Federal Agencies Partner to Revitalize Urban Waterways In Communities Across The U.S. (HQ, CA, CO, DC, IN, LA, MD, NY)
BALTIMOREโ A new federal partnership
aims to stimulate regional and local economies, create local jobs,
improve quality of life, and protect Americansโ health by
revitalizing urban waterways in under-served communities across the
country. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP), an innovative
federal union comprised of 11 agencies, will focus its initial
efforts on seven pilot locations: the Patapsco Watershed
(Maryland), the Anacostia Watershed (Washington DC/Maryland), the
Bronx & Harlem River Watersheds (New York), the South Platte
River in Denver (Colorado), the Los Angeles River Watershed
(California), the Lake Pontchartrain Area (New Orleans, LA), and
the Northwest Indiana Area. Each of the pilot locations already has
a strong restoration effort underway, spearheaded by local
governments and community organizations. Lessons learned from these
pilot locations will be transferred to other cities in the
country.
Led by the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and coordinated by the White House Domestic Policy Council, the
Urban Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with and advances
the work of the other White House place-based efforts such as the
Partnership for Sustainable Communities by revitalizing
communities, creating jobs and improving the qualities of life in
cities and towns across the nation. The partnership also supports
President Obamaโs Americaโs Great Outdoors Initiative
aimed at making the Federal Government a better partner with
communities that are working to provide safe, healthy and
accessible outdoor spaces. Like these other efforts, the UWFP
represents another example of how the Obama Administration is
promoting more efficient and effective use of federal resources
through better coordination and targeting of federal
investments.
U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, U.S.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, White House Domestic Policy
Council Director Melody Barnes, Council for Environmental Quality
Chair Nancy Sutley and representatives from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development
announced the partnership along the Patapsco River in Baltimore
today where they participated in environmental education activities
with Baltimore students. Americans use urban waterways like the
Patapsco River as sources of drinking water and for a variety of
activities including boating, fishing and swimming. Cleaning up and
restoring these water resources is essential to protecting
Americansโ health and improving their overall quality of
life. Revitalizing these urban waterways will also reconnect
citizens to open spaces, and will have a positive economic impact
on local businesses, tourism and property values, as well as spur
private investment and job creation in these
communities.
โThere is a range of health and environmental challenges facing our urban waters today -- but each challenge is matched by an incredible opportunity to transform distressed urban waterfronts into centerpieces for community revitalization,โ said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. โUrban waters have the potential to support healthy environments, growing business and educational and recreational activities. By bringing together the experience and expertise of multiple federal partners, we have a chance to reconnect local residents, young people and community groups with the environmental resources all around them.โ
โWater is the lifeblood of our
communities and we must care for our watersheds and urban waterways
around the nation,โ said Secretary of the Interior Ken
Salazar. โThrough this partnership and President
Obamaโs Americaโs Great Outdoors initiative, Interior
is committed to increasing public access to river resources,
helping restore and protect habitat and wildlife, educating and
employing our youth, and assessing and helping safeguard water
quality.โ
โConserving our natural heritage is an
objective shared by all Americans,โ said Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack. โThe Urban Waters partnership will not
only give thousands of urban Americans access to the great outdoors
in a way they havenโt had before, it also creates
partnerships between the federal government and American
communities on conservation issues. At USDA, the Forest Service and
Natural Resources Conservation Service are working in thousands of
communities across the country to conserve and revitalize forests
and watersheds, many impacting urban areas. At the same time,
weโre connecting people with our land and resources by
promoting outdoor activities and healthier
lifestyles.โ
โThis important partnership is yet another
example of the way that the Obama Administration is changing the
way that government does business,โ said DPC Director Melody
Barnes. โAt a time when every dollar the federal government
invests in jumpstarting the economy is critical, we are finding
ways to create unprecedented collaboration among the federal
agencies, invest Americanโs tax dollars more wisely and
efficiently, and act as better partners with local
communities.โ
โToo often, pollution, lack of access, and other barriers donโt allow urban residents to reap the health and economic benefits of rivers and other nearby waterways,โ said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. โAs called for by President Obamaโs Americaโs Great Outdoors Initiative, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership increases Federal coordination with local communities to support their work towards cleaner, healthier rivers and waters.โ
โThe Urban Waters Federal Partnership marks a significant step towards revitalizing an often overlooked resource in our urban communities,โ said HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims. โUrban waterways have the potential to significantly improve urban communities, so I am pleased that HUD has a role in providing these pilot cities with the necessary tools to spur the creation of local jobs, economic development and protect Americansโ health.โ
โThe partnership offers an opportunity
to realize urban waterway and watershed revitalization goals that
are larger than, and beyond the resources of any individual
community, agency, or mission. We can deliver solutions to help
urban communities enjoy and prosper from healthy waters through
collaboration with other agencies and the communities we
collectively serve, said Ms. Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of
the Army for Civil Works, one of the initiativeโs 11 federal
partners, โThe Department of the Army for Civil Works is
committed to the vision, mission, and principles of this
partnership. We are ready to assist in securing more vibrant and
sustainable urban waters.โ
For more information, visit www.urbanwaters.gov
11 Agencies of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership
Environmental Protection Agency
ยท Use statutory authority to protect and preserve water quality and provide assistance in assessing and addressing legacy contamination.
Department of Interior
ยท Assist in building trails; increase public access to river resources; help restore and protect habitat and wildlife; educate and employ urban youth; and assess and help safeguard water quality.
United States Department of Agriculture
ยท Help communities to plan, manage, and sustain farm and forest landscapes on public and private ownership along a complex rural to urban gradient to promote watershed health and protect water resources, from the source to the faucet.
Corporation for National and Community Service
ยท Recruiting, organizing and maximizing the impact of community volunteers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
ยท CDC/ATSDR will serve to offer guidance and technical assistance to local health officials and community members in conducting community-based environmental health assessments and creating an accurate and verifiable profile of communitiesโ environmental health status.
Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration
ยท Foster the creation of high-skill jobs and the generation of private capital investment in distressed communities.
Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
ยท Provide unique scientific products and services designed to boost economic vitality, restore habitat, and mitigate hazards and contamination in coastal, Great Lakes, and other locations.
Army Corps of Engineers
ยท Offer engineering services, research and technical support to stakeholders during the planning, design, construction and operation of water resources and associated environmental infrastructure.
Department of Transportation
ยท Help the community in designing improved transportation corridors, bikeways, walkways
Housing and Urban Development
ยท Help the community improve access to affordable housing.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
ยท Assist with health studies related to community environmental conditions.