URBANWATERS

A Partnership for Restoring Urban Waterways and Revitalizing Communities

NWI Urban Waters Meeting - October 27,2017,9:30-12 CST
Hammond Civic Center. 5825 Sohl Ave, Hammond. IN 46320

We have much to celebrate together, from the
Sammies People's Choice Award to another
exciting Canoemobile season! The agenda
features a presentation from Save the Dunes on
their Little Calumet River East Branch Public Use
and Habitat Enhancement project. After the
meeting we'll head outside for an update on the
SCATree Team's efforts.

Help plant some trees and watch the SCA team in action! If you plan to
plant (and we hope you do!) please dress appropriately, including close-
toed shoes.

Featured Funding Opportunity

The Healthy Watersheds
Consortium a partnership between
the U.S. Endowment for Forestry &

Communities, USEPA, and USDA
Natural Resources Conservation
Service issued a request for
proposals

due February 1, 2018.

The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program goal is to accelerate
strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds.

This goal will be achieved by:

•	Developing funding mechanisms, plans, or other strategies to implement
large-scale watershed protection, source water protection, green
infrastructure, or related landscape conservation objectives;

•	Building the sustainable organizational infrastructure, social support, and
long-term funding commitments necessary to implement large-scale
protection of healthy watersheds; and

•	Supporting innovative or catalytic projects that may accelerate funding for or
implementation of watershed protection efforts, or broadly advance this field
of practice.

Above: SCA tree team plainting a
tree.

Above: Healthy Watersheds Consortium logo.


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Join us at the NWI Urban Waters Partnership meeting on October 27th to discuss
this opportunity.

Don't Miss IDEM's 2017 Grand Calumet River AOC Seminar
Thursday, October 26,2017 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (CDT)

Gary. IN

This year's theme is the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern (AOC)'s past,
present, and future! Learn from a panel of experts about the Grand Calumet River
AOC history, accomplishments to date, and work currently underway, as well as
work currently taking place to restore the Grand Calumet River AOC.

Register for this free seminar. Refreshments and light lunch will be served.

Another Amazing Year of Canoemobile!

Congratulations to Dunes Learning Center, the Trail
Creek Watershed Partnership, National Park Service,
Wilderness Inquiry, and dozens of other partners on
another incredible season of canoemobile trips!

Thousands of students and community members
experienced their waterways by canoe and also
learned about water quality, water safety, local
history and more!

Above: Students paddle
during canoemobile

Partners in the Press

Check out this recent media coverage of Urban Waters partners:

•	Little Calumet River branch opening invites rebirth of paddling

•	900 students float the Kankakee

•	Portage city marina planning for its next 20 years

•	USS Lead. EPA reach agreement to study groundwater, soil contamination

•	Take a hike ... and explore the more than 50 great trails in the Region

•	Region events offer chances to oet fit

•	Shirley Heinze Land Trusts continues to grew and protect the Region's natural lands

•	Region environment vastly improved bv cleanup partnerships

•	Little Calumet reopens to paddling after three decades

•	Canoe race added to Trail Creek Week

•	Trail Creek Week awarded Paddle Nation Grant

•	IU Northwest's NSF-AIMS Scholars kick off college with water research

•	USGS Partners with Four Cities to Improve Urban Waterways

•	From stockings to trees, brownfield branching out

•	Group aims to biur state lines to build stronger Region

Funding Opportunities

FEMA FY17 Flood Mitigation Assistance j Nominations for Conservation Projects

Grants are available to implement	Conservation Alliance grants are

measures to reduce or eliminate risk of j awarded to non-profits for projects to


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severe repetitive flood damage to
buildings insured by the National Flood
Insurance Program. Local communities
and organizations can be subawardees
with the state as the primary awardee.

Applications due November 14

secure permanent
protection of a wild land or waterway
with clear habitat & recreational
benefits.

Up to $50,000

Nominations due November 1

EPA Brownfields Proaram Grants

Provides funds to empower states,
communities, tribes, and nonprofits to
prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and
reuse brownfield sites. Multiple grant
oroarams are ooen for for Assessment.

Revolvina Loan Fund. Cleanuo.

Proposals due November 16

Community Food Proiects Grants

USDA National Institute of Food and
Agriculture requests applications for the
Community Food Projects Competitive
Grants Program. The Program funds
two types of grants, Community Food
Projects and Planning Projects.

Applications due December 4



Upcoming Events and Webinars

Grand Calumet Area of Concern Seminar
October 26
Garv. IN

Lake Michiaan Fisheries Seminars
November 1 Hammond Marina
November 15 Michigan City

Webinar: Leveraaina 319 and SDWA

Online Course: Urban Forest Adaotation

Proa rams for Water Qualitv Plannina
November 7, 1 -2:30 pm

Plannina and Practices
November 7, 2017 - January 30, 2018

State of Lake Michiaan Conference

Webinar: Growina New Jobs with Green

November 7-10
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Infrastructure
November 8, 1:00 - 2:30 pm EST



Items of Interest

Local Foods. Local Places Assistance

The program will provide selected
communities planning assistance to
reinvest in existing neighborhoods and
revitalize downtowns through the
development of local food systems

Applications due October 25

IN Watershed Leadershio Academv

The Academy educates watershed
coordinators, teachers, engineers, and
others to lead watershed efforts that
improve water quality.

January-May 2018 (apply by Nov 3)
Meetings throughout IN

Arbor Dav Award Nominations

Each year, the Arbor Day Foundation
honors top individuals and organizations
involved in exemplary tree planting and
environmental practices.

Nominations due November 30

New Water Infrastructure Financial
Leadershio Document

This document, produced by USEPA
and the Environmental Council of
States, highlights successful
strategies that have been used to fund
and finance water infrastructure.

Uodate to the Forest Service 2010
Resources Plannina Act Assessment

The Update to the 2010 Resources

Local Floodina Resources for NWI
Communities

These resources, compiled by LMCP,


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Planning Act Assessment summarizes
findings about the status, trends, and
projected future of forests, rangelands,

wildlife, biodiversity, water, outdoor
recreation, and urban forests, as well as
the effects of climate change.

are meant to serve as a starting point
for understanding your community's
flood risk, tools that can be used in
your community, and what groups and
initiatives are tackling localized
flooding issues.

New Water Eauitv Clearinahouse

This online database from the U.S. Water

Alliance showcases innovative and
promising practices in equitable water
management.

Greater Greener 2017 Presentations

The Greater & Greener Conference
featured sessions on the role of urban
parks in creating healthy, resilient, and
economically competitive cities.

The Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Partnership focuses on the Lake Michigan watershed in Lake,

LaPorte and Porter Counties, Indiana.

Urban Waters works to connect urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or
economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and
state and local partners. The goals are to improve the Nation's water systems and to promote their

economic, environmental and social benefits.


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