Positive Development: Urban Waters Federal Partnership

AP:
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Environmental Protection Agency, the White House and other federal departments announced Friday that they are expanding a program for restoring and improving urban waterways nationwide.
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership now operates in seven locations. Officials said Friday they’re adding the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque and nine other areas. The program links economic development, recreational and environmental improvement goals.
“Since we launched the Urban Waters Federal Partnership two years ago, we’ve seen firsthand what the transformation of degraded urban waterways into clean, healthy and treasured centerpieces can do for local communities — not only from an aesthetic standpoint, but also from a public health and economic standpoint,” acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe said in a statement.
The other new sites are the Big River and Meramec River around St. Louis; the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Camden, N.J., Chester, Pa., and Wilmington, Del.; the Green-Duwamish River in Seattle; the Mystic River in metropolitan Boston; Martin Pena Canal in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Middle Blue River in Kansas City; Passaic River in Newark, N.J.; Proctor Creek in Atlanta; and Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio.
Among other participating agencies are the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Interior, Education, and Housing and Urban Development.
“Restoring these waterways is not only important for improving the water that we all depend on, but for spurring economic growth and creating recreational opportunities in these communities as well,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
The original seven sites are the Anacostia watershed in the District of Columbia and Maryland; Patapsco watershed in the Baltimore area; Bronx and Harlem River watersheds in New York; South Platte River in Denver; Los Angeles River watershed; Lake Pontchartrain area in New Orleans; and northwest Indiana.


From the EPA:

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

This partnership will reconnect urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts to improve our Nation's water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits. Specifically, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership will:

Break down federal program silos to promote more efficient and effective use of federal resources through better coordination and targeting of federal investments.
Recognize and build on local efforts and leadership, by engaging and serving community partners.
Work with local officials and effective community-based organizations to leverage area resources and stimulate local economies to create local jobs.
Learn from early and visible victories to fuel long-term action.
This partnership aligns with President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative, which calls on agencies to support innovative community efforts to provide safe, healthy and accessible outdoor spaces.

http://www.urbanwaters.gov/