News from the
Center for Environmental Finance
Innovative and Cost Effective Environmental Protection
svEPA
Office of the Chief
Financial Officer
February 2014
Volume 4, Issue 1
Green Infrastructure Summit Brings Together Communities
On October 20-22,2013, the City of Syracuse, Onondaga
County, and the Syracuse Environmental Finance Center
(EFC) co-hosted a national Community Summit on Green
Infrastructure in Syracuse, NY.
The purpose of the Summit was to convene communities
that are advancing green infrastructure programs and
to engage in dialogue surrounding implementation
opportunities and obstacles. Participants including
university representatives, EPA officials, New York
state representatives, local and regional governments,
members of the trade media, and national and local
nonprofit organizations explored five key areas:
Green infrastructure project and program
development;
Innovative financing approaches;
Operation and maintenance;
Performance monitoring and new technologies; and,
Promoting adoption of green infrastructure through
public outreach and education.
Each theme focused on the benefits, challenges, and
opportunities that green infrastructure presents for
different communities.The event facilitated robust
discussion on these topics and encouraged peer-to-
peer information exchanges. Participants from the
cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and
others presented case studies. Summit participants also
toured more than a dozen projects associated with the
Onondaga County Save the Rain program, from green
street practices to a constructed wetland. Discussion
topics during the tour included project selection,
financing and funding challenges, practice performance,
and stakeholder engagement.
Recommendations
Present an integrated suite of
tools and structures that manage
stormwater.
Collaborate with other communities
to advocate at the state and
federal levels to get more SRF
funds dedicated to stormwater
management.
Allocate funding to support and
maintain the useful lifetime of green
infrastructure projects.
Standardize a method of
communicating research findings
with the public that prioritizes
knowledge and supports informed
decision-making.
Allow non-political entities to act as
discussion facilitators when looking
to design new and successful
projects.
EPA's Deputy
Administrator
Bob Perciasepe
announced
the agency's
new Green
Infrastructure
Strategic
Agenda to the
audience. The
agenda outlines
five major
areas of focus
to help further
the growth and
success of green
infrastructure
approaches to
address water
quality issues
across the
nation: federal coordination, regulatory support, research
and information exchange, funding and financing,
and capacity building. Since 2011, EPA has established
partnerships with 10 communities and has provided
technical assistance to more than 20 communities.
The Syracuse EFC is compiling recommendations
incorporating best management practices that emerged
from the Summit.The report will be available to
interested communities, with the goal of accelerating
the adoption of green infrastructure practices across
the country.The full report can be accessed at http://efc.
syracusecoe.org/efc.
For more information on environmental finance at EPA, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/envirofinance.
EPA-190-N-14-001
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