Environmental Program PlanRVA Environmental TAC September 18, 2019 Sarah Stewart, AICP RICHMOND REGIONAL 9/19/2019 1 TRANSPORTATION
Funding • Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program • DEQ Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Program (EPA) • State Funds • Locality Dues
Regional Engagement & Coordination Environmental Technical Advisory Committee
Environmental Technical Advisory Committee • Meet approximately 4 times a year • Offer training and coordination opportunities • Serve as a forum for regional discussion
Environmental Technical Advisory Committee Committee Members • Local Stormwater Engineering & Environmental Planning staff • Local Planning Department staff • State Resource Agency staff • Non-profit staff • SWCD staff
Projects • Capturing Value of the Lower Chickahominy • Below the Falls of the James • Richmond Region Water Quality Planning Program • Plant RVA Natives
Capturing Value of the Lower Chickahominy Economic Development & Natural Resource Conservation
DCR Natural Heritage Biological Resources Inventory • 39 occurrences of specific species or natural communities • 5 sites in the watershed designated as Outstanding ecological significance • “…[E]cologists and botanists conducting field work noted that the tidal freshwater wetland communities were among the highest quality remaining along Virginia’s tidal rivers.”
Economic Study Findings – Fiscal Impact of Conservation Easements Lands Under Conservation Easement Revenues to Expenditure County Charles City County $1.00 $1.28 James City County $1.00 $1.53 New Kent County $1.00 $1. 21
Economic Study Findings – Economic Impact of Direct Organization Spending • Organizations directly related to land conservation in 3 county study area… • supported about 100 direct jobs in 2018 • This direct employment generated almost $8.4 million in regional economic output • Supported 118 jobs paying $2.5 million in salaries, wages, and benefits • Local governments received an estimated $368,000 in revenues associated with this economic activity
Capturing Value of the Lower Chickahominy • This Year: • Interviews and Focus Groups • Project webpages on PlanRVA.org • Next Year: • Policy Development • Ecotourism Infrastructure Analysis
Below the Falls of the James Conversations about Land & Water Uses and the Impacts of Natural Hazards along the James River
Below the Falls of the James • Study area map
Below the Falls of the James Year 1 • Project Committee • Project web presence • Mapping Application • Story Map
Richmond Region Water Quality Planning Program Regional Discussions about Water Quality Planning for the Health of the Chesapeake Bay
Richmond Region Water Quality Planning Program • DEQ grant to engage all localities in the region and other stakeholders • Collaborate with other PDCs across the Chesapeake Bay watershed in a PDC network • Share information about training and funding opportunities • Current grant: March 2019 – Sept 30, 2019
Richmond Regional Water Quality Planning Partners Approximately 50 people including: • Locality Stormwater, Planning, Parks & Recreation staff • SWCD staff • VDH staff • Environmental non-profits (e.g. James River Association, Capital Region Land Conservancy, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay) • DEQ staff
Water Quality Planning Program - Deliverables • Marketing piece and webpage about Virginia’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan • Discuss opportunities for regional or multi- local projects and priorities • Survey local governments about: • BMP reporting gaps • Training needs • Host DEQ training webinar • Library of draft grant applications & general support
Plant RVA Natives
Plant RVA Natives – Native Plant Marketing Campaign • VCZM Program Initiative – water quality and ecological benefits of native plants • native plant marketing campaigns across the coastal zone and state • www.Plantvirginianatives.org
Plant RVA Natives – Area & Committee • State Agencies • Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden • SWCDs • Chesapeake Bay Foundation • PlanRVA • Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay • Virginia Native Plant Society • Virginia Master Naturalists • Master Gardeners • James River Association • Maymont
Plant RVA Natives - Resources • Website • Guide Book • Decals • Plant Tags • Partner Signs
On the Horizon Discussion about topics and projects in the foreseeable future
Resiliency • Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan • Richmond-Crater Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan • VCZM Focal Area FFY 2020 - 2022
Resiliency • TPO Resiliency Planning Integration in Long Range Planning • LRTP Scenario Planning • Update 2015 Bridge & Culvert Report Task 7350 System Resilience Plan Purpose: 1) Following guidance in the FAST Act, consider projects and strategies that will improve resiliency and reliability of the transportation system and reduce or mitigate stormwater impacts on the transportation system as well as reduce the vulnerability of existing transportation infrastructure to natural disasters. Method: Coordinate transportation planning with environmental partners, homeland security, disaster preparedness, and post-disaster redevelopment planning. Enhance the resiliency of the transportation system to withstand threats from man-made and natural disasters. Consider and plan for the long-term effects of extreme weather on the transportation system.
Resiliency • CZM Resilient Project Database by Wetlands Watch (AdaptVA) • DRAFT/DEMO Only • Report: http://wetlandswatch.org/publications • Project Database: http://bit.ly/VAdatabase • Project Submission Form: http://bit.ly/SubmitVAdatabase • Grant Submission Form: http://bit.ly/SubmitGrant
• Hampton Roads Resilience Projects Dashboard • http://www.hrgeo.org/
Regional Anti-Littering Campaign • Led by Keep Henrico Beautiful • CVWMA region • Common message & marketing efficiency • Customizable to local needs 7 preferences
Regional Anti-Littering Campaign • Grant from DEQ for decals and small displays • Investigating other fund sources for further development and additional materials purchases • PlanRVA Website
Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program • https://ricerivers.vcu.edu/community- engagement/oyster-shell-recycling/
Future Meetings Discussion See Handout
Regional Roundtable Updates
How to reach me Sarah Stewart, AICP Planning Manager - Environmental Program PlanRVA sstewart@planrva.org
Recommend
More recommend
