Appendix F Program Inventory JULY 31, 2016 USVI Program Inventory-DRAFT May 13, 2016 PROGRAM NAME SPONSOR FUNDING PROGRAM TYPE FUNDING TYPE FOCAL AREA METRICS OF SUCCESS DATA GENERATED H20SHED MGT FUNDING? WEBSITE National Sea Grant Fellow Program Seagrant $25,000 Fellowship Capacity Building Training Outreach/Education, Planning, Research, Restoration, Water Quality, Watershed Management, Wetlands, Wildlife Program completion Variable Watershed management http://seagrant.no aa.gov/ CZM Projects- Special Merit Competition - NOAA $50- $200,000 Variable Variable Coastal Hazards: Threats to life, property/ocean- multi-issue planning Project dependent Unknown Planning but more hazards focused NOAA Coral Reef conservation program NOAA 30,000- $80,000 Research, Management Implementation 1) Fishing Impacts 2) Land-Based Pollution, 3) Climate Change 4) Emerging Mgt. Issues. Project dependent Yes, Project Specific and Goal Specific Watershed management https://coast.noaa .gov/funding/_pdf /noaa-nos-ocm- 2016-2004574-ffo- posted- 10.15.2015.pdf NOAA Coral reef conservation program NGO Grant NOAA 100,000- $700,000 per territory Research Implementation 1) Fishing Impacts 2) Land-Based Pollution, 3) Climate Change 4) Emerging Mgt. Issues. Project dependent Yes, Project Specific and Goal Specific Watershed management http://coralreef.no aa.gov/aboutcrcp/ workwithus/fundi ng/grants/ CZM Administration Awards NOAA 2.0 million Administrative Administrative Wetlands, Coastal Hazards, Public Access, Marine Debris, Cumulative Impacts, Aquaculture, Energy facility siting, special area planning Project dependent Unknown No specific reference https://www.coas t.noaa.gov/czm/ CZM Enhancement Grant (309) NOAA Variable Strategy planning, implementation, demonstration projects Implementation Wetlands, Coastal Hazards, Public Access, Marine Debris, Cumulative Impacts, Aquaculture, Energy facility siting, special area planning Project dependent Yes, Project Specific and Goal Specific Watershed management https://coast.noaa .gov/czm/enhance ment/ Coastal Management Grants & Coop NOAA Variable Variable- Umbrella term Variable Wide range of projects Project dependent Unknown No specific reference https://coast.noaa .gov/funding/_pdf /information- US Economic Development Assistance Dept. Commerce Variable Infrastructure for economic advancement Implementation Construction, non-construction, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund under EDA’s Public Works and EAA programs. designed to advance creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities Economic metrics Depends on project Demolition, renovation, and construction of public facilities; water or sewer infrastructure; development of stormwater control mechanisms as part of an industrial park or other eligible project. http://www.eda.g ov/funding- opportunities/ Conservation Partners NRCS $50,000- $100,000 Capacity Building Training Support field biologists and habitat conservation professionals providing technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, foresters and other private landowners to optimize wildlife habitat conservation on private lands. Agricultural outputs, production metrics Variable No projects in USVI http://www.nfwf. org/ConservationP artners Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration CAP 26 US Army Corps $50,000- $5,000,000 Continuing Authorities Program- Restore degraded aquatic or orparian ecosystems Infrastructure for flood/hazard control, Construction Projects: Rio Puerto Nuevo Flood Control Portugues-Bucaná Rivers Flood Control (Portugues Dam); Rio Grande de Arecibo; Río Ojo de Agua Unknown Unknown Floodplains/Riparian Zones, Green Infrastructure/LID, Restoration, Watershed Mgt., Wetlands. Flood protection, navigation, military munitions response p // ace.army.mil/Portals /28/docs/assistance programs/2014/FS_ Section206AER_140 109.pdf USDA EQUIP Program USDA $54,000- $450,000 Voluntary program-financial assistance to implement conservation practices to address natural resource concerns on agricultural land and private forestland Capacity Building Training EQIP: help implement eligible conservation practices for owners of land under agricultural or livestock production Unknown Unknown Nonpoint Source Control, Outreach/Education, Planning, Pollution Prevention, Restoration, Source Water Protection, Water Conservation, Watershed Mgt. Wetlands http://www.nrcs.us da.gov/wps/portal/n rcs/main/national/p rograms/financial/e qip/ Nonpoint Source Implementation Grants (319 Program) EPA $400,000- $2,000,000 Wide range of non-point projects Implementation Use of BMPs for animal waste; design and implementation of BMP systems for stream, lake, and estuary watersheds Project dependent Yes, Monitoring, Hydrology, Sediment Yield, Vegetation, Species and Habitats, water quality, Channel processes NonPoint Source Control http://www.epa.gov /polluted-runoff- nonpoint-source- pollution/319-grant- program-states- territories-and- tribes Clean Water State Revolving Fund EPA Variable Construction grants for wastewater treatment Infrastructure- wastewater treatment Construction of wastewater treatment for USVI Unknown Unknown Safe water, sanitation, waster water treatment, Non-point source pollutution http://www.epa.g ov/cwsrf Page 1 of 3 USVI Program Inventory-DRAFT May 13, 2016 PROGRAM NAME SPONSOR FUNDING PROGRAM TYPE FUNDING TYPE FOCAL AREA METRICS OF SUCCESS DATA GENERATED H20SHED MGT FUNDING? WEBSITE EPA State Revolving Fund (Drinking water) EPA Loan Loans that need to be repaid Infrastructure Non point source, storm water retrofit, typically loan, give free money if they want to. Utility authority could move loan to that entity, to support conversion of septic systems Unknown if same as above in VI Unknown Drinking water focused, but infrastructure that supports NPS and improved water quality http://water.epa.g ov/grants_funding /dwsrf/allotments /basicinformation. cfm EPA Wetlands Program Development EPA $25,000- $500,000 Research, training, demonstrations, surveys related to water pollution Monitoring, Assessment, Restoration, Protection, Regulatory Approaches, Capacity Building Training Encourage comprehensive wetlands program development thru four core elements: regulation, monitoring/assessment, voluntary restoration/protection, water quality standards Wetland specific water quality standards Vegetation, Species and Habitat data, water quality, Hydrology, Sediment yield Protect and restore wetlands http://www.epa.g ov/wetlands/wetl and-program- development- grants BEACH Program EPA 150,000- $516,000, $291,000 for USVI for 2015 Water quality monitoring Research/Monitoring Supports microbiological testing and monitoring of coastal recreation waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access. Supports implementation of programs to notify the public of the potential exposure to disease-causing microorganisms Monitoring data and program, water quality metrics Water quality metrics, http://www.epa.gov/beach- tech/submitting-data- epa#monitor Identifies problem water quality area beaches http://www.epa.g ov/beach- tech/submitting- data-epa Federal water pollution control (Section 106) grants EPA $1,000,000 to USVI 2014 Prevention and control of surface and groundwater pollution Research/Monitoring, Enforcement, Planning, Advice, Assistance, Training Variety of water pollution prevention and control programs and activities: Monitoring and assessing water quality;Water quality standards;Identifying impaired waters and TMDLs; Managing national pollutant discharge elimination system permits; Ensuring compliance; Implementing enforcement actions; Protecting source water; and Managing outreach and education programs. Monitoring data and program, TMDLs, water quality metrics, permitting, compliance, outreach goals TMDLs, Water quality metrics, Yes, Surface and groundwater pollution http://www.epa.g ov/water- pollution-control- section-106- grants/learn- about-water- pollution-control- section-106-grant Five-Star Restoration Program EPA Very small cooperative grants.  2016 Grant application lists $20K- $50K a range, with a $30K average. Restoration- wetlands USVI received a grant in 2002 for Protection of the Lameshur Bay Mangrove Forest ($16,080).   Support community-based wetland and riparian restoration projects. Strong on-the-ground habitat restoration component that provides long-term ecological, educational, and/or socioeconomic benefits to the people and their community.  Preference will be given to projects that are part of a larger watershed or community stewardship effort and include a description of long-term management activities.  Project dependent Project Specific stewardship and restoration of coastal, wetland and riparian ecosystem http://water.epa.g ov/grants_funding /wetlands/restore /fy02grants.cfm#la meshur_bay_usvi.   http://www.coralb aycommunitycoun cil.org/Wetlands.h tm Urban waters Small grants EPA $1.6 million (est.) total allocated Urban Waters Water quality issues related to urban runoff pollution Engaging communities with environmental justice concerns. The objective of the Urban Waters Small Grants is to fund projects that will foster a comprehensive understanding of local urban water issues, identify and address Project dependent Project Specific Watershed management Max of $60K.  Min non-federal match of $4K. http://www2.epa. gov/urbanwaters/ what-communities- are-doing National Integrated Water Quality Program (NIWQP) USDA 180- $660,000 Solving water resource problems: Integrated across research, Education, Outreach & Extension Research, Education, Outreach & Extension National Integrated Water Quality Program projects aimed at improving water quality in agricultural and rural watersheds. (1) Animal manure and waste management (2) Drinking water and human health (3) Environmental restoration (4) Nutrient, pesticide management (5) Pollution assessment and prevention (6) Watershed management (7) Water conservation (8) Water policy economics. Biophysica, social, economic, behavioral Project Specific, water quality metrics, pollution, Watershed management http://nifa.usda.gov /national-integrated- water-quality- program-frequently- asked-questions Page 2 of 3 USVI Program Inventory-DRAFT May 13, 2016 PROGRAM NAME SPONSOR FUNDING PROGRAM TYPE FUNDING TYPE FOCAL AREA METRICS OF SUCCESS DATA GENERATED H20SHED MGT FUNDING? WEBSITE Environmental Solutions for Communities NFWF, Wells Fargo $25,000- $100,000 NOT focused on Virgin Islands 2016 currently Capacity Building Training Funding priorities for this program include: (1) supporting sustainable agricultural practices and private lands stewardship; (2) conserving critical land and water resources and improving local water quality; (3) restoring and managing natural habitat, species and ecosystems that are important to community livelihoods; (4) facilitating investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy and energy efficiency; and (5) encouraging broad-based citizen participation in project implementation. Habitat Restoration http://www.nfwf.or g/environmentalsolu tions/Pages/2016RF P.aspx NSF- EPSCoR NSF Variable Virgin Islands Capacity Building Training VI-EPSCoR's vision is to develop the territory's scientific capacity in support of economic development by drawing upon and strengthening the territory's physical and human resources for scientific study. A key to developing the territory's science capacity is through stimulating research that in turn provides educational opportunities for students and faculty alike Educational Project specific Training http://uvi.edu/resea rch/epscor/default.a spx Page 3 of 3 United State Virgin Islands TMDL and Comprehensive Implementation Plan Development Interview Summary Final Review FEBRUARY 6, 2016 PREPARED FOR: US Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 290 Broadway New York, NY 10007-1866 PREPARED BY: RTI International 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Paradigm Environmental 4021 University Drive Suite 203 Fairfax, VA 22030 WPN PO Box 1641 Philomath, OR 97370 Page 1 Interview Summary Purpose This document summarizes interviews conducted with stakeholders within the US Virgin Islands (USVI) pertaining to water quality in the five key watersheds associated with this project: St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER), Fish Bay & Coral Bay (St. John), and St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) and Salt River (St. Croix). The interviews represent part of the pre-work associated with the eventual development of Implementation Plan(s) to improve water quality among all of these priority areas. Approach Interviews were designed to assess several key aspects to better understand the current knowledge, programs utilized, data availability and capacity strengths and gaps to facilitate implementation. Interview format was designed as unstructured, discussion-based questions to facilitate an open dialogue of communication. The interviews covered the following key aspects:  Status and trends of current knowledge. A resource library of existing watershed planning and implementation documents is being compiled. Many of these resources are dated (greater than 5 years old); questions were structured to identify updates, missing information, or key information gaps or needs to be identified prior to the development of an implementation plan.  Status of current capacity. The current capacity of local staff (human resources), available infrastructure, collaborative (interagency/ organization) capacity, and administrative support was evaluated to identify potential strengths and weaknesses to successfully prioritize and implement water quality strategies. Capacity gaps, such as personnel, knowledge and skills, applicable laws, incentive pathways, and other human resource obstacles will help to formulate priorities for types of implementation required to improve water quality in the region.  Top priorities, key projects, recommendations and implementation activities. The top priorities for implementation were identified, including broad issue themes, ongoing projects planned, or collaborative opportunities for leveraging success of future implementation projects. Interviews were structured to identify the “low hanging fruit” options to pursue, so that implementation can be successful given the current knowledge and priorities. Specific funding mechanisms are being compiled along with outcomes from field work in 2016.  Identification of Opportunities & Threats. Interviews identified the useful elements that lead to implementation opportunities, and isolate the obstacles and barriers to successful implementation. These elements are considered within-organizations (internal) and also with respect to external sources (e.g. socio-economic factors, environmental challenges, public opinion, awareness, collaborative capacity, etc.). Page 2  Identification of data sources. Any additional information not available on the internet or currently not within the project GIS inventory that can be obtained remotely or while in the field in early 2016. A library of pre-existing watershed management planning, strategic visioning and implementation is being assembled. SWOT Analysis An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats (SWOT) was chosen to summarize the information from the interviews and background research to evaluate how the USVI can address the needs of improving water quality through active implementation. From this assessment, a working list of potential project areas are considered for further refinement within the Implementation Plan. Table 1. Strengths and Weaknesses within (internal) local EPA and organizations focused on water quality. Strengths Weaknesses Internal (Organizational) Origin  Comprehensive assessments have been made identifying key issues for most of the priority watersheds  Some recommendations have been made for implementation that are not likely needing to be changed but should be reviewed. High knowledge of these recommendations.  There are elements of high capacity for public outreach in government organizations (i.e. knowledge of community issues and key community leaders)  High knowledge of major issues affecting territory; most staff are operating at territorial level and have good view of what status is in all watersheds  Willingness to participate in this EPA- TMDL/ Implementation Planning effort  Plans are dated (>5 years) but are still valuable resources  Some implementation is planned, but require a refresh/ consolidation to identify if key issues are current  Capacity to conduct outreach is limited due to limited number of people and geography (done on site-by-site basis only)  Knowledge and skills is held within only a few individuals, jeopardizing progress with administrative changes  Losses of single individuals from staff results in lost implementation staff & mechanism to implement (e.g. losses of local "champions")  Cash flow concerns in agencies limiting ability to hire staff -- grants are on "reimbursement basis" and limits options (Local EPA cannot carry burden of federal allotment)  Staff capacity gaps to work at local levels. Staff are focused on territorial issues with limited time to spend at local sites  Enforcement is challenging due to staffing gaps and lack of maintenance plans  Strengthen pathways for action include "lightening rod" issues that have strong community involvement for action Page 3 Table 2. Opportunities and Threats identified from external sources (cross-collaboration, socio-economic considerations, stakeholders, administrative environments, etc.) Opportunities Threats External (Broader Scope) Origin  There are interested stakeholders that want to take care of the resources  There is a broader acceptance to watershed-level thinking  High collaboration capacity among different agencies – necessary given staffing gaps  Some areas have good community involvement, with efforts made to seek knowledge from community members to drive the process (example: STXEEMP, Coral Bay)  BMPs have been created through various phases, especially with construction industry  Some watershed groups are at odds but have been galvanized over single issues (e.g. marina construction/ expansion)  High interest in "citizen science" and communication with community to raise awareness (e.g. summer programs, events, etc.)  Some awareness with community on linkages between WQ and habitat (e.g. cost of fish in market, distance travel to fish, etc.)  Opportunity for implementation/ projects relating to international shipping/ cruise line companies  Monitoring mostly done via contract to University (increasing capacity with students) and Fish & Wildlife  Knowledge is held within a few individuals – changes in administrations or focus may result in losses of collaborative capacity  Public outreach has been done in some areas, but not comprehensively or consistently (site-by-site basis)  Prioritization of projects has not been made across agencies and watersheds  Administrative changes often seek to “re- prioritize” planning efforts, which can undermine momentum for implementation. Clear visioning (e.g. oversight committee) does not appear to be present  Economy has not fully rebounded; funding situations are limited to "reimbursement" which makes it difficult for agency cash flow to support staff prior to reimbursement  BMPs have not been well disseminated (low knowledge) and have not been well implemented/ maintained (~30% proper implementation). Enforcement is minimal  Strong rain events can overwhelm BMP safeguards if not well maintained (e.g. sediment fences)  No maintenance plans or enforcement of maintenance agreements appear to be widespread and in place  International companies impacting water quality (e.g. in-dock painting, ballast water, oil tankers, etc.)  Storm water management is a major gap affecting WQ (e.g. beaches close after single storm events)  Contract environmental engineers are not known to be available within the territory, requiring contracting from mainland (slower process) Page 4 Key Elements Learned & Next Steps The initial interviews represented the first step towards identifying the key elements for successful implementation. This is a necessary step to couple with existing programs to identify pathways for funding that allow for successful, long-term implementation with strong community support, as well as allows for the incremental and sustainable increase in capacity within the government and stakeholder communities. The following is a summary of potential aspects that would help to frame successful implementation as part of this project. Additional information to be gained through the scheduled two field visits are also included.  Key issues affecting water quality are well understood among government collaborators. The capacity for collaboration among and within territorial agencies is high; however, there is a gap in staffing and dedicated localized personnel, particularly focused at the watershed level. Field work will further assess key issues and personnel resources within each focus watershed to identify gaps in this capacity.  Major threats (mostly identified with data sources) with recommendations made. There appears to be an understanding that technical resources have been mostly adequate to identify potential implementation options/ recommendations. Because much of this information is somewhat older (>5 years), there is a need to refresh and consolidate recommendations. Planning efforts should focus on actions rather than additional "plans". Field work will focus on each watershed to develop a priority matrix of existing implementation recommendations, identify any data gaps (on-going TMDL analyses from this project excluded), identify potential funding sources or collaborative strategies to achieve implementation and community groups to leverage existing efforts.  "Reimbursement" funding is a challenge toward implementation. There is an apparent gap between the Territory's ability to obligate funds for staffing or project-level positions on a federal reimbursement basis. The economic recovery of the USVI is somewhat behind that of the mainland, and as such, cash flow resources are scarce to engage in implementation efforts. Field work will focus on this observation and help to identify which programs may be better suited to overcome this potential hindrance.  Watershed management as a concept is gaining acceptance and is being integrated into policy strategies. Overall there is the impression that managing at the watershed scale is needed to improve water quality. However there are variable gaps among each watershed as to the level of community awareness as to the causes of pollution, and the recognition of how actions may impact water quality. There are considerable personnel gaps and staffing challenges, particularly in regard to messaging, outreach and collaborative partnerships with industry and private landowners. A model to facilitate and incentivize communication with community groups, new BMPs, funding sources, information sharing and lessons learned will be considered for each of the priority watersheds as part of the field work activities. Page 5  Opportunities exist to work with industry & government to improve BMPs. There appears to be a fairly low successful implementation rate of BMPs in different industry sectors. Opportunities through enforcement, permitting requirements, inspections, administrative rulemaking, and cross-sector oversight exist to that may moderate or control current pollution sources. Field work will review the permitting process, implementation and effectiveness of BMPs (construction, shipping, tourism, etc.), as well as infrastructural capacity of marinas to handle pollutant sources from live-aboard vessels. Additional interviews will be conducted in the field to gain a better understanding of operations and identify opportunities. Needs Assessment & Program Inventory While the interviews were helpful to gain necessary information affecting implementation and potential programs at the territory scale, additional information will be required to better match potential implementation activities with proper funding mechanisms. A preliminary inventory of potential programs are included with this project, though additional detail will be required in a Needs Assessment to best align implementation activities with programmatic needs. The Needs Assessment will organize the current capacity, key knowledge, known recommendations and outcomes, and other key elements with each priority watershed. Elements within the Program Inventory will be identified to meet the needs, as well as identify opportunities where capacity can be incrementally and sustainably increased, and where funding can be leveraged with ongoing projects, current partnerships and stakeholder efforts. This assessment will help to frame the Implementation Plan that will be well suited for both the USVI and for the potential funding programs. Development of this Needs Assessment will be a major focus of the field work and subsequent development of the Implementation Plan(s) in 2016. Appendices  List of contacts for interviews can be found in an Excel spreadsheet named "USVI_Contact_List_interviews_2015-12-18.xlsx" on the SharePoint website (/ProgramInventory). Note this spreadsheet will be updated as new contacts are generated.  The draft Program Inventory can likewise be found on the Sharepoint Website (/ProgramInventory), named "Program_Inventory_USVI_2015-12-18_DRAFT.xlsx"  Supplementary information about specific programs can be found in the SharePoint website (/ProgramInventory/Background Library) Page 6 Table 3. Contact list for interviews Department Name Islands Specialization Territorial Government CZM Director J.P. Oriel USVI Watershed Management, Marine Resources DPNR Commissioner of USVI Dawn Henry USVI Marine Resources Dept Public Works Gustav James USVI Public Works Dept Agriculture Carlos Robles USVI Agricultural Development Environmental Inspector Permits Carl Howard St John Permitting Environmental Inspector DFW and NPS, Retired Rafe Boulon St John, St Thomas Marine Resources DPNR - CZM Anita Nibbs Anthony Richards USVI Coastal Zone Management DPNR- CZM Leslie Henderson Charlotte Amalie Coastal Zone Management, Coral Reefs DPNR- Environmental Planning Anita Nibbs St Croix, Fredericksted Coastal Zone Management Interpreter East End Marine Park John Farchett St Croix Marine Conservation DPNR- Environmental Protection Ben Keularts St Croix Protection DPNR-319 Diana Joshua St Croix, Fredericksted Non Point Source PPA/PPG Person Juanita Iles PPA/PPG DPNR - Building Permits Amanda Acosta Diana Joshua St Croix, Fredericksted Permitting Environmental Inspector Page 7 Department Name Islands Specialization Federal Government Federal Government Virgin Islands NPS Resource Protection Tom Kelly St John Marine Resources Virgin Islands NPS Joel Tutein, Superintendent St John Management NPS USDA Soil Conservation Edwin Almodavar All Islands and Puerto Rico Soil Conservation Natural Resources Conservation Service Carmen Santiago All Islands and Puerto Rico Soil Conservation Buck Island St Croix NPS Chief of Resource Management Zandy Hillis Starr St Croix Sea Turtles, Marine Resources Salt River National Historic Park Zandy and Joel (both) St Croix Management NPS NRCS- USDA Rudy O Reilly All islands but based in PR Agricultural Development Buck Island Reef National Monument Joel Tutein St Croix and Buck Island Management NPS NOAA Coral Reef Marlon Hibbert St Croix Mapping East End Marine Park NGOs NGOs Island Resources Foundation Bruce Potter All islands Closed its door, but excellent resources Independent Consultant Barry Devine St John and St Thomas Independent consultant, sedimentation, helps with studies and has a degree in environmental science St John Community Foundation Celia Kalousek St John Community Organizer Coral Bay Community Council Sharon Couldren St John Have a watershed project ongoing- RFP out for a contract engineer as of August 2015 Friends of East End Marine Park Director St Croix Support STXEEMP The Nature Conservancy Aaron Hutchins St Croix East End Marine Park (Position Term Ended) Page 8 Department Name Islands Specialization Academics Academics UVI Marcia Taylor All islands Marine Resources UVI Renata Platenburg All islands Wetlands UVI Rick Nemeth All islands Fisheries and Reef Fish Ecology UVI- NOAA Simon Pittman All islands Fisheries and Reef Fish Ecology Dean- UVI Sandra Romano All Islands Marine resource management, coral genetics Botanist, Horticulturist Eleanor Gibney St John Botany Virgin Forests Gary Ray All islands Botany UVI Tyler Smith All islands Coral Reef, Water quality, Graduate student Kristin Wilson All islands Watershed Management NRDC, Professor Rob Sampson All islands Sedimentation Industry Industry Plumber- Island wide Dave Dostall St John Plumber Construction contractor Brent Squires St John Building construction Contractors Phil Holford St John Building construction Contractors Nate Sinclair St John Contractor Road Masters Puerto Rico Builds all roads - government contracts Contractors Fred Traysar St John Contractor Architect- Green Building Michael Milne St John Green Builder- Architect Contractors Ray St John Plumber Contractors Joe St John Plumber Stanley Selengut- Maho Bay Campground Maggie Day St John Green Building Manager Developer Bob Carney St John Privateer Bay St John, new development