry culvert along the railroad grade within Scouten Lee Park that is severely blocked and aggraded with sediment and gravels from years of deposition from a stormwater outlet that needs maintenance. The top elevation of the conveyance channel all the way to Laurel Run is several feet higher than the bottom of the two stormwater outlets shown causing backup of stormwater and blockage of sediments.

• Identified green infrastructure opportunities at Dillon Street Park (#25)

This image shows some of the recommended Green Infrastructure ideas and stormwater BMPs for Dillon Street Park.

• 

  This area can be tilled and converted into a community garden for the area youth who visit the park.
•  We identified green infrastructure opportunities at Frances Slocum Park (#32), along Scott Street and N. Pennsylvania Avenue.

This image shows the Green Infrastructure Opportunities at Frances Slocum Park along N. Pennsylvania Boulevard.

This area was recommended for a Pine Cone Station for youth and some benches and picnic tables to encourage families to visit and play in nature.

• Identified and plan for numerous BMP green infrastructure opportunities in Parsons Park (#39)

This image shows the recommended Green Infrastructure and BMPs for Parsons Park.

• Identified green infrastructure opportunities in Spruce Street Park (#41)

This image shows many Green Infrastructure opportunities for Spruce Street Park and other Park refurbishment ideas.

• Identified green infrastructure opportunities in Madison Park (#44)

This image shows the Green Infrastructure Opportunities at Madison Park including new sedum roofs for the ballfield dugouts.

One of the dugouts at the Madison Street Ballfield that can be easily retrofitted with a sedum roof to replace the rotted and weathered roof.

The project met the following Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Program Milestones and Technology and criteria of Pollution Reduction Actions in the Chesapeake Bay Phase II WIP in the following ways:

• Supported additional funding to develop and implement comprehensive and integrated planning to enable local governments to better manage stormwater, reduce nutrient loading from runoff, and generate nutrient and sediment credits.
• Engaged county and municipal governments to identify areas and opportunities for retrofitting to address existing stormwater problems under their MS4 Program. This included targeting opportunities for cost-effective stormwater retrofits including offsetting provisions. Recommendations are encouraged to be shared with the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, a partner of EPCAMR’s in the Wyoming Valley.
• Better utilized funds and resources to target areas of greatest need.
• Engaged the appropriate stakeholders to identify new and revised BMPs, and pollutant removal efficiencies for BMPs such as urban tree planting, bio-infiltration trenches, rain gardens, rain barrels, canopy establishment, and stream and flood plain restoration.
• Explored options to develop efforts that encourages stormwater capture and reuse options that promote cost savings for landowners while advancing nutrient reductions.

Clauser Environmental, LLC completed background site mapping, conceptual designs, the project narrative, visual aids for the education and outreach workshop, and the grant reports. EPCAMR Staff accompanied Dr. Aaron Clauser in the field throughout the City of Wilkes-Barre, PA to jointly develop conceptual BMP ideas, review all of the project deliverables, take photos, participated in the education and outreach activities, and will be a project partner in the implementation of the proposed future BMPs should they City decide to pursue them or support EPCAMR’s pursuit of some of the recommendations.

The City of Wilkes-Barre Staff reviewed the project deliverables, coordinated getting EPCAMR and Clauser Environmental, LLC to be able to present before the City Council and the public in attendance on December 6th’s Regular Session. Lessons learned in this project will be highly transferable to other communities within the Chesapeake Bay region and the Wyoming Valley. EPCAMR is a regionally important, non-profit environmental organization that is dedicated to improving water quality and promoting the spirit of cooperation among various governmental agencies, municipalities, watershed associations, industry, and conservationists. EPCAMR often serves as a liaison between conservationists, local governments, and local communities. In this role, EPCAMR is well positioned to extend the work completed here to other areas within the Eastern Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay region.

EPCAMR, Clauser Environmental, LLC, anticipates that the City of Wilkes-Barre will be supportive of seeking opportunities that are in alignment with the City’s priorities and funding for implementing the conceptual plans to install and construct the various recommended BMPs. EPCAMR is particularly interested in implementation because the project areas are located above abandoned mine workings in the Laurel Run tributary to the Mill Creek watershed and the Solomon Creek Watersheds. Stormwater from these drainage areas in many areas, infiltrate into the mine pool and contributes to AMD after it becomes contaminated underground, and then discharges to local streams in the Susquehanna River watershed. The recommended BMPs will improve local water quality and decrease pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

The post EPCAMR develops Green Infrastructure concept plans in Wilkes-Barre appeared first on epcamr.org.