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EPA Spearheads Inter-Agency Green Infrastructure Collaborative

Government Agencies Make Commitments in Support In July 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with six other government agencies, committed to support specific green infrastructure* initiatives through an inter-agency collaborative led by EPA.  Participating agencies include the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Energy. The agencies committed their support in a four page document that outlined each agency’s specific commitments/initiatives.  For example, the DOT will include stormwater and resilience considerations in their Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery or TIGER grant program.  DOD will update the Unified Facilities Criteria on Landscape Architecture, to clarify guidance on green infrastructure.  The Federal Agency Support for the Green Infrastructure Collaborative document is available here http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/upload/Federal-Support-for-Green-Infrastructure-Collaborative_508.pdf.  In general, agencies’ commitments include:
  • Technical assistance to provide on-the-ground support aimed at creating integrated green stormwater management and hazard mitigation plans.
  • Recognizing innovative green infrastructure projects.
  • Working with States to integrate ecosystems and transportation planning.
  • Incorporating green infrastructure practices into agency facilities or lands.
  • Emphasizing connections to green infrastructure in existing grant programs.
  • Distilling and broadly disseminating the best ideas and lessons learned from existing grant programs.
These commitments are in addition to, and in furtherance of, efforts underway with the President’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.  More information on those initiatives can be found online – click here. EPA also updated its website to reflect how green infrastructure could be used to help reduce flooding and improve a community’s resilience to climate and weather events.   You can access that information here. For more information, contact AGC’s Melinda Tomaino at tomainom@agc.org.  Follow @AGCEnvironment on Twitter, and receive tweets on green infrastructure and “resiliency” news items. *According to EPA, green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments.  At a city or county level, green infrastructure refers to the patchwork of natural areas that provides habitat, flood protection, cleaner air, and cleaner water. At a neighborhood or site-specific level, green infrastructure refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water.