URBANWATERS Thank You for Attending the Northwest Indiana (NWI) Urban Waters Partnership Meeting Thank you to all who attended the first hybrid NWI Urban Waters Partnership Meeting! Copies of the partner presentations shared during the meeting are available for your reference below. Please continue to send your updates and announcements by email to vwittig@pnw.edu Save the Date for the final NWI Urban Waters Partnership Meeting of 2023 Thursday, October 19, 9:30-11:30am CST at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Indiana [Junes TOURISM Pokegnek Bodewadmik Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail Legend ~ NWI Watersheds of Interest Subwatershed Boundaries Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Lake County H—| Indiana * ------- Partners including Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Save the Dunes, the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Federal Partnership are hosting the "East Branch Summit & Paddle" on Friday, September 15th from 10:00am-3:00pm CT at the beautiful Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion located on 100 Riverwalk Dr., Portage, IN. View location on the map here. Spaces are limited - Please take a moment to mark your calendar and register today at EastBranchSummitandPaddle.eventbrite.com About the Event The East Branch of the Little Calumet River Corridor in Northwest Indiana is the largest river corridor that has been conserved in the region over the past ten years. Since 2013, a lot has been accomplished: • 1900+acres permanently preserved • 500+ acres restored • 5.5 miles of new hiking trails • 12-14 miles opened and made publicly accessible for kayaking • 3 public boat launches installed: 2 more planned for installation • New river access to Lake Michigan Join the "East Branch Summit & Paddle" to learn more from partners and help guide the vision for this river corridor for the next ten years! Above: Map of the East Branch of the Little Calumet River Conservation Corridor. National Parks Conservation Association ------- (NPCA) Spotlights the Indiana Dunes National Park NPCA Spotlights Nine Features You May Not Know About the Indiana Dunes National Park With 15 miles of Lake Michigan coast and 15,000 acres of landscape, the distinctive setting of Indiana Dunes National Park takes visitors from sand dunes to woodlands, marshes to remnants of once-vast prairies. There's plenty to see and do at this park about an hour's drive from downtown Chicago or South Bend, Indiana — and an even shorter distance from nearby Pullman National Historical Park. Read more about the nine features highlighted by the NPCA here Funding Opportunities The Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Partnership may be able to provide assistance to advance your initiatives by exploring grant opportunities, building partnerships, and helping you develop competitive proposals. Email Victoria Wittia to discuss your projects and ways we can help. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Track One funding can be used to initiate new, regional-scale collaborations or to advance existing partnerships focused on climate resilience with the goal of collectively moving more coastal communities closer to taking action, especially those that are marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented. Track Two provides funding for applicants to implement coordinated adaptation efforts that support a holistic vision for resilience and build the capacity of the communities in a region to sustain efforts into the future, especially those communities that are marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented. View the the grant notice here. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO; here Track One Award Range: $500,000-$2 million *Track Two Award Range: $15 mi!!ion-$75 million letter of intent Due: August 28, 2023 *Ful! Proposal Due: February 12, 2024 Environmental Protection Aoencv (EPA) Community-Based Research for Effective Programs. Policies. And Decisions To Mitigate Cumulative Health Impacts And Environmental Health Disparities In Underserved Communities Grant This EPA grant opportunity aims to further advance the scientific knowledge essential for obtaining an accurate and realistic assessment of the cumulative impacts from multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors, exacerbated by environmental factors, including racial and social injustices in underserved communities. To view the Request for Applications (RFA), click here * Award Maximum: $2 million *Applications Due: August 31, 2023 EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative fGLRh Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program fGLEJGP1) EPA's newly created GLEJGP will fund implementation of environmental protection and restoration projects that further the goals of the GLRI in communities with environmental justice (EJ) concerns. The GLEJGP will provide funding to applicants who propose to create competitive pass-though grant programs for EJ communities to advance the goals of the GLRI. To learn more about eligibility criteria and the program description, view the Above: Several people walking along the shore of Lake Michigan at sunset. ------- RFP here. *Award Range: $2-10 million *Applications Due: September 15, 2023 Department of the Interior (DOh Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Refuges Enhancement/Infrastructure Grant The goals of the initiative are to enable local communities to play a more active role in increasing outdoor recreation opportunities on refuge lands and waters, to be more focused and deliberate in using partnerships to help FWS address infrastructure repair and improvement needs such as proactive maintenance and the maintenance backlog and to enhance wildlife habitat. State or local government entity, the governing body of any Indian Tribe, a nonprofit organization or an accredited institution of higher education are eligible to apply, for this grant with an award floor of $5,000. To view the RFA, click here. *Award Range: $5,000-$5,000,000 *Applications Due: September 10, 2023 USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Program 2024 - Northeast and Midwest The purpose of LSR Program is to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes, leverage public and private resources, and support priorities identified in State Forest Action Plans. Program outcomes include: Improve fish and wildlife habitat; improve water quality and watershed function; mitigate invasive plants, insect infestation, and disease; reduce wildfire risk; improve forest ecosystem health; and measure ecological and economic benefits. Register for the Applicant Webinar on September 6th from 1:00-2:00 CT, here. View the RFA, here. *Award Range: $25,000-$600,000 *Letter of Intent Due: October 5, 2023 *Applications Due: November 30, 2023 US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) WaterSMART Planning and Project Design Grants The USBR is providing funding for collaborative projects that support water management planning and design including improving water supplies, improving water management and comprehensive drought contingency plans. To view the NOFO, click here. *Award Maximum: $400,000 *Applications Due: October 17, 2023 U.S. Armv Corps of Engineers Section 165(a1 Pilot Program for Water Resources Projects for Small or Disadvantaged Communities The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is launching a pilot program to fully fund small water resources projects for economically disadvantaged communities. Project proposals under this pilot program are for projects under the Continuing Authorities Program that allow the Corps to plan, design, and implement water resources projects without additional project specific congressional authorization. To learn more, click here. *Award Range: $500,000-$12.5 million *Project Proposals Due: October 20, 2023 USDA Forest Service GLRI Forest Restoration Grant The GLRI was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore one of the largest systems of fresh surface water in the world—the Great Lakes. As one of 16 GLRI regional working group members, the US Forest Service awards competitive grants to assist organizations and communities who are taking creative approaches to improve habitats and water quality. The US Forest Service is anticipating awarding more than 5 million in new funds for mitigating forest insect and disease impacts, reducing runoff from degraded sites through green infrastructure and restoring and connecting coastal and riparian forest habtats in the Great Lakes Basin.To learn more, click here. To view the RFA, click here. *Award Range: $50,000-$300,000 *Applications Due: October 23, 2023 ------- USBR WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects The USBR Drought Response Program invites eligible applicants to submit proposals for projects that can increase water management flexibility as part of preparing for and addressing the impacts of drought and water supply shortages. To view the NOFO, click here. *Award Range: $25,000-$5 million *Applications Due: October 31, 2023 NOAA Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants Projects selected through this funding opportunity will have a transformative impact for coastal communities and tribes across the country. They will help sustain our nation's fisheries, make significant strides in the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and help protect coastal communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. They will support efforts such as reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, outplanting corals to rebuild reefs, building living shorelines that protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise, and more. To view the NOFO, click here. *Award Range: $1-$25 million *Applications Due: November 17, 2023 NOAA Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal and Great Lakes States. Tribes and Territories Initiatives NOAA's Climate Program Office, Office for Coastal Management and National Sea Grant Office will assist communities in coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and tribes so they may form partnerships that train workers and place them into jobs that enhance climate resilience. This opportunity is open to state, tribal, territorial and local governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations in coastal states or territories. To learn more about eligibility and the application process, click here. *Award Range: $500,000-$5 million *Letters of Intent Due: November 30, 2023 USBR WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) The USBR CWMP contributes to the WaterSMART strategy by providing funding to watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. Funding is provided on a competitive basis for watershed group development, watershed restoration planning and implementation of watershed management projects. To view the program factsheet, click here. *Award Range: $10,000-$300,000 *First round applications Due: December 2, 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture CUSDAI Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants The USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program supports eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Eligible applicants must show a decline in quantity or quality of water that occurred within two years of the date of the application or that a significant decline in quality or quantity of water is imminent. To learn how to apply, click here. *Award Range: $150,000-$1 million *Rolling application window open USDA Water & Waste Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grants The USDA Water & Wastewater Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grants program helps eligible low-income communities plan and develop applications for proposed USDA Rural Development water or waste disposal projects. Partnerships with other federal, state and local entities are encouraged, and grants are awarded only when the applicant cannot afford to borrow the needed funds. *Award Maximum: $30,000 *Rolling application window open ------- Upcoming Partner Events Earth Charter Indiana Climate Leadership Summit Register today for the Climate Leadership Summit scheduled for Friday, September 8 from 9:00am-5:00pm at Indiana University Northwest. View the schedule and register, here. Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival Celebrate the outdoors at the Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival. The festival starts on Friday, September 8th, and continues through Sunday, September 17th. More than 100 events will take place during the festival at parks and preserves throughout Northwest Indiana. There are events for visitors of all ages and activity levels, include hiking, paddling, biking, photography, yoga, birding, and many more for visitors of all ages and activity levels. View the schedule, here. Monarch Music Fest with Save the Dunes Mark your calendars for the annual Monarch Music Fest with Save the Dunes and partners on Saturday, September 10 from 1:00pm-5:00pm in Michigan City. Festival de la Monarca/East Chicago Monarch Festival Join in the fun on Saturday, September 16 at 11:00am for the annual Festival de la Monarca hosted by The Nature Conservancy and partners in East Chicago. Trail Creek Watershed Partnership Creekness Stakes Registration is now open for the TCWP's Annual Creekness Stakes scheduled for Saturday, September 23 at Hansen Park In Michigan City. Healing our Waters Great Lakes Coalition Great Lakes Conference Registration is open for the annual Great Lakes Conference scheduled for October 12-13, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. Register here. Partner Resources Tribal Engagement Training for Conservation Practitioners in North America The Nature Conservancy is partner to an opportunity to help conservationists work better with Native American tribes and other Indigenous Peoples. The result of this collaboration is a tuition-free, self-paced training for learners interested in gaining foundational knowledge to use in working and collaborating with tribes. Access the "Indiana Country 101" Curricula here- White House Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technical Assistance Guide The White House Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technical Assistance Guide includes a list of over 65 technical assistance resources and programs across the federal government to help communities deliver infrastructure projects. The guide is organized by types of infrastructure investments such as transportation, clean energy and power, high-speed internet, water, resilience, and environmental remediation. White House Accounting for Ecosystem Services in Benefit-Cost Analysis The White House Office of Management and Budget, in collaboration with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, has released a draft of the federal government's first guidance on accounting for ecosystem services in benefit-cost analysis for public review. To publicly comment, click here. Water Research Foundation One Water Cities: A Self-Assessment Framework The Water Research Foundation published "One Water Cities: A Self-Assessment Framework," which explores how municipalities play key roles in furthering community resilience through One Water. ------- Congressional Research Service Report on Climate Change Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act This report from the Congressional Research Service has legislative analysis on provisions related to climate change within the Inflation Reduction Act. The report also has an appendix with a list of authorized programs and funding that supports adaptation and resilience to climate change. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Technical Assistance Listing The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration has compiled a list of formal technical assistance provided by entities or programs that can support disadvantaged communities, biking, multiuse paths and active transportation. The Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Partnership focuses on the Lake Michigan watershed in Lake, Porter and LaPorte 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. NWI Urban Waters | Northwest Indiana, Lake, Porter, & LaPorte Counties, IN 46360 Unsubscribe vwittia@pnw.edu Update Profile IConstant Contact Data Notice Sent byvwittig@pnw.edupowered by k Constant Contact Try email marketing for free today! ------- |