Keeping our air, water, and land clean starts with you and me, but there’s another important partner who should be part of the equation: our local township, borough, or city.

RETTEW has collaborated with several municipalities to help evaluate capacities and implement a regional plan to reduce pollutants in our streams.

We have coordinated interviews and workshops with eight municipalities and representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the Cocalico Creek Watershed Association.

This work is part of a technical capacity grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The grant’s purpose is to evaluate the capacities of municipalities implementing action plans to address stormwater reduction, as well as work toward a regional pollutant reduction plan.

So far, we’ve used information from our assessments to put together a framework for a regional partnership. This framework covers administrative and technical details, and will equip a region to develop cost-effective solutions for improving water quality and reducing stormwater.

We’ve helped identify areas where local municipalities excel, as well as where they may need additional support or funding.

“Moving deliberately to establish sustainable collaboration tools and gain public support is perhaps the most critical element to achieve successful outcomes in the future,” said Kara Kalupson, Senior MS4 Coordinator at RETTEW.

This model of collaboration can be replicated throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as municipalities investigate their options to implement stormwater management programs in the most cost-effective way.

***

RETTEW is also on the project team for a Conservation Innovation Grant recently awarded to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The grant’s goal is to bring pay-for-success models to stormwater compliance and agricultural conservation.

In a nutshell, this grant-funded project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using private funding streams to invest in conservation practices. These actions will take place on agricultural lands, and will satisfy pollutant reduction requirements within MS4 permits.

Other partners in this project are Qualified Ventures, Land O’ Lakes, and Red Barn Consulting.

We look forward to researching how municipalities can reach stormwater pollution reduction goals to benefit the community!